CSTO anti-drug agencies to examine struggle against drug trafficking

YEREVAN, July 6 (Itar-Tass) - The 10th meeting of the Coordination
Council of the heads of anti-drug agencies of CSTO member states will
examine here pressing issues of struggle against illicit drug trafficking.
The meeting will be attended by the organisation's secretary-general
Nikolai Bordyuzha.
The chairman of the Coordination Council and director of the Russian
Federal Service of control over drug trafficking Viktor Ivanov will
deliver a report on the results of the local anti-drug operation "Canal-
West".
The forum's agenda includes questions of struggle against
trans-national drug crime and possible use of special forces, incorporated
in the CSTO Collective Rapid Response Forces, in anti-narcotic measures.
The Council will examine preparing a collection of normative-legal acts of
CSTO member states in control over drug trafficking.
"Drug trafficking remains now a very acute problem for CSTO member
countries," said Bordyuzha. "Illicit trade in these preparations
undermines foundations of national security of each individual state and
foundations of international stability as a whole."
"Trans-national drug crime is increasingly joins efforts with
terrorist and extremist structures," the CSTO secretary-general stated.
According to Bordyuzha, under these circumstances, the Coordination
Council should step up, in future too, efforts of law enforcement bodies
of CSTO member states to counter illicit drug trafficking and to fight
trans-border drug business.
In compliance with the decision of the CSTO Council of Collective
Security of September 5, 2008, the comprehensive "Canal" preventive
measure was granted the status of a permanently functioning regional
anti-drug operation.
Representatives of the Euro-Asian Group on countering legalisation of
criminal incomes and funding of terrorism, the Council of the heads of CIS
Customs Services, the Council of Commanders of CIS Borderguard Troops,
bodies of Russian executive power, observers from Europol as well as
anti-drug agencies of several countries participate in the work of its
International Coordination Headquarters.