25% of Afghan drugs pass through Central Asia - Uzbek report

TASHKENT, May 29 (RIA Novosti) - About 25% of the narcotics produced in Afghanistan are transported through Central Asia and most of them end up on European and Russian streets, a regional anti-drugs agency said Monday.

According to a report published by Uzbekistan's National Analytical Center for drug control, about 150 metric tons of heroin and 30 metric tons of raw opium are smuggled every year through the "northern route" from Afghanistan.

Only 25% of the drugs are sold in transit countries and the remaining 75% are sold in Russia and western Europe, the report said.