DUSHANBE, October 23 (RIA Novosti) - Around 560 kilograms of drugs, including 140 kilograms of heroin, were destroyed on Friday by narcotics officers in Tajikistan, the deputy director of the country's Drug Control Agency said.

Vaisiddin Azamatov said the drugs were burned after they had been used as material evidence in 32 criminal cases, which have concluded.

According to the agency, in January-September 2009 Tajik police seized over 3.8 tons of drugs, 23.4% less than the same period of last year.

The agency said the amount of seized drugs was down due to greater control of precursors essential to the production process, and better prevention of their smuggling into Afghanistan.

An estimated 90% of heroin consumed in Russia is trafficked from Afghanistan via Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and the vast majority of heroin consumed in Europe passes through Russia on its way from Afghanistan, where illegal drug production has reportedly risen more than 40 times since 2001.