KHUJAND, December 14, Asia-Plus So far this year, Tajik border troops stationed in Sughd Province have seized almost 6 kilograms of heroin, which is almost two kilograms more compared to 2004, deputy Head of the Operational Group of the Tajik Border Protection Committee (BPC), Odinamahmad Malikov, announced at a meeting with journalists in Khujand on December 13.      

According to him,  Tajik border troops have also seized some 56 tons of contraband building materials in Sughd Province this year, which is much more compared to last year, when little more than 20 tons of contraband building materials were intercepted in the region.  “6,000 citizens of neighboring countries have been detained for not fulfilling requirements of crossing border,” Malikov said.   

The other deputy head of the “Sughd” Group, Sharifkhon Odinayev, telling journalists expressed hope that a process of delineation of borders between three neighboring countries (Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan) would be completed soon.  

“In accordance with border requirements, the national border should have border line, on both side of which there should no be residential buildings closer than two kilometers to this line” said Odinayev, “At present, in order to cross the border one have to ask permission of holders of houses because in some areas, the border passes through households of some border villages.” .