DUSHANBE, October 18, 2011, Asia-Plus -- The Drug Control Agency (DCA) under the President of Tajikistan has opened two more offices in Gorno Badakhshan.

According to the DCA press center, Tajik drug control chief Rustam Nazarov who is currently on business trip to Gorno Badakhshan yesterday inaugurated the DCA’s office in Murgab district and another office of the Tajik counternarcotics agency will be officially opened tomorrow in Ishkashim district.

The DCA’s offices in Murgab and Ishkashim have been constructed under financial support of UNODC in the framework of the project, AD/TAJ/03/H03 – “Tajikistan Drug Control Agency (DCA) – Phase II.  

This is a flagship project that started in 2003 to build an independent law enforcement agency reporting directly to the President.  The idea of the project is to focus expertise and skills for running advanced counter-narcotics operation under one umbrella.

The Drug Control Agency under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan was established with the support of UNODC project in 2000.  The DCA has become the lead drug enforcement agency in the country with the capacity to undertake long term intelligence-led operations.  The DCA’s drug liaison officers based in the Afghan provinces bordering with Tajikistan are operating successfully.

Yesterday afternoon, an Afghan delegation led by General Baz Mohammad Ahmadi, Deputy Minister of Interior for Counter-Narcotics, entered Khorog, the capital of Gorno Badakhshan from Afghanistan via the Tajik-Afghan bridge in the Tem area, the DCA press center reported.

The main purpose of the visit is for the delegation to discuss ways of expansion of cooperation between Afghan and Tajik counternarcotics agencies, the source said.

Today, the Afghan delegation is holding talks with GBAO governor Qodir Qosim.  Tajik drug control chief and DCA’s drug liaison officers based in the Afghan provinces are also attending the meeting.

The Afghan delegation is expected to arrive in the Tajik capital on October 19.  In Dushanbe, General Baz Mohammad Ahmadi will hold talks with senior representatives of Tajikistan’s Ministry of Interior, State Committee for National Security (SCNS) and Drug Control Agency (DCA) as well as the UNODC Country Office in Tajikistan.