MOSCOW - The police seized about five metric tons of drugs in the first six months of 2005, a spokesman for the Russian Interior Ministry said Friday.

"More than 4.8 tons of drugs, psychotropic and dangerous substances were seized [in efforts to counter] the illicit drug trade during the investigation of criminal cases in the first half of 2005," Alexander Yelin said.

He also said that policemen investigated about 47,000 drug-related crimes, or 54.9% of these crimes investigated by all law enforcement bodies, and 27,200 drug trafficking cases (50%).