Europe's Heroin Comes via Balkans, Not Russia - Russian Official

A map from PBS showing both a Balkan and a Northern (Russian) Route for heroin trafficking from Afghanistan to Europe.

Heroin trafficking from Asia to Europe happens through the "Balkan Route", not via Russia, according to Viktor Ivanov, Director of the Russian Federal Service for Control of Narcotics.

"I would like to point out that there is no trafficking of drugs for Europe through Russia. Police in the European states also don't have any evidence for that," Ivanov stated Tuesday, as cited by Russian media.

He sought to refute reports that Russia is the second transit destination for heroin from Afghanistan and other Asian countries destined for the European markets.

Ivanov stressed that the Balkan Route is the major one for heroin trafficking to Europe, and that it includes Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Bulgaria as well as other Balkan and Mediterranean countries.

He also added that Africa is also emerging as source of heroin for Europe in the recent years.

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