As many as 500 Afghan drug laboratories may be involved in the production of drugs being trafficked to Russia, the head of Russia's Federal Drug Control Service said on Monday.
"Last year we handed to the United States a list of drug 'brands' that point to laboratories located in Afghanistan. These 175 brands, laboratories deliver drugs to Russian territory," Viktor Ivanov said on Ekho Moskvy radio station.
He said, however, that the real figure could be as high as 500.
Ivanov said Russia is probing 25 Afghan and Central Asian drug barons who are believed to be behind much of Afghan drug traffic to Russia.
Afghan drug production increased dramatically after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled the Taliban in 2001.
Russia, which has suffered a steep rise in heroin consumption, has been one of the countries most affected by the increase and has major differences with the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan over its strategy in dealing with opium cultivation and the wider drug trade.
Russia has in recent months poured much censure on the United States for not taking a more active stance on the issue, but Ivanov said Moscow was closely cooperating with Washington in combating Afghan drug trafficking.
Russian and NATO approved earlier this year a military cooperation treaty in which Russia gave its support for the U.S.-led military operation in Afghanistan and agreed to military transit via Russian airspace.
According to the Federal Drug Control Service, Afghan opium kills about 30,000 Russians each year and 100,000 people around the world.
MOSCOW, June 28 (RIA Novosti)
