DUSHANBE, June 14, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- Some 500 kilograms of narcotics have been seized in Tajikistan within the framework of a sub-regional anti-drug operation, which has been dubbed Kanal-Vostok (Channel-East), the Drug Control Agency (DCA) under the President of Tajikistan reports.

According to the DCA press center, the operation was carried out from June 4 to June 9 and Tajik law enforcement officers solved 13 drug-related crimes over the report period. 

The main objectives of the operation were to solve practical tasks on shutting down channels through which Afghan opiates and Chinese psychotropic substances were being smuggled into the member nations of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

We will recall that in accordance with the decision of the CSTO heads of state, the Coordinating Council of heads of the competent authorities to combat drug traffic (KSOPN) has carried out an annual anti-drug operation “Kanal” within the CSTO area since 2008.

The Channel-Vostok operation reportedly involved forces and assets of specially authorized counternarcotics agencies, police, security, customs and border services, and financial intelligence services of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.  The competent authorities of Afghanistan, China, Mongolia and the EAG participated as observers.

Meanwhile, the CSTO official website reports that some 5.3 tons of drugs were seized during the anti-drug operations.