DRAFT COUNTRY PROFILE
1998
KYRGYZ REPUBLIC
Drug situation in 1998 has undergone
considerable changes and is determined by the following factors:
1. Restructuring of the drug market in the direction of
increasing the demand for semi-synthetic depressants
and
stimulators (heroin, ephedrine).
2. Slipping of bootleg ways of drug supply in the Southern
region
of the Republic:
a) From 1993 drugs transfer is carried out through
Khorog - Osh route;
b) From 1996 drugs are transferred through
mountainous
paths in Daraut - Khorgon direction;
c) In 1998 drugs are being smuggled from Hujand city
(Leninabad oblast) as a result of political "warming" in
Tajikistan.
3. Steady increase in volumes of illicit drug trafficking in the
territory of the Issyk-Kul region where wild hemp grows
(according to the UNDCP project "Mapping" over 5
thousand hectares of hemp grow in the territory of the
Republic).
4. The Chu region and Bishkek city are turning into the large
transit and distribution junctions to process considerable
volumes of drugs which are sent to the CIS countries.
5. The analysis of drug situation shows that the heroin
flow will increase. One of the factors, though insignificant
now, of sating the drug market, is the growth of
production of drugs in underground laboratories and in
primitive home conditions. This refers mainly to the drugs
made of ephedrine plant. During the stated period two
clandestine ephedrine producing laboratories have been
revealed. 270 gr of drug, 2 kg of precursors for its
production and 15 units of equipment have been
withdrawn.
6. Drug trafficking gradually tears away previously
condemned persons: if 382 of them were detained in 1997
(14.1%) only 232 of them were detained (7.7%) within the
stated period.
7. Drug trafficking is being feminized. For the last years their
specific weight among those detained with drugs in the
Republic has increased from 3 up to 12.2 %. 368 women
have been detained during the stated period - (12.2 % of
the total number of persons detained for drug-related
crimes).
II.
Fight against illicit drugs
III.
Data of the persons detained
for drug-related crimes
In
1998 2993
persons were
detained for
drug-related crimes (2707 in 1997) (+286).
Including:
*
2895 (96.7%) citizens of the Republic including 2461 local
people (82.2%), and 363 citizens of the other regions (12.1%);
*
78 citizens
of the CIS
(2.6%) (including: citizens
of Tajikistan - 16, Uzbekistan -27, Russia - 14, Kazakhstan - 19, Turkmenistan -
1, Azerbaijan -1);
*
2 citizens of the countries
outside the
CIS (0.06%)- for
the first time the citizens
of Iran and Canada were detained on the territory of the Republic for
illicit drug trafficking.
62
persons were detained for group crimes (2.1%).
50
persons (1.6 %) committed drug-related crimes in a mode of drug
excitement and were detained.
Application
of cut short measures is getting more and more strict from one year to another.
As a cut short measure:
*
arrest was used in 1997 in 1491 cases (55.1%), and for the stated period
of 1998 - in 1999 cases. Thus,
there is an increase in
application of the most strict cut
short measure up to 11.6%.
Local administration bodies in the Jalal-Abad
region of Kyrgyzstan have set up six special squads to destroy plantations of
wild hemp in the region.
II.
Bilateral/Multilateral
international co-operation
1.
1998
:
1)
February 28: The meeting of the
chiefs of MHA subdivisions on illicit drug
trafficking - the
participants of the 1992 Kiev
Agreement "On cooperation between MHA in combating illicit drug
trafficking".
2)
May: 10 workers of MHA
subdivisions partook in the International Seminar
arranged by
DEA USA in
Budapesht.
3)
August: 2 workers of the system
of MHA partook in the regional seminar "International
aspects of combating drug trafficking" held by the US Customs Service in
Ashgabad.
4)
September:
3 workers of the MHA of the Chu region and Bishkek city participated in
the International Seminar "Combating drug trafficking" held by the USA
Embassy in Kyrgyzstan.
5)
December: the workers of the
MHA subdivisions partook in the republican
scientific and
practical conference "Urgent issues of
combating drug trafficking".
6)
3-5 of March: the first stage
of the interstate Russia-Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan
"Channel" operation was conducted.
2. 1999 :
1) Sixty police and customs officers from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan received international standard certificates of attendance after they had completed a month-long course held in Bishkek under the UN International anti-narcotic Osh Knot Project.
2) May : an international seminar on drug trafficking “Great Silk Road and Combat against Narcotic Business in Central Asia” sponsored by the Carnegie Endowment with the participation of experts from the US, Russia, Turkey, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan as well as from the five Central Asian states was held in Bishkek.
3)
August : the Bishkek Summit of
the Shanghai Five – the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Russia, and
Tajikistan – adopted the Bishkek Declaration, which emphasizes “ the
importance of efficient struggle against international terrorism, illegal drug
trade and psychotropic substances, contraband weapons, illegal migration and
other kinds of trans-border crime.”
4)
October : Second meeting of the
foreign ministers of Central Asian states, which signed a memorandum
III.
Treatment
and Rehabilitation
According to official
information, today Kyrgyzstan has nearly 7,000 drug addicts. In 1998, 14
Kyrgyzstan citizens died of drug poisoning or overdosing. Specialists believe
the actual figure is much higher. The first AIDS-infected abuser was diagnosed
in Osh in the early 1999.
The governmental narcological service is exhausted because of insufficient funding and private medical care can not possibly fill the vacuum and become mass-public.
The field office of Medics sans
Frontiers is distributing syringes and condoms among addicts and organizing
first aid points with hot food, sterile syringes, as well as medical and
psychological care for addicts.
Non-governmental Charity
Foundation “Meerim” headed by Mairam Akaeva, the wife of President makes
great efforts among teenagers.
The Medical Center of
Dr.Nazaraliev in Bishkek provides treatment for drug addiction for $5,000 to
$7,000. Besides, patients from Kyrgyzstan pay only 50% of treatment cost,
Kazakhstan's 70%, and Uzbekistanis 75%.
IV.
Miscellaneous
: arrest and seizure data
With the total reduction of
criminality (-3034 registered
crimes) last year in the Republic there were unfolded 3277 drug-related crimes,
which is 174 crimes as many then in 1997 (+174 facts, +5.6 %). Their specific
weight in the line of the criminal investigation departments has increased from
8.6 % up to 9.9 %, i.e. practically every 10th intentional crime includes one
related to drugs. The largest number of narcotic-related crimes were registered
in Bishkek - 1159 against 1102 in 1997 (+57, +5,1%); Chui Oblast ranks second -
701 against 681 (+20, +2,9%), followed by the Issyk-kul Oblast - 580 against 540
(+40, +7,4%) and Osh Oblast - 395 against 387 (+8, +2%).
There is a noticeable stirring up of the work on exposure of
the most dangerous drug-related crimes,
such as:
*
drug trafficking (Article 247 of CC)-251 facts against 120 last year
(+47.8 %);
* sowing and growing of drug-bearing crops
(A.250 of CC) - 296 against 210 (+70.9%);
* drug
smuggling (A. 204, P.2 of CC) - 19
facts (last year there were no unfolded crimes) (+100%);
*
organization and maintenance
of drug
dens (A.252 of CC) - 37 against 24 (+64.8%).
1765,097
kg of all kinds of drugs were seized (1336,387 kg in 1997) in 1998
including:
* opium - 171,872 kg (638,387 kg in 1997);
* heroin - 24,732 kg (1,785 kg in 1997)
* marijuana - 153 kg.
Seizure
of drugs in the regions (1998):
* Osh - 22.4%
* Jalal-Abad - 13.3 %
* Bishkek - 9.3 %
* Issyk-Kul - 8.6%
* Talas - 2.1 %
In 1998, 73 teenagers were detained for illicit narcotics operations. Some 1,709 drug-related crimes have been uncovered in the republic over the first six months of 1999, or 132 crimes more than in the same period of 1998. Bishkek (672 crimes), Chui Oblast (394) and Osh (220) are the leaders. 74,8 kilograms of opium and 11,7 kilograms of heroin have been confiscated from illegal trafficking. Some 158 cases of narcotic sales have been exposed (125 in the first six months of 1998).
The number of women engaged in drug business continues to grow. From January – July 1999, police arrested 129 women for drug trafficking.
Some 1,376 people, including 34
foreigners, have been sentenced for drug-related crimes in the first half of
1999. Some 129 women have been detained (15 more than last year). Group
narcotics-related crime has doubled.
SOURCES AND/OR BASIS OF CALCULATION:
* "Drug Control in Central
Asia" by Y. Rasumov. The Times of Central Asia, 1 April, 1999.
** "Narcotics Situation in
Central Asia" by A.Zelichenko. The Times of Central Asia, 5 August, 1999.
***
As reported by the Director of the Chief Drug Business Combat Department Of
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Interior, Muhamed Bergenov. "The Times of
Central Asia", 23 September 1999.
**** "Illegal Drug
Situation in Central Asia" by A.Zelichenko. The Times of Central Asia, 27
May, 1999.
REFERENCES:
1.
UN ODCCP, "Global illicit drug trends", 1999.
2.
INCB, Report 1998.
3.
"The Times of Central Asia", 1999.
4.
"Europe and Central Asia", INCSR 1999.
Alexander Zelichenko
1.
June – July 1999
In 1998 73 teenagers were
detained for illicit narcotics operations. The majority of them do not work or
study. The largest number of narcotic-related crimes were registered in Bishkek
(46,5%), Issyk-Kul Oblast ranks second (30,1%), followed by the Chui and Osh
oblasts.
Some 287 teenagers were registered in health institutions for non-medical drug use. Of them 84 live in Bishkek, 73 in Chui Oblast, 46 in Issyk-Kul Oblast, 4 in Naryn Oblast, 56 I Osh Oblst and 24 in Jalal-Abad Oblast.
A new and dangerous way of
using heroin among youth, especially students, has appeared in Bishkek:
sniffing. This
provokes almost immediate addiction and provides an absolute chance to become a
classical drug addict. The number cited of those suffering this type of
addiction: 5% of all students.
Some 1,709 drug-related crimes
have been uncovered in the republic over the first six months of 1999, or 132
crimes more than in the same period of 1998. Bishkek (672 crimes), Chui Oblast
(394) and Osh (220) are the leaders.
74,8 kilograms of opium and
11,7 kilograms of heroin have been confiscated from illegal trafficking. Some
158 cases of narcotic sales have been exposed (125 in the first six months of
1998).
Some 1,376 people, including 34
foreigners, have been sentenced for drug-related crimes in the first half of
1999. Some 129 women have been detained (15 more than last year). Group
narcotics-related crime has doubled.
2.
Drug situation in C.A.
In 1998 drug-related crimes
reached 9,9% of the total crimes registered in Kyrgyzstan and amounted to 3,277
cases.
In 1998 prices for heroin fell almost 40% (with unchanged prices for opium).
In 1998 the Kyrgyz police revealed 60 heroin-connected crimes and arrested 79 people involved in these crimes. Most of them had no previous convictions – drugs business is becoming more close and professional.
In 1998 Bishkek courts convicted 955 people for drug-related crimes, compared with 995 in 1997. Eighty percent of them need medical treatment.
In 1998, 14 Kyrgyzstan citizens
died of drug poisoning or overdosing. Specialists believe the actual figure is
much higher.
According to official information, today Kyrgyzstan has nearly 7,000 drug addicts. If 3 to 5 years ago the average beginning age of drug use was 15, today young people start to take drugs at 8 to 13 years of age.
According to Kyrgyzstan laws, the responsibility for crimes connected with the keeping, purchase and sale of drugs begins from age 16, for stealing drugs – from 14. The law does not punish for drug use.
The Medical Center of Dr.Nazaraliev in Bishkek provides treatment for drug addiction for $5,000 to $7,000. Besides, patients from Kyrgyzstan pay only 50% of treatment cost, Kazakhstan is 70%, and Uzbekistanis 75%.
Kyrgyzstan has finished a UN sponsored mapping of areas growing narcotics-containing plants. There have been mapped nearly 6,000 hectares of hemp ( in 1998 771 hectares of hemp produced 676 tons of marijuana) and 813 square meters of opium poppy.
The Issyk-Kul Region is the
main growing area of wild hemp in Kyrgyzstan. In four of its districts there
were revealed 4,353.5 hectares of hemp. This area could produce 3,281 tons of
marijuana or 115 tons of hashish. In 1998 the law enforcement agencies of the
region seized only 153 kg of marijuana. Local hemp has permanent buyers: mostly
wholesale from the CIS countries. In the Issyk-Kul Region one match box with
hashish costs $5, in Bishkek $10 to $15, in Moscow up to $100!
Mameev,
Chairman of the State Commission on Drug Control:
3,299 narcotic crimes were
registered in Kyrgyzstan in 1998. 25 kg of heroin were seized in 1998.
In the first three months of
1999 879 drug-related crimes were registered and 5 kg of heroin were seized.
There are 3,918 registered drug
addicts in the country now but a real figure is several times more.
There are about 6,000 hectares
of land in Kyrgyzstan where wild hemp grows.
TCA 30/9/99 - AZ
In August 1999, the Bishkek
Summit of the Shanghai Five – the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China,
Russia, and Tajikistan – adopted the Bishkek Declaration, which emphasizes “
the importance of efficient struggle against international terrorism, illegal
drug trade and psychotropic substances, contraband weapons, illegal migration
and other kinds of trans-border crime.”
From 1992 to now (during the years of the
Afghan drug expansion), nearly 10,000 people have been brought prosecuted for
drug-related crimes. In the first seven months of 1999, Kyrgyzstan’s law
enforcement agencies arrested 1,410 drug traffickers, 2,4% of whom were foreign
citizens.
The number of women engaged in
drug business continues to grow. From January – July 1999, police arrested 129
women for drug trafficking.
During this period, 761 drug-related crimes were registered in Bishkek, including 45 cases of drug dealing. The police seized 120 kilograms of drugs (105 kg last year).
Because of the high quality of hashish produced from the wild hemp growing around Lake Issyk-Kul, drug dealers from Russia and Kazakhstan have established partner ties with local farmers, many of who agree to grow and sell hemp to order.
International organizations have delivered 4 tons of special herbicide to destroy wild hemp in the Issyk-Kul region. This herbicide is harmful to other plants and animals.
Local administration bodies in the Jalal-Abad region of Kyrgyzstan have set up six special squads to destroy plantations of wild hemp in the region.
Sixty police and customs officers from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan received international standard certificates of attendance after they had completed a month-long course held in Bishkek under the UN International anti-narcotic Osh Knot Project.
REFERENCE