COLONEL FROM KYRGYZ SECURITY MINISTRY SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS IN JAIL ON DRUG
CHARGES

BISHKEK. The Military Court of Bishkek has sentenced a former officer of
the Kyrgyz security services to ten years in prison on drug charges.

750 grams of heroin and a weighing scale were found in the safe of National
Security Ministry's Col. M. Kurbanov in 2000. The investigators found out
that the colonel acted in cooperation with a group of drug traffickers. The
group was also detained.

Kurbanov said at the trial that he had to take up the drug business because
of his financial problems. Now he will spend ten years in jail and his
property will be confiscated.