TRANSIT OF AFGHAN DRUGS THROUGH KYRGYZSTAN GROWING - OFFICIAL

Organized criminal groups are building up the transit of Afghan drugs
though Kyrgyzstan, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Drug confiscation in Kyrgyzstan has grown tenfold since 1999,
Kurmanbek Kubatbekov, chairman of the Kyrgyz government drug control
commission, told Interfax. He said more than 520 kilograms of heroin,
including 48.5 kilograms of Afghan heroin, have been confiscated in
Kyrgyzstan in the first five months of 2001.

Kubatbekov said that international drug dealers prefer to send heroin
to Kyrgyzstan this year. Heroin costs about $7,000 a kilogram on the
black market of the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek.

According to the commission, demand for heroin has steeply grown in
Western Europe since last year.

Under-funded and under-equipped Kyrgyz law enforcement agencies are
unable to seize more than 5% of the heroin passing through Kyrgyzstan.

Other countries are giving substantial financial and technical support
to Kyrgyzstan, which has received $3.5 million over the last seven
years in grants for measures against drug trafficking.