17 Drug Traffickers Killed on Tajikistan-Afghanistan Border Amid Rising Narcotics Crackdown
Tajikistan’s Drug Control Agency announced that in the first six months of 2026, security forces killed at least 17 Afghan nationals accused of drug trafficking during seven armed clashes along the border with Afghanistan. According to the agency, these individuals died in direct confrontations with Tajik security forces. During the same period, 18 other Afghan nationals were also arrested on drug-related charges.
Based on a report by the Ovesta News Agency published on Monday, July 13, one ton and 513 kilograms of narcotics were detected and seized at the Tajik-Afghan border in the first half of this year. The Drug Control Agency emphasized that the Afghan border remains the primary route for drug trafficking into Tajikistan.
The agency added that from the 18 arrested Afghan nationals alone, 601 kilograms of narcotics were recovered. A total of 592 drug trafficking-related crimes were recorded in the country, reflecting an 11% increase compared to the same period last year.
Tajik officials stated that since the start of 2026, a total of 2 tons and 963 kilograms of illegal narcotics have been confiscated nationwide. During this time, 28 foreign nationals including one Kazakh citizen carrying 10 kilograms, six Uzbek citizens with 65 kilograms, and two Kyrgyz citizens with 11 kilograms of narcotics were arrested.
Previously, the Drug Control Agency reported that in 2025, at least 2,742 kilograms of narcotics linked to Afghanistan were seized in border regions. Zafar Samad, the agency’s head, said that the volume of narcotics intercepted at the Afghan border in 2025 rose by 50% compared to the previous year.
The State Committee for National Security of Tajikistan also announced in late February the seizure of 58 kilograms of narcotics smuggled from Afghanistan in the Shamsuddin Shahin border area, resulting in the arrest of two Tajik citizens related to the case.
The rise in drug trafficking from Afghanistan comes amid growing concerns about continued production and operation of secret narcotics laboratories following the Taliban’s takeover of the country. Despite Taliban officials’ claims of combating drugs, regional reports indicate that trafficking routes remain active in certain areas, prompting neighboring countries to strengthen security measures along their borders.
