Anthony Placido is an assistant administrator for the DEA whose responsibilities include tracking information on drug trafficking around the globe. Placido met with high-level officials from Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Office of the Prosecutor General, National Security Service, and Ministry of the Interior. Acknowledging the Uzbeks’ hospitality, he expressed appreciation for their cooperation on a range of counter-narcotics issues, and the officials discussed avenues for increased engagement.

“We had very productive meetings. We were pleased with both the tone and content of the meetings,” Placido said toward the end of his visit. “There is a common understanding that drug trafficking is a trans-national threat, and that the only way to combat it is through international cooperation. We must work together.”

Placido and his counterparts discussed the flow of opiates from Afghanistan, its implications for Uzbekistan and on that of stability in Central Asia. They explored opportunities to cooperate in efforts to stem that flow, Placido said.

Afghanistan currently produces about 90 percent of the world’s opiates, which can be refined into heroin and morphine. These drugs are responsible for “untold human suffering and misery,” Placido said, in the form of drug addiction, the spread of HIV/AIDS and other health and societal problems.

The funds generated from Afghan narcotics supports the insurgency and terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan, he said.

“The negative impacts of drug trafficking go beyond direct health impacts. They have the potential to undermine the stability of the region,” he said. “That’s why it’s so important to have cooperation in combating it.”

The recently established Office of the Attache for Counter Narcotics Programs in the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent will work with Government of Uzbekistan law enforcement agencies to disrupt the flow of outbound Afghan opiates, incoming precursor chemicals, and the illegal proceeds generated from these activities.