Over 150 Tonnes of Drugs Seized in Russia in 2005 – Drug Control Chief

Text of report in English by Russian news agency Interfax-AVN website

Moscow, 28 December: More than 150 tonnes of drugs have been confiscated by law-enforcement agencies in Russia this year, the country’s federal drug control service chief, Viktor Cherkesov, said at a news conference at the Interfax main office in Moscow on Wednesday [28 December].

“Units of the federal drug control service, the Interior Ministry, security agencies and customs officials have confiscated over 150 tonnes of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances this year,” he said. “These are not just impressive figures. These are tonnes of such substances the sale and consumption of which have been prevented. Huge numbers of people have not bought and consumed this poison. We have removed enormous amounts of this commodity from the criminal market,” Cherkesov said.

Prices have started to grow on the black market after large hauls of drugs were confiscated, he said. The drug control service and law enforcement [agencies] have busted more than 15,000 drug gangs and closed down over 2,500 drug dens in 2005, he said.

“Drug dens are an environment where people get their first taste of drugs. We will continue to work hard to purge our cities of people who have turned their apartments into drug dens,” Cherkesov said.

[A report by Interfax-AVN news agency, Moscow, in Russian 1006 gmt 28 Dec 05 quoted Cherkesov as saying that 100 employees of the Russian law-enforcement agencies have been found involved in drug trafficking operations in 2005.]