From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Tue May 23 2000 - 11:03:31 EDT
10 KILOS OF HEROIN SEIZED FROM TAJIK TRADE REPRESENTATIVE'S GARAGE IN
ALMATY
ALMATY. May 23 (Interfax-Kazakhstan) - Kazakh National Security
Committee officers have seized 10 kilos of heroin from the garage of the
Tajik trade representative in Kazakhstan, security chief for Almaty
Rakhat Aliyev told the press at a Tuesday briefing.
He said it was not the last batch of heroin to be confiscated and
the operation will continue for several more days.
On Sunday security officers stopped two cars belonging to the Tajik
ambassador and trade representative, where they discovered 62 kilos of
heroin, $54,000 in cash and a bank check for 1.261 million British
pounds.
Five Tajik nationals have been detained and are being held at a
detention center in Almaty. They are charged with drug smuggling and
illegal trafficking and the formation of an organized criminal group.
Aliyev said the security service is worried why the border and
customs services of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan let the cars
drive freely.
A preliminary examination indicated the bank check was guaranteed
by cash and the Kazakh special services are taking every effort to block
the account, he said. The check was written by Nedbank of London.
The heroin confiscated from Tajik embassy cars indicates that a
channel of trafficking heroin from Afghanistan through Tajikistan has
been uncovered, Aliyev said. Part of the drugs was sold through a dealer
network in Almaty and another part further channeled to Russia and
Western Europe.
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