Moscow: As part of the bilateral anti-drug efforts, Russia has handed over information on nine more drug lords active in Afghanistan and Central Asia to the US.
"Within the framework of a strategic cooperation, the Russian side has handed over (intelligence data on) nine subjects, living in Afghanistan and Central Asia, who are involved in drug trafficking, in supply of bulk of drugs," chief of the State Anti-Narcotics Committee, Viktor Ivanov, was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.
Briefing reporters on his yesterday’s meeting with the director of the White House`s Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) here, Ivanov said Russia had earlier passed over data on another 25 individuals involved in drug trafficking.
Ivanov is co-chair of the US-Russian presidential commission`s joint working group on combating drug trafficking.
Earlier, Ivanov said that Russia would boost its drug control mission staff in Afghanistan as "the drug situation in Russia is rather difficult, and needs fast decisions, both in Russia and within the framework of international cooperation”.
Moscow is hosting an international forum on combating Afghan drug trafficking on June 9-10 to be attended by the representatives of key anti-drugs agencies and leading experts.
An estimated 90 percent of heroin consumed in Russia is trafficked from Afghanistan via Tajikistan and Uzbekistan killing around 30,000 young people each year in this country.
According to the Federal Drug Control Service, Afghan opium causes the deaths of around 100,000 people around the world annually.
PTI
