DUSHANBE, May 11, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has reported the seizure of a large amount of Afghan hashish in the southern Khatlon province.

The source at a MoI says Qurghon Teppa resident A.I., 45, was detained on May 10 on suspicion of drug pushing.  A package of narcotic drug that tested positive to hashish weighing 5.284 kilograms was confiscated from him.

Criminal proceedings have been instituted against him and an investigation is under way.

It is to be noted that according to the UNODC report, cannabis production is increasing in Afghanistan this year and hashish smuggling is increasing correspondingly.  Afghanistan, the world''s biggest producer of opium, is also a major producer of cannabis.

In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, Tajik drug control chief revealed on April 27 that cannabis accounted for more than 80 percent of the overall amount of narcotics seized in Tajikistan over the first three months of this year.  Nearly 1,500 kilograms of narcotics, including 1,200 kilograms of cannabis, have been seized in the country over the report period.