DUSHANBE, Tajikistan — Tajik authorities have seized 121 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in transit trucks traveling from Afghanistan to China, in what officials say is a sign of rising synthetic drug trafficking from the region.
Local media reported that Zafar Samad, head of Tajikistan’s Drug Control Agency, said the narcotics were discovered last month on the Dushanbe-Kulma highway, after one of the vehicles was involved in an accident.
According to Samad, the shipment had been falsely declared as a powdered mixture of precious stones, but inspections later confirmed it contained methamphetamine.
Tajik media also reported that a second transit truck on the same route was later stopped in Murghab, a district in the autonomous region of Gorno-Badakhshan, where additional methamphetamine was found.
Samad also rejected earlier reports that 800 kilograms of drugs had been seized, clarifying that the actual quantity was 121 kilograms.
The discovery comes amid growing concerns over a surge in synthetic drug production in Afghanistan. Samad noted that the increasing supply has led to a 59 percent rise in drug seizures in Tajikistan in 2024, with a total of 110 kilograms of synthetic narcotics confiscated—41 kilograms more than in 2023.
The rising flow of methamphetamine from Afghanistan has heightened fears about its impact on regional and global markets, particularly in China, a key destination for illicit drug shipments.
Methamphetamine, which is illegally manufactured and trafficked, is known for its high potential for abuse and severe psychological and physical dependence.
