DUSHANBE, 24.06.2025 (NIAT Khovar) – A major drug smuggling attempt was prevented on the Tajik-Afghan border as a result of joint operational-search measures carried out by the task force of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) Directorate for Khatlon Region and servicemen of the 9th Border Post “Panjob” of the “Hamadoni” Border Detachment.

According to the SCNS Public Relations Center, the operation took place in the border area near Sairob village, Panjob Jamoat, Mir Said Ali Hamadoni district, where four armed Afghan drug traffickers attempted to illegally cross the state border into Tajikistan.

During the attempted detention, the members of the transnational drug trafficking group resisted arrest, refusing to comply with the commands of the security officers and border guards and opened fire, carrying firearms and ammunition.

In the ensuing combat operation, Tajik border forces demonstrated a high level of professionalism and combat readiness, successfully neutralizing the 50-year-old ringleader of the group, identified as Mahmadkhoshim Valdi Mirakbar, a resident of Navobod village, Yangiqala district, Takhar province of Afghanistan. The remaining members of the group fled back across the border into Afghan territory and are currently being pursued.

A search of the scene resulted in the seizure of a large batch of narcotics, identified as hashish, and one AK-74 Kalashnikov rifle, three magazines, and 87 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.

According to the forensic examination by the Drug Control Agency’s Regional Directorate in Khatlon, the total weight of the confiscated narcotics was 71 kilograms and 929 grams of hashish.

In connection with the incident, a criminal case was opened by the SCNS task force under Articles 200 (Part 4, Paragraph “g”), 289 (Part 3), 335 (Part 2), and 195 (Part 2, Paragraph “b”) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Tajikistan. A preliminary investigation is currently underway.

It is emphasized that Tajikistan’s state border serves as a reliable shield for the region, guarded around the clock by security officers and border troops. The State Committee for National Security continues to carry out operations to intercept illegal trafficking of narcotics, weapons, and ammunition, protecting the border, which is one of the main pillars of national sovereignty.

Transnational criminal groups exploit the long and vulnerable sections of the Afghan-Tajik border for drug trafficking. Their illicit actions devastate families, leading to addiction, death, and social collapse.

Alongside terrorism and extremism, drug trafficking is one of the most serious crimes, with consequences that are catastrophic for humanity.

Criminals must not forget that the borders of sovereign states are a sacred symbol of independence. The state border of the Republic of Tajikistan is constantly and firmly protected, and any violator will be held accountable.