Ecstasy Seizures in Dushanbe

On November 13, Mobile Deployment Team of the Anti-Drug Smuggling Department, Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Tajikistan (MDT) had reported on seizure of 1880 units of amphetamine type pills (ecstasy, brolamphetamine group) in Dushanbe. It was the biggest seizure of ecstasy in Tajikistan. The MDT has investigated the case and as a result, Mr. Bakhrom Sattorov (national of the Republic of Tajikistan, 1986 year of birth), who was involved in smuggling and selling of ecstasy pills, was detained. Two other Tajik citizens are still under investigation. According to the MDT, the pills were smuggled from the Baltic States through Russia to Tajikistan using the road transportation. MDT was established within the framework of the UNODC project "Strengthening control along Tajik-Afghan Border" in May 2007 with the objective to identify, investigate, interdict and eliminate those groups involved in illicit narcotics drug trafficking. The MDT has become operational in January 2008. The fifteen officers of MDT were selected on a competitive basis. They went  through basic and  specialized training courses regarding informant's handling, basics of undercover operations, risk analysis and search techniques, as well as intelligence analysis. From January 2008 to November 2010, MDT has carried out over 57 operations, including joint operations with other law enforcement agencies in the region.  As a result, 69 persons were detained, including 57 Tajik, 10 Afghan and 2 Russian nationals. Total amount of drugs seized by MDT for the mentioned period was 1 ton 509 kg 620 g, of which 312 kg 630 g being heroin and 315 kg 880 g of opium.