From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Mon May 22 2000 - 11:18:12 EDT
HEROIN FOUND IN TAJIK AMBASSADOR'S CAR IN KAZAKHSTAN
ALMATY. May 22 (Interfax-Kazakhstan) - Kazakh National Security
Committee officers have stopped two cars, where they discovered 62 kilos
of heroin, $54,000 in cash and a bank check for 1.261 million British
pounds.
The estimated black market cost of the drugs exceeds $1 million.
One of the cars belongs to the Tajik ambassador in Kazakhstan
Sadulajan Nigmatov, the National Security Committee's press service told
Interfax on Monday.
The cars were searched in the presence of the ambassador and Kazakh
Foreign Ministry officials, it said.
Five Tajik nationals were detained as suspected drug couriers.
According to the security committee's information, the entire batch of
heroin was meant for the head of the Tajik trade mission in Kazakhstan.
A key channel for delivering drugs from Tajikistan to Kazakhstan
has been blocked, the press service said.
Security chief for Almaty Rakhat Aliyev said that part of the drugs
were sold through a dealer network in Almaty and another part further
channeled to Russia and Western Europe.
The channel "actively operated with the direct support" of
individual staff members of the Tajik embassy, the press service said.
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