MOSCOW, November 26. /TASS/. The drug threat is becoming increasingly relevant for CIS countries as foreign intelligence services and international terrorist organizations are using the potential of transnational drug groups to undermine stability in the Commonwealth, Russian Federal Security Service Director Alexander Bortnikov said.
He made the statement at the 20th meeting of heads of security and intelligence agencies of CIS member countries in Moscow.
"The drug threat is becoming increasingly relevant for our countries," he said. "The capabilities of transnational criminals specializing in drug trafficking are actively used by foreign special services and international terrorist organizations to undermine security and stability in the Commonwealth. In particular, Ukrainian organized crime controls a significant part of drug production, and now this factor is being used as part of the hybrid war against Russia."
"At the same time, as you understand, drug trafficking has no borders, and this challenge is international in nature," Bortnikov went on to say.
According to the official, the demand for synthetic narcotics and psychotropic substances is rising as Afghanistan is cutting opiate production.
"Transnational criminal communities have set up their production and stable supply channels to CIS countries through international logistics companies and are trying to establish illegal laboratories here. Sales are carried out through a network of shadowy Internet sites that provide anonymity and essentially act as the single regulator of the market," he stated.