Drug Situation in the Republic of Uzbekistan
for the first half-year of 2003
The analysis of data from the law enforcement agencies on illicit drug trafficking shows, that drug situation in the Republic is being characterized by the intensification of the activity of international drug rings in exploiting the country territory as a “transit route” for drug trafficking into Russian Federation and European countries.
In the first half-year of 2003 law enforcement agencies of the Republic, which are directly involved in the fight against illicit drug traffic, have made some complex efforts in order to tackle the drug trafficking as well as to detect and curb criminal activity of the interregional drug rings, which have organized steady channels for drugs trafficking to the consuming countries through the territory of Uzbekistan. The agencies have also made some efforts to implement the programme of “Counteraction against illicit traffic of drugs, psychotropic substances and their abuse for the period of 2002-2005”.
The first stage of the complex operation “Black poppy” resulted in detecting 919 cases (against 761 during the same period of 2002)of illicit cultivation of narcotic plants in the area with the total square of 16675 sq. meters (against 12127 sq. m.). 803 cases (against 645) of them were cultivation of opium poppy in the area of 14900 sq. m. (against 11187 sq. m.) and 116 cases (against 116) were cultivation of hemp in the area of 1775 sq. m. (against 940 sq. m.). During the conducting of the operation area of 16877 sq. m. (against 8881 sq. m.) of wild hemp were detected and defoliated. 404 individuals were made answerable for undefoliating wild narcotic plants. Proceedings were instituted against 1645 defendants (against 1681), out of which 707 individuals - for illicit cultivation of narcotic plants out of 911, 467 (against 422) – for drugs sale and 148 (against 109) – for drugs transportation.
During the operation 127 kg (against 80 kg) of drugs were seized: 44.5 kg (against 29 kg) of heroin, about 9 kg (against 6.5 kg) of opium, 55.5 kg (against 31.5 kg) of cannabis and marijuana, 18.5 kg (against 8.6 kg) of kuknar.
In January and May of 2003 two stages of training courses on “controllable supply” of drugs under the code name “Druzhba” along the route of Tajikistan (Dushanbe)-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan (Bishkek) with participation of the representatives of law enforcement organs from Central Asian countries as well as the federal agency of criminal police from Germany were conducted. The latter appeared as the trainings’ main coordinator with the support from European Union. The main purposes of the courses are as follows: arrangement of the efficient cooperation during the implementation of the tactical action “international controllable supply”; working out the effective measures against the criminal associations acting on the international level; detecting and tackling the flow of Afghan drug through the Central Asian countries into Russia, Europe and further.
As a result of the measures, taken all over the Republic in the first half-year of 2003, the law enforcement agencies registered 4574 crimes (against 4346) relating to the illicit drug trafficking, with an increase of 5.2 %. The most part of these crimes was registered in Tashkent – 905, Samarkand region – 682, Fergana region – 404 and Tashkent region – 403.
The number of crimes relating to drug sale in the first half-year of 2003 accounted for 43% (against 41.5 %) of the total number of drug-related crimes.
447.5 kg of narcotic substances were seized, that are 85.5 kg more, than in the same period of 2002 and consist of 122.5 kg of heroin, 78.5 kg of opium, 13.8 kg of cannabis, 232 kg of marijuana and kuknar.
The Afghan heroin and opium remain as the main source for supplying the Republic’s illegal drug market and transit. The main flow of narcotic substances comes to the territory of the Republic through the south and east regions bordering with Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan. The main directions for the trafficking of big amounts of drugs to the Republic remain Tashkent, Termez, Fergana valley’s regions, Samarkand and Syrdarya.
In the first half-year of 2003 units and subdivisions of the Committee of the Frontier Defense of the Republic of Uzbekistan detected 25 cases of trafficking of narcotic substances. They seized 53 kg and 223.49 g of drugs. The most cases of trafficking and the biggest amount of drugs were registered in June. In 7 cases of drug trafficking 52 kg and 170.8 g of different types of drugs were seized.
In the first half-year of 2003 agencies under the State Customs Committee registered 107 cases (against 72) of illicit drug trafficking through the customs border leading to the seizure of 24 kg and 632 g of drugs.
The law enforcement agencies of the Republic detained foreign nationals belonging to 11 countries for the crimes relating to the illicit drug trafficking. 88 foreign nationals (against 112) were detained, including citizens of Tajikistan – 41 (against 63), Kyrgyzstan – 10 (against 19), Russia – 6 (against 5), Turkmenistan – 7 (against 18), Kazakhstan – 9 (against 6), Afghanistan – 9, Georgia – 2, Iran – 1 (against 3), Ukraine – 1, Byelorussia – 1, Turkey - 1.
Drug traffickers use almost all modes of transport for narcotic substances trafficking. As for drug smuggling to the territory of Uzbekistan, the concealment methods remain traditional. The main of them still are concealments inside the goods and food products, baggage, domestic appliances, in the interstices of motor and rail transport and caches equipped especially for these purposes as well as on the human bodies.
During the period under reporting 2707 proceedings (against 2656) with respect to 3466 persons (against 3367) were instituted by the courts of the Republic for the illicit drug-trafficking.
In the first half-year of 2003 National Center of Drug Control considered 39 applications, received from the juridical persons applied for the permission for importation of precursors, narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
During the period under reporting 781906 kg of chemical substances (precursors) were imported into the Republic.
In the first half-year of 2003 171510 kg of chemical substances (precursors) were exported from the Republic, in particular:
· 106600 kg of hydrochloric acid to the Republic of Tajikistan for mining of gold ore;
· 64910 kg of sulphuric acid to the Republic of Tajikistan for charging the storage batteries, technological needs of the state company “Vostokredmet”.
Psychotropic substances, that were imported during the mentioned period, totaled 134218 kg. The imported psychotropic substances were intended for clinics and chemist’s shops in the Republic. All precursors and psychotropic substances were imported by the approbation of the state Commission on Drug Control of the Republic of Uzbekistan on the base of certificates received from the Committee on Drug Control of the Ministry of Health and did not exceed their fixed need. No case of illicit import of psychotropic substances and precursors into the Republic during the first half-year of 2003 was registered.
The analysis of the situation of sickness rate for the first half-year shows the following. The upward trend in the number of addicts for the period under reporting accounted for 2.4 % only (against 10.8 %). Up to July 1, 2003, 19134 drug addicts have been registered in the clinics. Totally, number of individuals, registered at the health authorities for non-medical consumption of the psychotropic substances, accounted for 21846.
The index of drug addiction in the Republic accounted for 5.4 (against 6) per each 100 thousand people.
In the first half-year of 2003 1767 (against 1979) drug addicts and solvent abusers were identified and registered.
For the period under reporting 1360 persons were diagnosed as “drug addicts” for the first time in their lives.
The overwhelming majority of addicts have been detected in respect with their offences and registered by the warrant from the law enforcement agencies. Health authorities detected 474 addicts following the preventive inspections and by other ways.
For the period under reporting 1529 addicts were struck off the register, out of which 137 (8.9 %) by recovery (remission for more than 5 years).
Decline in growth rate of drug addiction has been typical both for urban and country population. However, the problem in the rural areas is manifesting more sharply. So that drug addicts among country population increased to 8186 against 7607 in first half-year of 2002.
According to the information from the health authorities, in the structure of drug addiction, consequences of the abuse of strong drugs, mainly heroin, prevail. The analysis of statistics shows the increase in heroin abusers to 609 people. During the period under reporting their amount totaled 11302 people.
Addicts, that use heroin by injection, account for 7783 people.
It should be mentioned, that there is a considerable abuse of plant drugs in Andijan and Kashkadarya regions.
The main age group of drug abusers is still 18-40.
It should be also mentioned, that for the first half-year of 2003, compared with the same period of 2002, there is an upward trend in the number of individuals, who are receiving medical care in the addiction clinics of the Republic.
Among the total amount of addicts and solvent abusers, registered for the regular medical check-up during the period under reporting, 1598 people underwent the treatment, 1313 of them – voluntarily, 285 – by enforcement, 1238 – by hospitalization.
The problem of addiction complicates epidemiologic situation of HIV/AIDS in the country, as the prevailing way of transmission, remains parenteral one, i. e. through infected syringes and needles while the shared using of drugs by injection.
Number of HIV-positives in the first half-year of 2003 totaled 2534 people. 1695 among them are drug addicts.