Drugs - The Times Of Central Asia

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Society Drugs

Central Asia’s Growing Domestic Drug Problem

It’s in the headlines every few days now in Central Asian countries. February 1 – Uzbekistan’s law enforcement agencies report raiding a laboratory producing synthetic drugs, and seizing narcotics worth more than $800,000. February 3 – Uzbek law enforcement announces that their latest counter-narcotics operation has resulted in the seizure of 111 kilograms of illegal drugs. February 10 – police in Kyrgyzstan’s northern Chuy region seize 1.5 kilograms of hashish and 1 kilogram of marijuana. February 11 – Kazakhstan’s Committee for National Security (KNB) announces it had uncovered a laboratory in Almaty region that was producing synthetic drugs. More than 15 kilograms of these synthetic drugs were seized and 200 liters of precursor materials. In the first decade after the five countries of Central Asia became independent in 1991, many of the reports from foreign media were about Central Asia being a major transit route for narcotics coming out of Afghanistan that were for buyers in Russia and Europe. Thirty years later, drugs are still coming into Central Asia from Afghanistan, but it is no longer just opium and heroin. And now it seems a good portion of these illicit narcotics are being consumed in Central Asia. Made in Central Asia Drug-producing laboratories are multiplying, and while there are no precise figures for the number of addicts, it is clear an increasing number of young people in Central Asia are using drugs. Ashita Mittal, the regional representative of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in Central Asia, said in January 2025 that during the “last several years in just Kazakhstan, law enforcement agencies have uncovered and destroyed 87 laboratories producing synthetic drugs, and in Kyrgyzstan about 11-12.” Law enforcement agencies in Kazakhstan said earlier in January that they had destroyed 63 laboratories producing illegal narcotics just in 2024. Tajikistan’s Agency for Narcotics Control said at the end of its Kuknor-2024 counter-narcotics campaign in December 2024 that it had confiscated more than 1 ton of synthetic drugs. The synthetic drugs most often mentioned in these seizures are mephedrone, a type of amphetamine and stimulant that causes euphoria, and a-PvP, another stimulant. However, there are many types of synthetic drugs now available in Central Asia. Batum Estebesova, director of Kyrgyzstan’s Sotsium drug rehabilitation center, said the variety of synthetic drugs is increasing quickly. “We can’t keep up with all the new drugs to add them to the list of prohibited substances,” Estebesova said. UN Office on Drugs and Crime representative Mittal said part of the problem comes from Afghanistan. Mittal noted in 2023, there was a 95 percent reduction in heroin production in Afghanistan, but at the same time there was an “exponential growth” in the production of methamphetamines crossing into the bordering Central Asian countries – Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. In May 2023, Uzbek border guards noticed some strange marking on several boxes of pomegranate juice coming from Afghanistan. Testing showed bottles of juice in those boxes contained methamphetamine. Apparently, the buyers intended to evaporate the liquid and then collect...

CIS law Drugs Parliament Legislation

Kyrgyzstan MP Proposes Legalization of Marijuana

At a recent session of the Jogorku Kenesh, Kyrgyzstan's parliament, Kyrgyz MP Dastan Bekeshev proposed revising the country’s approach to drug policy. Bekeshev suggested distinguishing between the lesser and greater evils of drug use, advocating for the legalization of light natural substances, such as marijuana, while emphasizing the dangers of synthetic drugs. Bekeshev argued that banning and destroying natural drugs only drives up their prices, pushing young people toward cheaper but far more harmful synthetic alternatives. He stressed that this approach exacerbates the drug problem rather than solving it. The idea of legalizing light drugs is not new for Bekeshev. In 2019, he proposed creating a designated zone at the former Manas airbase where the sale and use of light drugs would be permitted. Similarly, in 2017, former National Bank head Tolkunbek Abdygulov suggested that legalizing marijuana could help boost tourism in Kyrgyzstan. These proposals have sparked heated debates among Kyrgyz society and lawmakers, with opinions divided over balancing drug control with reducing the negative consequences of drug use. Regional Context The debate on legalizing light drugs is not unique to Kyrgyzstan. Across the Eurasia region, similar proposals have surfaced but have yet to gain official approval. In 2013, Russia called on CIS countries to adopt a joint statement opposing the legalization of light drugs, citing the potential risks of their spread. In 2023, Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev reiterated Moscow’s firm stance against legalization, blaming Western propaganda for negatively influencing youth. Belarus has also explored the idea of legalizing psychedelics and other light drugs. However, no official measures have been enacted, reflecting the prevailing opposition to drug legalization within the CIS. Bekeshev’s proposal continues to fuel conversations about whether Kyrgyzstan could break with the regional norm and take a different approach to drug policy. As the debate unfolds, questions remain about the potential economic and social impacts of such a move.

Drugs Rule of law

Kazakhstan Proposes Life Imprisonment for Drug Traffickers

Kazakhstan plans to toughen punishment for drug traffickers by introducing the possibility of life imprisonment for convicted dealers. Legislative amendments have already been presented in the Mazhilis (lower house of parliament). Kazakhstan has become the center of synthetic drug production in Central Asia, member of parliament Dmitry Koloda said. Drug traffickers, he says, have become more creative in recent years and have established several new transportation networks. However, existing laws don't provide for criminal liability for the trafficking of components inside the country. "Law enforcement's hands are tied. In fact, they are forced to wait for drug traffickers to proceed directly to the 'cooking' of drugs. Otherwise, the case will have no judicial perspective," said Koloda. The bill also proposes strengthening criminal liability for trafficking in potent substances, such as tropicamide and pregabalin. Those narcotics are popular with drug addicts, including teenage users. Kazakh parliamentarians have introduced amendments that seek to equate illegal drug production with the most dangerous types of drug offenses. The punishment for that level of serious crime is up to life imprisonment. Currently, drug couriers and drug producers are prosecuted under the same article, with sentences ranging from 10 to 15 years, plus confiscation of property. The bill will differentiate and define criminal liability more specifically. Over the past year alone Kazakhstani police have disrupted and dismantled three transnational criminal groups specializing in the production of synthetic drugs. More than a ton of narcotic drugs were seized during those operations.

Drugs Legislation Kazakhstan Judiciary

Cocaine Smuggled Into Kazakhstan From Italy and Poland Hidden in Coffee Capsules

One channel of illicit cocaine smuggling into Kazakhstan has been blocked, according to website polisia.kz. In Almaty, authorities found that a rented apartment was being used for the distribution of illegal drugs, which were imported into the country from Italy and Poland. Police seized plastic capsules disguised as coffee - inside of each was a unit of cocaine weighing 250 grams. Furthermore, Almaty police seized a parcel at a Kazpost office that belonged to the suspect. It held plastic jars that contained drugs, the total weight of which was about 0.5-1.0 kilogram (kg) of cocaine and more than 400 grams of ecstasy. In total, that's more than 3,000 single doses. It turned out that the detained foreigner had been acting as a courier for three months. "A pre-trial investigation is being conducted against the detainee for the illegal acquisition and possession of a particularly large amount of narcotic drugs for the purpose of their sale. Further measures are being carried out to establish the channels of cocaine supply in the country," said the deputy head of the department for combating drug crimes of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Bakhytzhan Amirkhanov. Possession and sale of drugs in Kazakhstan is punishable by harsh prison terms ranging between 10 to 15 years and the confiscation of property. According to the latest data, 47 anti-drug operations were carried out last year, including in cooperation with the corresponding authorities of Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and Australia. Eight international and 14 regional drug-trafficking operations were eliminated. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the annual illicit trafficking of narcotic substances in Kazakhstan amounts to 20-25 tons, 95% of which are from cannabinoid group drugs. Most often they are smuggled into the country from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Iran via the Caspian Sea. Additionally, the transit of synthetic drugs from Europe is also an issue accounting for about 5% of the total, with less than 1% in the form of opium, heroin, and other types of hard drugs. Also, a number of drug laboratories have been discovered in Kazakhstan itself, with Astana, Almaty and Shymkent considered to be the leaders in terms of production sites and sales of new types of drugs. In total, 67 participants in criminal drug organizations were detained in 2023, and 483.2 kg of psychotropic substances, 11 kg of heroin, 32.8 kg of opium, 63.7 kg of hashish, 41.6 kg of marijuana, more than 17 tons of poppy raw materials and more than 22 tons of chemical reagents seized. At the same time, more than 3,000 people were convicted for crimes related to the trafficking of synthetic drugs. Statistics show that over the last 10 years, the number of drug addicts globally has increased by 23% and reached 296 million people. Currently in Kazakhstan, the illegal drug market has almost completely moved on to cyberspace, making it much more difficult to track down drug dealers.

Drugs

Shipment of psychotropic substances seized in Almaty

The press service of the National Security Committee has reported the seizure of a record shipment of psychotropic substances in Almaty. The laboratory for the manufacture of synthetic drugs was organized in a private house, which reportedly was rented. The organizer of the illegal drug laboratory was a 26-year-old citizen of Kazakhstan. During the operation, the service seized more than 200kg of finished mephedrone, which is approximately equal to 610,000 single doses, as well as more than 100 liters of raw materials for its subsequent manufacture. Such a volume of finished substances indicates that the laboratory was the largest in the country. The investigation revealed that the entire volume of psychotropic substances was intended for distribution in Kazakhstan. The owner of the drug laboratory has been detained and is in custody awaiting trial. Over the past year, the drug situation in Central Asian countries has been characterized by an increase in the production of opiates and methamphetamine in Afghanistan, the emergence of new types of synthetic drugs and methods of their distribution. The increase in drug turnover in Central Asian countries for 2023 exceeded 100%. From January to September 2023 alone, more than 40 tons of precursors were seized from illicit trafficking, which is 144% or more than in the same period of 2022.

Drugs Afghanistan

The Impact of the Narcotics Trade in Tajikistan

Tajikistan, a Central Asian country, finds itself at the center of a significant narcotics trade route. This landlocked nation borders Afghanistan, a country that as of 2020, accounted for over 80% of global opium production (source). This geographical positioning has led to a profound influence on Tajikistan's social, economic, and political landscape. The narcotics trade has a significant economic impact in Tajikistan, given its strategic location bordering Afghanistan. This illicit trade has both direct and indirect influences on the country's economy. According to Matthew Kahane, the UNDP head in Tajikistan, it has been estimated that the drug trade accounts for 30% to 50% of the country's economy. Furthermore, drug trafficking through Tajikistan was estimated to generate $2.7 billion per year in 2011, potentially surpassing any legitimate source of wealth in the country. However, this income does not contribute to the country's overall economic development. Instead, it fosters corruption, undermines legal economic activities, and concentrates wealth in the hands of drug traffickers and corrupt officials. In addition, the narcotics trade increases the level of crime, corruption and the rich-poor divide. Moreover, Tajikistan's law enforcement agencies receive substantial financial and technical resources from foreign donors to aid them in the fight against drugs. However, the effectiveness of these efforts is questionable given the scale of the narcotics trade. The narcotics trade in Tajikistan has extensive social impacts, affecting various facets of the society ranging from public health to crime rates. One of the most immediate social impacts is the rise in substance abuse, particularly among the youth. In the last ten years, there has been an increase in drug use behavior among the youth in Tajikistan, leading to serious health consequences. Heroin use, in particular, is a significant concern. It not only harms the users but also places a strain on the country's healthcare system, which is ill-equipped to handle the rising number of addicts. The narcotics trade has a significant political impact in Tajikistan. The illicit drug trade has reportedly corrupted parts of Tajikistan's government. The lucrative profits from narcotics have incentivized officials at all levels to tolerate or even engage in drug trafficking. This corruption undermines the legitimacy of public institutions and erodes citizens' trust in their government. The narcotics trade poses a serious security threat. Non-state armed groups often use drug trafficking as a source of funding, which can destabilize the region and exacerbate conflict. In addition, the high levels of crime associated with the drug trade can lead to increased violence and social unrest. The Taliban, a dominant insurgent group in Afghanistan, is implicated in escalating narcotics trafficking in Tajikistan, a situation exacerbated by Afghanistan's instability and corroborated by reports from the UNODC and Eurasianet. Recognizing these challenges, international organizations and governments have developed programs to combat the narcotics trade in Tajikistan. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has implemented several projects aimed at strengthening border control, improving the criminal justice response to drug trafficking, and promoting regional cooperation. Furthermore, the European Union and the...