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Russia, US conduct joint Afghan drug raid
Russian drug control authorities have estimated that 30,000 Russians died in 2009 as a result of using heroin from Afghanistan, and a million have died over the last decad
Viktor Ivanov said the unprecedented joint operation hit four laboratories near the border with Pakistan, caused up to $1 billion in damage to the wider drug trade
Mr Ivanov says they seized up to 200 million doses of heroin.
Leaders of the Cold War enemies believe cooperation in Afghanistan can expand as both countries concentrate on terrorism and drug exports.
So far it has mostly been limited to Russia providing its territory for U.S. military transit.
The raid destroyed three heroin labs and one morphine lab, which were located about three miles from the Pakistan border at an important drug trafficking crossroads, Ivanov said.
Russia frequently slams what it describes as slack anti-drug policies of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, leading to an increased flow of drugs into Russia via Central Asian countries.
Mr Ivanov travelled to Washington last week to discuss co-operation in fighting drug trafficking and accused the United States of failing to destroy heroin laboratories and crack down on poppy-growing land owners.
Russian drug control authorities have estimated that 30,000 Russians died in 2009 as a result of using heroin from Afghanistan, and a million have died over the last decade.
Russia, US conduct joint Afghan drug raid - Telegraph
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Russian drug control authorities have estimated that 30,000 Russians died in 2009 as a result of using heroin from Afghanistan, and a million have died over the last decad
Viktor Ivanov said the unprecedented joint operation hit four laboratories near the border with Pakistan, caused up to $1 billion in damage to the wider drug trade
Mr Ivanov says they seized up to 200 million doses of heroin.
Leaders of the Cold War enemies believe cooperation in Afghanistan can expand as both countries concentrate on terrorism and drug exports.
So far it has mostly been limited to Russia providing its territory for U.S. military transit.
The raid destroyed three heroin labs and one morphine lab, which were located about three miles from the Pakistan border at an important drug trafficking crossroads, Ivanov said.
Russia frequently slams what it describes as slack anti-drug policies of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, leading to an increased flow of drugs into Russia via Central Asian countries.
Mr Ivanov travelled to Washington last week to discuss co-operation in fighting drug trafficking and accused the United States of failing to destroy heroin laboratories and crack down on poppy-growing land owners.
Russian drug control authorities have estimated that 30,000 Russians died in 2009 as a result of using heroin from Afghanistan, and a million have died over the last decade.
Russia, US conduct joint Afghan drug raid - Telegraph
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