DUSHANBE, February 17, 2011, Asia-Plus -- Police officers have found assault rifle Kalashnikov while searching a vehicle in Darvoz district, Gorno Badakhshan.

According to the Ministry of Interior (MoI), police officers at one of checkpoints in Darvoz district on February 16 stopped suspect Mitsubishi Pajero that was moving from Vanj district to Dushanbe.  “When searching passenger’s luggage, police officers found the assault rifle Kalashnikov hidden in the box with apples,” the source said. 

In all, ten cases of illegal storage of weapons were reportedly detected in the country yesterday.

A small-bore rifle TOZ-8 and 60 bullets for assault rifle Kalashnikov were found in Rasht district;   Makarov pistol and grenade shell for “Mukha” disposable grenade launcher were found in Dushanbe; Western type pistol, Cuno Melcher, was found in Vakhsh district; small-bore rifle TOZ-8, two grenade launchers ad 50 bullets of different caliber were found in Qumsangir district; and so forth, the source said.

According to him, 225 firearms, including 57 assault rifles, 41 pistols, 36 rifles, 26 grenade launchers, 159 explosives and large amount of bullets of different caliber have been confiscated or voluntarily handed over to police stations across the country since the beginning of this year.