DUSHANBE, October 20, Asia-Plus - The strength of Tajik border troops will increase by 1,500 people next year, the Tajik border service chief Saydamir Zuhurov announced at a news conference in Dushanbe today.  

He added that funds provided from the budget to maintain the border troops will also increase by 46 percent.  

Speaking to journalists, Zuhurov also dwelled on the present drug situation on the Tajik-Afghan border.  “It is very difficult to resolve this problem until there is demand for narcotics in Tajikistan,” Zuhurov said.  

“Over the past week alone, Tajik border troops carried out four special operations and seized 300kilograms of drugs, and three Afghan drug dealers were killed in the skirmishes,” Tajik border troops chief said.  

He especially pointed to the importance of technical and other kinds of assistance provided by the government and a number of international organizations for strengthening protection of Tajik border.  

The border service chief also noted that preparation of frontier posts deployed in remote mountains areas for the winter period is nearing completion.  According to him, a convoy of ten vehicles loaded with food products was sent to one of such frontier posts recently.  “This week, we plan to send another bulk of foodstuffs, winter uniform, blankets and fuel,” Zuhurov said.