Russia"s drug control service wants to strip...

Mirzosharif Nusratov, 45, has lived in the southern Urals Orenburg Region with his Russian wife and three children for 15 years, making regular monthly trips home. However, three days after he was granted Russian citizenship last January he was detained by police with 7 kilograms (15.4 lbs) of heroin in his car.

His citizenship was revoked after errors were found in his passport application, but the authorities want to make it legal practice for foreign-born Russian citizens convicted on drug-related charges.

Drug use is a growing problem in Russia, particularly involving heroin smuggled from Afghanistan via the former Soviet states in Central Asia, including Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. Some of the drug traffickers and dealers are former citizens of CIS countries with Russian passports.

"Drug dealer Nusratov does not care any more if he has a Russian passport... as he was sentenced to eight years in prison. However, once he serves his term, he will no longer hide

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