Drugs worth $130 mn seized in Pakistan in three years
April 14th, 2011 - 8:24 pm ICT by IANSIslamabad, April 14 (IANS) Narcotics worth over $130 million have been seized in Pakistan in the last three years, a federal minister told a visiting US delegation Thursday.
Haji Khuda Bux Rajjar, minister for narcotics, said that opium produced in Afghanistan was a threat to Pakistan, according to Xinhua.
At present 90 percent of the world’s opium was produced in Afghanistan and of that 44 percent was being trafficked through Pakistan, the minister said.
At a meeting held at Pakistan’s ministry of narcotics control, William R. Brownfield, secretary for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the US, assured Pakistan that the American government would financially support drug treatment and rehabilitation centres in the country.
Pakistan last year destroyed 95,000 kg drugs, the minister told the delegation.
Officials have now proposed the idea of selective fencing at certain points of the international border with Afghanistan that would help decrease the flow of drugs.
Pakistan would now ask Afghan authorities to share real-time information and intelligence regarding production and seizures of drugs and drug-making chemicals.
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Tags: afghanistan, american government, april 14, authorities, brownfield, chemicals, country pakistan, delegation, federal minister, fencing, haji, international border, international narcotics, law enforcement affairs, narcotics control, opium, real time, rehabilitation centres, seizures, xinhua