Uzbekistan burns Afghan drugs seized en route to Russia, Europe

Drug enforcement officers in Uzbekistan burned 1.4 tonnes of drugs on Thursday, as Central Asia's most populous nation fights to stem the flow of narcotics from neighboring Afghanistan to Russia and further on to Europe.

Heaps of drugs, including 133.3 kilos of heroin and 775 kilos of opium, were incinerated in a furnace at a metallurgical plant outside the Uzbek capital Tashkent before an audience of diplomats, workers at international organizations and reporters.

The drugs had already been used as evidence against drugs traffickers at their trials, according to Uzbek officials. "Afghan-made heroin mostly enters Uzbekistan from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan," Olimjon Turakulov, a spokesman for Uzbekistan's national security service told Reuters.

"There is also direct trafficking from Afghanistan, but a shorter border and natural obstacle – the Amu Darya river along the border - make it easier to control this route," he said.

Afghan heroin smuggled into Tajikistan flows via Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to end up in Russia or Europe. - Read More

Uzbekistan burns Afghan drugs seized en route to Russia, Europe

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