Russian police seize over 90kg of heroin in Siberia

PanARMENIAN.Net - Police in southwest Siberia’s Kemerovo Region have seized 92.5 kg of heroin from Afghanistan, the regional drug control department said on Wednesday, Dec 19, according to RIA Novosti.

“A truck arrived from Kyrgyzstan, via Kazakhstan and the Altai Territory. It carried several tons of onions, and stashed drugs,” the department said in a statement

A total of 83.5 kg of heroin were found in the truck. Nine kg were found during the subsequent search in an apartment of a suspected drug trafficker.

Russia has borne the brunt of the ill-effects of the Afghan drug trade. An estimated 90% of heroin consumed in Russia is trafficked from Afghanistan via Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Russia has some 5 million drug addicts, mostly young people between the ages of 30 to 35. Around 30,000 Russians die from heroin abuse every year.