During the first stage of operation Channel 2007, a joint CSTO operation which ran from August 28 to September 3, narcotic officers confiscated 4.3 metric tons (9,479 pounds) of opium and the same amount of marijuana.
Anti-drug task units also seized 191 kg (421 pounds) of heroin, 226 kg (498 pounds) of cannabis, 26 kg of ecstasy (57 pounds), 11 kg of cocaine (24 pounds), 626 kg (1,380 pounds) of poppy straw, 7 kg (15 pounds) of amphetamines, and 692 kg (1,525 pounds) of other dangerous drugs.
In addition, 223 metric tons of drug-making chemicals, or precursors, were confiscated, 687 fire arms, nearly 15,000 rounds of ammunition, and more than 100 knives. More than $1.7 million worth of valuables were also seized from drug couriers.
This year 17 drug supply chains have been shut down, including drug trafficking routes from China to Mongolia, Belarus to Russia, and Poland to Europe.
Operation Channel has been run annually by anti-narcotic units of the CSTO countries since 2003.
Six thousand task forces were formed from 91,000 drug officers, security agents, border guards and customs officers from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. This year anti-drug squads from Azerbaijan, the U.S., China, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, Poland, Ukraine, and Finland took part in the operation as observers.
