Azernews.Az

The ongoing occupation of a part of Azerbaijan`s territories by Armenia is posing grave problems for the world, and the use of these areas to smuggle narcotics exacerbates the global drug trafficking threat, European customs officials have warned.
As the heads of Europe`s customs investigation services gathered in Baku for their 17th meeting, the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee chairman, Aydin Aliyev, said customs officers are certainly worried about the expanding scale of drug trafficking. The problem`s assuming a wide scope in the occupied, uncontrolled Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh region complicates the situation further, he said.
Michel Danet, the World Customs Organization Secretary General, said the world community was aware of this arbitrariness being committed by Armenians.
"The smuggling of narcotic substances and illegal money transfers through Upper Garabagh are a problem facing the entire world," he said, calling for putting an end to these actions as soon as possible.
"The narcotics business, smuggling of arms and terrorism continue to poison our society. These problems are areas of concern not only for a given country but for the entire mankind," said Danet.
The Azerbaijani customs chief told the press that his country was concerned with the smuggling of narcotics into its territory from neighboring Iran. Aliyev said that whereas the drugs impounded by law enforcers were measured by grams in the past, their volume often runs to kilograms nowadays.
"Over 183 kg of narcotic substances were confiscated over eight months of 2008 alone, an unprecedented amount in the history of independent Azerbaijan in such a [short] period," Aliyev said.
He said that despite efforts being made to fight drug trafficking, transportation of narcotics has been increasing by the year.
The two-day meeting is attended by representatives of 37 countries and eight international organizations.