DUSHANBE, October 17, Asia-Plus Officers from law enforcement and governmental agencies are more involved in drug trafficking than ordinary citizens and farmers, Tajik chief prosecutor Bobojon Bobokhonov said at a news conference in Dushanbe on October 16. 

”Some officials from these agencies protect the drug dealers, trying to influence the course of the criminal proceedings instituted against them, Bobokhonov stated, noting that 83 criminal charges have been field against law-enforcement officers between January and September of this year.  The majority face charges of bribery, abuse of office, embezzlement of state funds and the like. 

As an example, the chief prosecutor cited the case of Akbarali Juraboyev.  According to the prosecutor, the Tajik Drug Control Agency (DCA) in September found that  Juraboyev was involved in transportation of large amounts of drugs from Tajikistan to other countries.  ”The counternarcotics agency instituted criminal proceedings and applied to the Prosecutor-General’s Office for warrant to arrest Juraboyev,” said Bobokhonov, “But six months later, the DCA officials decided to drop the case against Juraboyev for lack of proof.  However, we decided that there were sufficient grounds to continue the investigation and send it to the Ministry of Interior.  A week later, our request to continue the investigation was refused.” 

He said officers from the Prosecutor-General’s Office, who continued the investigation, established that Juraboyev in September last year organized the transport of 330 kilograms of drugs, including 255 kilograms of heroin, 66 kilograms of raw opium and 8 kilograms of hashish, to the Russian Federation.  ”The drugs were hidden in the tank of one of five heavy trucks sent to Russia,” the prosecutor said, adding that the drug trafficking network included three Tajik nationals and three Russian citizens.  All members of the criminal ring, except Juraboyev, were detained in the Russian Federation, he said. ”Last Friday, October 13, Tajikistan’s Supreme Court sentenced an activist of this group to 18 years in jail,” Bobokhonov said.