Last week, Russian Federal border guards quartered in Tajikistan seized
a record consignment of raw opium – 2.185 kilograms at one haul. Since the beginning
of this year, they have seized more than 3,5 tons of drugs, out of which more than one ton
is heroine produced in neighboring Afghanistan. Colonel Alexandr Kostiuchenko, Commander
of the Moskovsky frontier outpost says that out of fifteen armed drug smugglers, five were
killed in a skirmish, when the cargo had been ferried through the river Pyanj to the Tajik
territory. Others managed to escape. ‘Probably some laboratories producing heroine
have emerged here’, the Colonel added, ‘That’s why the Afghan smugglers
ventured to pass over raw opium, which might seem unprofitable at first sight’.
The Tajik State Committee on Drug Control under the President reports
that in the first six months of this year, Law Enforcement structures have revealed more
than one thousand criminal cases related to illegal drug trafficking. In the areas of
Tajikistan bordering on Afghanistan, one kilogram of raw opium costs less than $ 50. The
price doubles in the capital, Dushanbe, and redoubles in Russia.
Tajikistan has long ago achieved notoriety as a transition point for
drug smuggling. Yet two years ago, its neighbor, Afghanistan, surpassed all countries of
Golden Triangle and Latin America together as far as drug production is concerned.
According to the UN Drug Control Agencies, 53 percent of world production of heroin is
produced in Afghanistan. Mr. Matthew Kahane, UN Humanitarian Coordinator to Tajikistan,
stated in an IRIN interview that ‘It has been established that between 30 and 50
percent of the entire economic activity of Tajikistan is linked to drugs with Afghanistan.
The World Bank estimates 30 percent, the Russian Embassy 50 percent. The drug problem can
only be controlled when the Taliban movement in Afghanistan stops producing
narcotics’.
An increasing number of residents of areas bordering on Afghanistan are
being involved in smuggling. Also, a growing number of cases of human trafficking are
being reported. Afghans abduct local residents’ relatives and their cattle for ransom
until the Tajiks pay what they are owed for earlier deliveries of narcotics. Due to a
record drought, agriculture is in dire straits in the southern parts of the country. The
UN World Food Program estimates that more than one million Tajik citizens were affected by
a severe drought last year, and the current year is not less arid.
The Gorno-Badakshan area in the Pamir mountains is also facing this
problem. isolated as it is, especially in winter time, from the rest of the country, Many
segments of the border are as good as transparent. In winter time, when the Pyanj river is
only knee-high, it is not difficult to throw some bails over it. ‘It has become
difficult to maintain hold of the situation’, an official from the Badakhshan Health
Authorities says, ‘Consumption of "heavy stuff" like opium has never been
traditional in the Pamirs. We never saw the "white powder" before. Now, it is
easier to find heroin than marijuana. It has become problematic to pass drugs over to
Russia, and the vendors are expanding the local market, offering narcotics to teenagers
almost for free. Should they get hooked, they turn into slaves".’
Visitors to the region are warned not to buy vodka at the market of
Khorog, the administrative town of Gorno-Badahshan. ‘Unless you are personally
acquainted with the vendor, he can foist fake stuff on you, made of badly refined alcohol,
or worse, you would buy a liquid stuffed with the potion,’ this author was told. This
is being done with the same purpose. Regular buyers are provided with drugs until they are
addicted and become clients for other vendors.
The Bohtar district of the Khatlon province in the Southern part of the
country suffered the most from military actions during the civil war (1992-97). Although
most of land plots there have been distributed to peasants according to a Presidential
decree, the cotton harvest is being controlled by very few ‘weighty’ persons,
and farmers receive only a tiny share of revenues from what is being sold. A local
Khukumat (district authorities) official, who wishes not to be named, points to newly
constructed fancy villas. Many expensive vehicles were also seen in this settlement, where
many children have no shoes to go to school in winter.
‘One point to take into account is that if the Taliban’s
efforts to stem the flow of drugs are successful, we will see a downward spiral in the
Tajik economy,’ – Matthew Kahane said in the same interview for IRIN.
UN bodies accredited in Tajikistan are working on programs with the
Russian Border Forces and the Tajik National Drug Control Agency to fight drug
trafficking. However, the Russian border guards keep facing logistical problems. Only
their supreme personnel consists of skilled officers. Others – NCOs and the rank and
file are young recruits mobilized to the Tajik army on a compulsory basis. Most of these
come from poor families, are sick, and cannot afford ‘crossing somebody’s
hand’
By Alexei Igushev