Report on Drug Situation in the Republic
of Uzbekistan for the Year 2002
The analysis of illicit drug trafficking shows that despite the measures taken, drug situation in the Republic remains rather complicated and is one of the main unfavourable factors influencing negatively the public security as a whole.
In 2002 the law enforcement agencies revealed 8716 drug-related crimes in Uzbekistan (against 9226 in 2001).
The number of crimes of drug selling has increased, i. e. their number accounted for 44% of the total number of drug-related crimes (against 43% in 2001).
In 2002 839.6 kg of narcotic substances were seized (against 1069 kg in 2001), which consisted of 256.3 kg of heroin (against 446.6 kg in 2001), 76 kg of opium (against 241.7 kg in 2001), 44.7 kg of cannabis (against 86 kg in 2001), 462.6 kg of marijuana and koknar (against 275 kg in 2001).
With considerable decrease of the total volume of seized drugs, there is an increase of the phytogenic narcotics (marijuana, cannabis and koknar) from 360.7 kg in 2001 to 507.3 kg in 2002.
As before, the considerable part of seized drugs falls at heroin – 30.5% (against 7.7% in 1999, 22.6% in 2000 and 44% in 2001).
The law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Uzbekistan in common with regional drug control commissions conduct the complex operation “Black poppy” at two stages from 1 May to 31 June and from 1 September to 31 October annually.
During the conducting of the operation “Black poppy-2002” 1310 cases of illicit cultivation of plants containing narcotic substances were revealed (against 949 in 2001) in the area with the total square of 1.58 ha (against 1.15 ha in 2001), according of which 1000 proceedings were instituted (against 775 in 2001) and 386.6 kg of different types of drugs were seized (against 422.754 kg in 2001).
1.9 ha of wild plants containing narcotic substances were revealed and defoliated all over the country (against 2.3 ha in 2001). 637 persons were made answerable for not taking measures to defoliate that plants.
The flow of Afghan heroin and opium being trafficked through the territories of the Central Asian countries remains the main source for supplying the Republic’s illegal narco-market and narco-transit.
The analysis of narcotic substances seized shows that the main flow of narcotic substances still comes (as in the previous years) to the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan
from the Republic of Tajikistan through:
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Uzun district of Surkhandarya region
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Oybek settlement of Tashkent region
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Samarkand region
from the Kyrgyz Republic through:
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Uchkuprik district of Namangan region
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Uygursay settlement of Andijan region
from Turkmenistan through:
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Bukhara region
-
Khorezm region
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Republic of Karakalpakstan.
It should be noted that drugs delivered to Russia and further are trafficked through different routes. At the same time, part of the drugs remains in the territories of the transit countries.
In 2002 subdivisions of the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan seized 45.69 kg of narcotic substances (against 106.780 kg in 2001) in 127 cases of drug smuggling revealed and 13414 pills and 2318 ampoules of psychotropics in 18 cases (against 24069 pills and 5008 ampoules for 43 in 2001).
In 2002 units and subdivisions of the Committee of the Frontier Defence of the Republic of Uzbekistan intercepted trafficking of narcotic substances, which consisted of 8.6 kg of heroin (against 59.3 kg in 2001), 8.3 kg of opium (against 2.3 kg in 2001) and 2.5 kg of marijuana (against 4.9 kg in 2001).
The biggest amount of drugs was seized on the borders with the Republic of Tajikistan (7.1 kg) and Turkmenistan (6 kg).
The most cases of narcotic substances trafficking are recorded and intercepted within the bounds of the Republic of Karakalpakstan and Surkhdarya, Tashkent and Andijan regions.
Among the detainees (on the border), citizens of the Republic of Tajikistan accounted for 11% (against 25% in 2001), Uzbekistan – 43% (against 49% in 2001), Kyrgyzstan – 31% (against 4% in 2001), Turkmenistan – 7% (against 17% in 2001) and Afghanistan – 6% (against 3% in 2001).
The law enforcement agencies of the Republic detained citizens of 9 states for the rimes related to the illicit drug-trafficking. 197 citizens of CIS were detained (against 303 in 2001) including citizens of Tajikistan – 100 (against 179 in 2001) (70% of the total drugs were seized from them), Turkmenistan – 34 (against 59 in 2001), Kyrgyzstan – 34 (against 33 in 2001), Russia – 11 (against 17 in 2001), Kazakhstan – 10 (against 9 in 2001), Iran – 2, Afghanistan – 2 and others – 3 (against 6 in 2001).
Practically all modes of transport are used by drug dealers for narcotic substances trafficking, however in practice in the last years there were some changes in the structure of using the transport facilities for drug smuggling. At the same time, in 2002 using of railway transport decreased by 70.2% and motor transports by 22.2%.
As for drug smuggling to the territory of Uzbekistan, the methods of drugs concealment remain traditional. The main of them still are concealments inside the goods and food products, that do not attract special attention on examinations and crossing the border, baggage, domestic appliances, goods of arts and crafts, as well as in the interstices of motor and rail transport and caches equipped especially for these purposes.
In 2002 5742 proceedings (against 6559 in 2001) with respect to 7221 persons (against 8660 in 2001) were instituted by the courts of the Republic for the illicit drug-trafficking. As against 2001, number of the persons convicted of drug crimes decreased by 16.6%. 6871 persons (against 8122 in 2001) were made answerable, of which 33% (in 2001 – 38%) were under 29, unemployed accounted for 45% (against 25% in 2001), women -14.9% (against 12.1% in 2001), persons with previous convictions - 28.4% (against 21.1% in 2001).
Along with the growth of crimes related to the drug-trafficking, the scope of drug abuse in the Republic keeps a tendency to the further increase that influences the general criminality and social sphere.
Up to January 1, 2003, 18956 drug addicted are registered in the clinics, which is only 5 % more than in 2001 (18087).
The index of drug addiction in the Republic decreased by more than half and accounted for 12 (against 25.3 in 2001) per each 100 thousand people.
Number of the persons registered at the health authorities for non-medical consumption of the psychotropics accounted for 2124 (against 2125 in 2001).
As of the beginning of 2003 there are 21360 persons registered at the health authorities in connection with non-medical consumption of drugs and psychotropics.
Up to January 1, 2003, the number of HIV-positives accounted for 1760. 64.4% (1137) of them use drugs by injection method.