Ivanov said the marijuana market is worth $1.5 billion, the market for synthetic drugs $1 billion. and the cocaine market much less at $80 million, Interfax reported.
Earlier this month, the drug control service said there are five million regular drug users in Russia.
Over the weekend, anti-narcotics forces seized a huge haul of Afghan heroin, over 40 kilograms, from the home of two Tajik natives in St. Petersburg, Ivanov also said Friday. The pair is believed to be part of a larger drug-trafficking group, the members of which are currently being sought by authorities, Ivanov said.
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