Tajikistan and Afghanistan have vowed to boost counternarcotics cooperation.

Sherkhon Salimzoda, the Director of the Drug Control Agency (DCA) under the President of Tajikistan, has met here with Ms. Salamat Azimi, the Minister of Counter Narcotics of Afghanistan, to discuss cooperation issues, according to the DCA press center.  

The two reportedly discussed issues related to state and prospects of further expansion of cooperation between Tajikistan’s counternarcotics agency and Afghan relevant structures in combating drug trafficking and carrying out joint antidrug operations.

Ms. Azimi appreciated Tajikistan’s support for training of personnel for Afghanistan’s Minister of Counter Narcotics and expansion of regional cooperation in combating drug trafficking.

DCA press center says Tajik and Afghan drug control officers have carried out eleven joint operations over the past two months.  446 kilograms of narcotics drugs, including 331 kilograms of raw opium and 800 liters of precursors have been seized in those operations.

Besides, eleven drug traffickers have been detained and one heroin producing lab has been destroyed in those joint operations.

The Ministry of Counter Narcotics is a ministry within the government of Afghanistan.  The ministry leads the coordination, policy making, monitoring and evaluation of all counter-narcotics activities and efforts. All activities are carried out in view of the Constitution of Afghanistan, the Afghan Drug Law and Afghanistan's National Drug Control Strategy (NDCS).

The ministry has eight pillars of activity: institution building; law enforcement; international and regional cooperation; eradication; public awareness; alternative livelihoods; criminal justice; and demand reduction.