Beijing, Moscow join hands to fight drug trafficking

BEIJING - Drugs from Afghanistan, which "catalyze terrorism", pose a threat to the stability of China and Russia, a top Russian anti-drug official said.

Victor Ivanov, chairman of the Russian State Anti-Narcotics Committee, estimated that 35 tons of heroin are smuggled each year from Afghanistan into Russia, which only manages to intercept 10 percent, or 3.5 tons, of the contraband.

China annually intercepts about 4 tons of the heroin smuggled into the country from Afghanistan, said Ivanov, who is also director of the Federal Drug Control Service.