DUSHANBE, July 26, Asia-Plus -- One Ensign and two soldiers from Tajik border troops have been jailed for drug pushing in January-June 2006, Safarali Sayfulloyev, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Protection of the State Border of Tajikistan, announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on July 28.  

“To prevent such cases we send residents of the northern regions of Tajikistan to serve in the border troops in the southern regions of the country, and vice versa; residents of the southern regions are sent for serving in the border units stationed in the northern regions of the country,” said Mr. Sayfulloyev, “Besides, the border officers are rotated each four-five years.” 

According to him, 285 Tajik cadets have graduated from higher border officers’ training schools in various CIS states since 2001 and at present they serving in various units of the Tajik border service.  This year, Russia has provided a quota for 50 Tajik cadets in its higher border officers’ training schools.  

The Tajik border top official also noted that 10 Russian skilled instructors were supposed to arrive in Tajikistan this year to teach cadets at Tajikistan ’s Border Officers’ Training Institute in Dushanbe .  

He reminded that under the bilateral agreement that was signed in Dushanbe on October 16, 2004, an operational group of the Federal Security Service stayed in Tajikistan to perform advisory functions, provide assistance to Tajik border guards in the effective border patrolling and training of the young generation of border guards.