DRAFT COUNTRY PROFILE 1998
OF
UZBEKISTAN
I.
Cultivation and Production
Cannabis.
The region of Samarkand is particularly rich in cannabis fields.(1).
Opium:
In spite of some interdiction illicit poppy
is cultivated in the remote regions of Samarkand.(1) Over the past five years,
effective government eradication programs have eliminated nearly all illicit
production of opium poppies in Uzbekistan. The 1998 version of the annual
"operation black poppy" destroyed only 2.9 hectares of poppies,
compared with nearly 500 hectares in previous years. There were no reports of
significant narcotics production in the stated period.(2)
II.
Illicit
Drug Trafficking
Uzbekistan is a transit country
for Southwest Asian narcotics heading for Russia and Europe. Several transhipment routes for opium, heroin and
hashish originate in Southwest Asia and cross Uzbekistan on their way to Russia
and Europe. Precursor chemicals travel the same routes in reverse on their way
to laboratories in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Chemical precursors originating in
Russia and Ukraine also transit Uzbekistan. In the last two years Uzbek
authorities have seized 70 tons of precursors bound for laboratories in
Southwest Asia.(3)
The quantity of drugs transiting Uzbekistan
continues to grow. Officials estimate that the volume of this flow increased by
25-30 percent in 1998. (3)Opium and cannabis products originating in Southwest
Asia and bound for Russia and Europe take several routes across Uzbek territory.
Since the only AfghanUzbek border crossing is closed, most transit Tajikistan.
One major route-via the Gorno-Badakshan region of Tajikistan, through Osh in
Kyrgyzstan, and into Uzbekistan's Ferghana Valley-has seen diminished traffic in
1998. Instead, smugglers are crossing the Tajik-Uzbek border near Khojand into
the Syrdarya Oblast, and further south into the Surkhandarya Oblast. In
addition, Uzbek transport police and customs officials regularly apprehend drug
smugglers on the Dushanbe-Moscow train.
III.
Fight Against Illicit Drugs
1.
Law Enforcement Policy
New amendments to the criminal code reduce the quantity of confiscated narcotics that triggers criminal prosecution. According to some experts, the introduction of capital punishment for a narcotics seller has significantly impacted the illegal drug situation. This penalty is provided for narcotics sales in more than the smallest amounts (e.g. over 0.1 gram of opium or 0.015 gram of heroin). As a result only 2,9 hectares of opium poppy were discovered (while formerly they used to find up to 500 hectares) during the nation-wide Black Poppy Operation aimed at destroying narcotics plantations. In July, 1998 the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan became a law enforcement agency with arrest authority. The State Commission on Drug Control completed a draft Counternarcotics Master Plan through the year 2000.
3. Anti-Narcotics Operations
In the first
1998, Uzbekistan law enforcement forces seized approximately 1.5 tons of illicit narcotics in 1998 about half of
which was opium or poppy straw. The amount of confiscated heroin is growing (120
kilograms through October 1998, versus 70 kilograms in all of 1997). The
remainder of the confiscated narcotics were cannabis products. The seizure of heroin in Central Asian Republics in
1998 indicates the increase.
IV.
Bilateral/Multilateral International Co-operation
UN Projects:
1)
An institution-building project that is
assisting the development of the National Drug Information and Analysis Centre
within the State Commission on Drug Control.
2)
Regional project involving Tajikistan and
Kyrgyzstan aimed at improving interdiction along a key trafficking route via
Uzbekistan's part of the Ferghana Valley. Trafficking
along this route has declined substantially since the inception of the project.
3)
Support to the efforts of the Uzbek Institute of
Genetics to create an effective pathogen specific to opium poppies.
Uzbekistan – USA Cooperation:
In April 1998, Uzbekistan signed a Letter of Agreement for provision of
USG counternarcotics assistance with the United States aimed at prevention of
the illicit drug activities in and through the territory of Uzbekistan, and
increase of the effectiveness of the fight against the trade in illicit narcotic
substances.
Law enforcement training courses organised by DEA:
- Seven mid-level Uzbek drug enforcement officials
as well as officials from other Central Asian states
participated in a two-week DEA training seminar in Budapest ;
- Ten Uzbek officers delivered DEA training in
basic counternarcotics techniques in
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan;
- Two
laboratory technicians delivered
training in drug forensics at DEA Headquarters.
Multilateral Cooperation:
In 1998 Uzbekistan strengthened anti-drug cooperation with Pakistan; the
UK, Israel, and Germany provided bilateral counternarcotics assistance.
V.
Treatment and Rehabilitation.
It is estimated that there are 20,000 addicts in Uzbekistan and the number appears to be growing. The 15,000 registered addicts are subject to compulsory treatment.(3)
In the first half of 1999 Uzbekistan customs expropriated 1,5 tons of narcotics (compared to 800 kg in the same period of 1998). More than 200 checkpoints equipped with state-of-the-art search equipment were involved in discovering the smuggled narcotics.(2)
On October 17, 1999 during the Customs examination of the truck with cargo of onion which was transported under transit regime from the Republic of Tajikistan through the territory of Uzbekistan to the Russian Federation 223 kg 270 g of illicit drugs were detected in extra fuel tank, including 223 kg 50 g opium, 220 g of heroine. According to the accompanying documents the owners of the cargo were the residents of the Republic of Russia.
On
October 27, 1999 32 kg 74 g of opium and 500 g of heroine were detected in the
truck with cargo of potato which was transported to Russia. On November 1, 1999 25 kg 250
g of heroine was detected and detained from the residents of Tajikistan going to
Russia through the Customs territory of Uzbekistan. The drugs were concealed in
the car doors and trunk.(4)
SOURCES AND/OR BASIS OF CALCULATION:
1.
UN ODCCP, "Global illicit drug trends", 1999.
2.
INCB, Report 1998.
3.
"The Times of Central Asia", 1999.
4.
Interpol, “Global Heroin Traffic”, 1997.
5.
Interpol, “Worldwide Report. Cannabis”, 1997.
6.
US Department of State, International Narcotics Control Stategy Report.
“Europe and Central Asia”, 1999.
7.
Summary Record of the Joint ECO-UNDCP Legal Training Workshop, Tehran, 1-5
March 1999.
REFERENCES:
(1)
Interpol Report, Legal Training Workshop for ECO region, Tehran, 1-5
March, 1999.
(2)
"Narcotics Situation in Central Asia" by A.Zelichenko. The Times of
Central Asia, 5 August 1999.
(3) US Department of State,
International Narcotics Control Stategy Report.
“Europe and Central Asia”, 1999.
(4)
As reported by U.Kamilov, Chairman of the State Customs Committee of Uzbekistan
to the ECO Secretariat vide its note No.05/7-953.