in the area of the International UN Project "Osh knot" activity.
Colonel Alexander Zelitchenko, Project Officer.
For the first time the problem of Afghan narco-traffic raised up in Central Asia in 1992, when first 5 kilos of smuggled opium "made in Afghanistan" were withdrawn from the illicit turnover in Kyrgyzstan. The situation aggravated rapidly. In 1993 153 kilo of raw opium, produced in Afghanistan, were confiscated in Kyrgyz Republic, in 1994- almost 199 kilos, in 1995- nearly 621 kilos, in 1996- 807 kilos, in 1997- 683.4 kilos, in 1998- 171 kilos. The situation became much more complicated because of the increased heroin expansion from Afghanistan. First 305 grams of heroin were seized in Kyrgyzstan in 1995, in 1996- 1035g., 1997- 4200g., in 1998- 24.7kilos of heroin. In the same time a considerable decreasing of price for this "hardest" drug was noticed on the local markets, almost 40% (at the same time the cost of opium was stable). According to specialists this cost"s fluctuation could not be accidental. Heroin is much stronger and much more addictive than opium is. Involved into the vicious circle by the cheap heroin, no abuser is able to go back to opium, so, very soon he will pay any money for this drug. In 1997 the cost of 1 kilo of heroin on the Kyrgyz "black market" was 30 000-40 000US$ , and almost totally was smuggled by transit abroad. It was in use only by the quite limited group of very rich people, businessmen mainly. The active assimilation of domestic market started in 1998, the price for heroin decreased nearly twice. Now we have the information about registered heroin abusers in all regions of the republic, excluding Naryn and Talas Region. According to the statistical report of the Osh Regional Narcological Clinic, two years ago they had in the register glue sniffers, opium, hashish and marihuana addicts, but no heroin abuser. In 1998, because of above-mentioned developing, the rate of heroin abusers was 6.9% from the total number of registered drug-addicts.
Three and half metric ton of raw opium and more than sixty kilo of heroin, produced in Afghanistan, were seized by law enforcement agencies in 1997 in Republic of Tadjikistan. During 1998 in the republic were confiscated 1424 kilos of different drugs, including 94 kilos of heroin.
Constantly increased since 1992 in Republic of Uzbekistan the quantity of seized from the illicit turnover opium reached in 1997 2399.7kilo, heroin- 70.3 kilo. According to the experts, the over-profitability of heroin (the cost of one kilo of raw opium on Russian black market- the major consumer of drugs smuggled via the "Osh corridor" - is 8-10 thousand US$, in the same time one kilo of heroin on the Moscow black market will bring the benefit estimated at 100 000US$ ), its very small size, very comfortable for transportation (from 80 to 100 grams of heroin could be produces from one kilo of opium), will lead to the total replacing of the raw opium on the black markets by heroin.
Starting since 1992 till 1996 the major value of smuggled drugs arrived to the Fergana Valley via the really "green" Tadjik-Afghan border to the Gorno-Badakhshan Region of Tadjikistan, than- via the mountain, practically out of any control Khorog-Osh-Andidjan road to Osh (Kyrgyzstan) and Andidjan (Uzbekistan) regions.
In order to investigate the developing of the situation and to get the information "from the first hands", the author of this analysis, that time- the Chief of the Anti-drug Department of the Ministry of Interior of Kyrgyzstan, visited Iran in 1992, Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomic Region of Tadjikistan in 1993 and collected all the available information. According to UN experts, the estimated annual production of raw opium in Afghanistan and its smuggling to the world black markets that time was, and still is, 3 000 metric ton , so 300 ton of heroin could be produced. During the years these drugs were transported via the hard for access junction of Afghan, Iran and Pakistan borders to Islamic Republic of Iran, than -to Turkey and than - by sea - to Europe. But in the beginning of the 80th, in accordance with UN experts recommendations and with the aim to save the national genetic resources, Iran considerably hardened the criminal code, strengthened anti-drug law enforcement agencies, built along the Afghan and Pakistan borders the huge fortification constructions, carried out a lot of very strong measures against the narco-transit via its territory.
Than the international narco-mafia found the new, more secure route for narco-smuggling through the Central Asian Republics to Russia, Baltic and other European countries. This route, according to international experts, very soon joined the number of the main narco-routes in the world. (For example, during 1996-1998 six Kyrgyz citizens were arrested in Germany for narco-trading. One of them, A. Kurniavka prize-winner of European boxing championships, was detained by German police for the attempt to sell 3 kilos of heroin. The sentence of the court was 7.5 years of imprisonment ). Such a high interest of the world narco-mafia to the Central Asian region linked first of all with its geographical location, the common border of these countries with the states- producers of drugs, with unstable political situation in Afghanistan and with the real "transparency" of internal CIC countries borders.
The landscapes of the region are also very attractive for narco-traffic: approximately 2 third parts of Osh-Khorog-Andidjan road are located in the hard for access mountains, 3 000 meters above sea-level. It is not so hard to avoid customs and police check-points via the high mountain paths, always possible to find a way round. According to Murgab (Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomic Region of Republic Tadjikistan) Provincial Police Department report, 12 narco-couriers were lost and frozen to death on mountain paths during the winter 1998, the rescue parties managed to find only 8 bodies.
There are a lot of different evidences of aggravation the local narco-situation. The number of drug-addicts is constantly increasing, the traditional for this region hashish is rapidly replacing by the hard injective drugs: opium and heroin. In 1992 only 91 drug-abusers were officially registered by the Osh Regional narcological clinic, the next year- already 125, in 1994- 155, in 1995- 277, 1996- 394, 1997- 517, in 1998- 644. So, due to Afghan narco-expansion mainly, the number of drug abusers during the last 6 years increased by 7 times. The social and demographic "face" of the typical "regional" drug-addict also changed: the majority of this group now - young jobless people from 13 to 22 years old. A very hard socio-economic situation became a cause of the wide involving local inhabitants into narco-business. 92.3% of the whole number of offenders, committed narco-crimes during 1997, were formed by Kyrgyz citizens. The feminization of the criminal business is aggravating rapidly and this process is very profitable for drug-dealers: first of all, women are always less paid, they will even agree to transport and sale drugs for food for their children. Second, being scared for security of their families members, trying to protect them from the revenge of narco-mafia, they quite seldom become the informants of law-enforcement agencies, testify against narco-dealers. And the third, the penalty code is much softer with female offenders, especially with children, in many cases the sentence of the court does not mean the imprisonment for them. This is the reason, why in 1997, for example, the rate of female narco-couriers in Andidjan Region formed 40% from the whole number of arrested. In Osh Region this figure increased during the last few years from 3 to 16%.
Fed by the huge drug money, bribery rose up, as never before (during 1998 in Kyrgyzstan 7 criminal cases were opened against former law enforcement officials - drug-dealers).
Weapons and explosives, transported to the region by narco- trafficants together with drugs, than can be used by extremists for terrorism. In course of one operation against narco-dealers in September 1998 officers of the Osh Regional Department of the Ministry of National Security seized 19 grenades and a batch of heroin and marihuana. The Chief of the Osh Regional Department of National Security stressed in his comments that armed narco-smugglers became usual in the region. In August 1998 two members of Tadjik armed gangs, smuggled to Kyrgyz Republic one kilo of opium and tommy-gun, were arrested in Osh.
Drugs are in the very active use by criminals as a monetary equivalent. A lot of false money, including US dollars, were smuggled to the region in payment for drugs. The information about a few tens thousands US dollars, delivered to the Osh "black market" by Russian drug-dealers was elucidated in course of the working meeting of national (Uzbekistan-Tadjikistan-Kyrgyzstan) and regional (Andidjan-Gorno-Badakhshan-Osh) authorities, held in February 1998 within the framework of UN International Anti-drug Project "Osh knot".
The process of taking the regional narco-business under the control by the organized criminal groups is aggravating rapidly.
All this factors impose a very negative influence on the criminal situation in the region. The number of crimes, especially hard crimes, is constantly increasing. In February 1998 a murder of two inhabitants of Murgab province of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomic region of Tadjikistan was disclosed in course of the joint operation, carried out by the Criminal Investigation Branches of Osh Regional and Murghab Provincial Police Departments. The investigation found that these two victims were "punished" for misappropriated money, they have got in payment for 60 kilo of opium. The execution was carried out by four killers: two inhabitants of Osh region and two- of Murghab province of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomic region. In course of the investigation of two Osh citizen"s murder in June 1999 it was found that victims had with them a outstanding amount of money, intended in payment for heroin for further transporting to Siberia. They were killed for these money.
Lately appeared tendency to involve the territory of China into Afghan narco-traffic is threatening to attract the attention of international criminal syndicates.
The Presidents and Governments of Central Asian States understood the danger coming and expressed their awareness 5 years ago. They signed a number of inter-governmental agreements, from the tribune of the UN General Assembly and other international forums they asked about support of international community against the coming narco-flow. In 1994 UNDCP, in collaboration with correspondent state agencies of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tadjikistan started to elaborate the first in the Central Asia UN Project, focused on the strengthening the regional anti-drug law enforcement capacities and cross-border cooperation. I was one of the Project authors. The Project was signed in 1997 by the governmental officials - representatives of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tadjikistan and UN representative. They opened "the green line" for the Project and stressed that it is the first UN Project in the Central Asia, aimed on technical assistance, providing with vehicles, modern and stable communication, drug-searching equipment for the anti-drug branches of police and customs departments of Andidjan region (Uzbekistan), Osh region (Kyrgyzstan) and Murghab province (Tadjikistan) and professional training for the staff of these departments organization. The majority of these goals have been achieved already.
The presence of UN Drug Control Program is constantly increasing in Central Asia, a number of new projects are being implemented now. The governmental structures of all states of the region realize the value of this support, as well as the urgent necessity of combating against drug-trafficking. The President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov said in his recent speech: "The source of drugs, coming into Europe, is located in Central Asia. The main supplier is Afghanistan, but not Columbia". The President of Uzbekistan blamed the leaders of Afghan Talibs in drug producing encouragement, especially within the poorest regions of the country, for the further trading and buying weapons for these drug-money. "In the same time, the Europe seized grams of drugs, we seized tons. We urgently need now-how and modern drug-searching equipment".
This President of Tadjikistan Emmomaly Rakhmonov fully supported this point of view in his speeches on the different international forums and in the number of decrees, issued by him. The President"s decree "Urgent measures for consolidation in combating against illicit drug-trafficking" issued on 12 of April 1998, paid a greatest attention to the problem of combating against the Afghan narco-traffic. Opening the annual meeting of UN Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Commission in April 1999 in Vienna, the President of Tadjikistan said that the illicit narco-smuggling from Afghanistan to Europe via Tadjik territory became one of the main troubles of his country. This year Emmomaly Rakhmonov proclaimed "a year of combating against terrorism, organized crime, narco-business and corruption".
As a primary task consider the combating against narco-business the President of Kyrgyzstan Askar Akaev. "... narco-business",- he said in his interview to "Komsomolskaya Pravda" on 15.12.1998, "has a real power now and we have to take it into consideration... In spite of all contra-measures... the flow of drugs, coming to our countries from Afghanistan, is constantly increasing". The present narco-situation became the key point of discussion on the Security Council of the Kyrghyz Republic session in May 1999. There the most weak sections of Kyrgyz-Tadjik border were indicated, in a very active use by narco-couriers. The Chairman of the Security Council, President A. Akaev said that because of it"s geographical location, Kyrgyzstan appeared to be a junction of the world narco-routes. We should prevent Kyrgyzstan to follow the destiny of the number of countries in Latin America, where narco-mafia have the greatest, decisive influence on the governmental structures. "We must mobilize all healthy forces of our country for combating against this evil. We have no another way out",- said the President. During the recent summit in June 1999 in Bishkek the leaders of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tadjikistan and Uzbekistan proclaimed the necessity to consolidate efforts against terrorism and narco-expansion in the Central Asian region. In the declaration, signed by the Presidents N. Nazarbaev, A. Akaev, E. Rakhmonov and I. Karimov is written: "All sides stressed the top importance of consolidated efforts against terrorism, religious and political extremism, illicit turnover of drugs, weapons and explosives. In this connection we confirmed the necessity of the number of special joint programs within the framework of the Foreign Affairs agencies, special services and other agencies, intended to combat against this evil, which formed the principal threat against the piece and stability in the Central Asian region".
The awareness of Central Asian leaders about the Afghan narco-danger, it"s negative consequences for the states of region, nations and democratic reforms is quite understandable. In the comparison of opium production figures in Afghanistan and in the countries of the world-wide known "golden triangle" - Laos, Thailand and Myanma (former Burma), produced tons of synthetic drugs and distributed it all over the world and mainly- in the US and Europe, the "golden triangle" will lose. For example, Laos- the recognized leader of the world narco-business, raw material supply for heroin cartels. According to the official information, annual production of opium- base for the death-dealing "white powder" - heroin, is not more than 70 metric ton. According to the western experts, this figure might be five times more - 350 metric tons. In the same time, according to UN information, the opium production in Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was increased during 1998 by 9%, in the comparison with 1997. In 1998 the territory of 63 000 hectares was covered by poppy fields, the estimated raw opium production, according to experts, was 2200 metric tons, heroin production- 210 metric tons. In the same time, according to Interpol annual report, only 28 metric ton of heroin were confiscated by the law enforcement agencies in 1998 all over the world. 11 out of these- in United States and Europe- major area of narco-dealers and consumers of heroin, 17 tons- in Asian countries- producing and transit states. The trends of strengthening of organizational and hierarchic criminal structure, high effectiveness of heroin supplying business, activation of the central-Asian, Nigerian, Turkish, Albanian and South American criminal groups on the heroin market, were also stressed in the report.
An attempt to research the issues of Afghan "narco-aggression" seems to be interesting. In 1992 the author of this analysis participated in the training seminar, held in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The active combating against illicit narco-traffic is a national state policy of this country. The next summer, in course of the business trip to Tadjikistan, the author went to Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomic Region, visited its provinces, had a number of working meetings with law enforcement officials, leaders of the opposition armed groups, local inhabitants, representatives of Russian Border Troops in Tadjikistan, have got a chance to participate in arrested narco-smugglers" interrogations. During the next 1994-1999 years the author visited Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomic Region of Tadjikistan almost every 3-4 month and had an opportunity to become an eye-witness of the process developing. The resume, made as a result of these surveys, is below:
Afghanistan in years used to be a traditional opium producer and always considered as one of the main routes of the world narco-smuggling, as well as the famous "Golden triangle" (Laos- Thailand- Myanmar) and "Golden crescent" (arduous mountain area of Afghan, Pakistan and Iranian borders junction). The flow of drugs went through Iran to Turkey and then- to Europe.
To keep the "Golden crescent" under the control was almost impossible, because of a number of the hard social, political and ethnic problems, existed in this remote area. In the middle of the 80th Iran proclaimed "djikhad" against drugs. The country legislation was harden, "the Islamic anti-drug troops" were formed, the good roads, suitable for the military forces maneuvers, were built in the remote, arduous mountain areas, mountain paths, used by narco-couriers, were cut off by fortification constructions, the huge stony wall was built along the state borders. The Islamic anti-drug troops use to carry out military operation against narco-smugglers on the constant base. As a result, during the 12- month period (since 21.03.1998 till 21.03.1999) 130415 kilo of drugs were seized. A number of narco-dealers were executed under the sentence of the Shariat court.
But Mafia invested a big money into narco-business and the amiss prospects of loosing the expected profit was totally unacceptable. (According to the international experts and Interpol, every dollar, invested into narco-business, will gain 12 240$! ). Mafia rushed to look for the new roads to Europe for Afghan drugs. It was the time when USSR collapsed, the strong Soviet border-control system was destroyed (1991-1992) and guarding of the external CIS borders was weakened. All the internal borders of newly independent countries were really "green" till 1993-1994- the time of national customs services were settled. The situation was quite suitable for all kinds of smuggling. The real flow of non-ferrous metal, polymers, wool, cotton, sheepskin, stolen or "bought for a song" by hundreds newly appeared foreign and joint trading companies, rushed to China and Iran. The "cross-border" trading was very active and it was a good chance for narco-mafia to explore and analyze the new situation, to locate the secure routes for transporting opium and heroin via the Uzbek, Kazakh, Tadjik and Kyrgyz territory to Russia, Eastern and Western Europe, to hire narco-couriers among local jobless inhabitants.
In 1993, according to the resolution of the Conference of CIS-countries Leaders, Russian Border Troops took under the control the external borders of Central Asian states. In the same time, the national border troops and customs services were settled.
The regular anti-drug activity of the customs service, border troops police and security service started in Gorno-Badakhshan only in the middle of 1994. In 1992 the situation was totally out of the control. Lots of opium were transported to Gorno-Badakhshan from Afghanistan and Pakistan, then, by the mountain Khorog-Osh road to Ferghana valley and, via Kyrgyz, Uzbek and Kazakh territory, to Russia and Baltic countries. The turnover of huge amount of free money, appeared in course of uncontrolled privatization of the state property, created the open market for drugs. The Russian "black market" is still a major consumer of Afghan drugs. According to the State Customs Committee of Russian Federation "a very hard situation was on the Russian-Kazakh border in 1998, the value of drugs, smuggled from Central Asian countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan increased rapidly. 80% of heroin, 84% of hashish, 60% of opium and 53% of marihuana, from the whole value of confiscated by the customs service drugs, were illegally transported via this section of Russian borders." Air-transporting is also very popular among narco-smugglers. In course of the special operation, carried out by the border troops team in the Dushanbe airport in April 1999, 6 kilos of heroin were seized from the passengers of Moscow, Bishkek and Alma-Aty directions. As it was mentioned above, in 1993 the law enforcement system of Russia started to cooperate with law enforcement agencies of new independent republics, to strength external border"s guarding, to carry out the joint operative actions against narco-dealers and narco-smugglers. But, to that time, a lot of the local inhabitants were involved into narco-business, for some of them drugs became the only source money for survival. For the better understanding it is necessary to become acquainted with the socio-economical situation in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomic region of Tadjikistan. The region has no developed industry or agriculture (the only bakery, small garment factory and a very primitive handicraft factory of the local precious stones processing), in Soviet time the supplying of all kinds for more than 200 000 local inhabitants was organized directly from Moscow. It was a special system of the "central" or "Moscow" supplying. All loads arrived by the railway to the Osh station in Kyrgyzstan, re-loaded on tracks (there are still a number of the freight auto-bases, working on the Khorog direction only) and transported by the Osh-Khorog mountain road 725 km long. In the beginning of the 90th the estimated traffic via this road was up to 2 000 tracks monthly. Just after the collapse of the USSR, the Soviet system of centralized supplying was broken and the majority of Gorno-Badakhshan inhabitants lost the only source of initial goods and meal. The situation aggravated with 40 000 refuges - ethnic pamir tadjiks, arrived to Gorno-Badakhshan from Dushanbe, Kuliab and other regions of Tadjikistan, suffered from the civil war. So, the really "green", uncontrolled Tadjik-Afghan border from one side and rapid, fatal decreasing of the level of life in the region created the base for aggravation the criminal situation and involving the local citizens into narco-business. Local people told about a real wild cross-border barter, had place in 1992-1994: food and initial goods (shoes, cloth, later- domestic appliances) in exchange of cheap Afghan opium. Than opium was transported via Osh-Khorog road to Kyrgyzstan for sale or in exchange for goods. One of the Khorog "criminal authorities" told the author that in winter 1992-1993, mostly cold and hard for the Badakhshan citizens winter, he spent his profit for the drug-dealing buying the blankets, flour and coal for 2000 tadjik refuges. This information was totally confirmed later by the Gorno-Badakhshan Department of Interior and Security Service officials.
The situation changed in 1994. Partly because of the strengthened Tadjik state border guarding, but mainly because of the highest profitability of narco-business, the drug-traffic was taken under the control by the organized criminal groups, existed on the territory of Gorno-Badakhshan as armed self-defense forces. They started to compete for the spheres of interests, including murdering of rivals. For example, the above mentioned "criminal authority", leader of the one of mostly powerful armed groups in the region - Alikhon, wide-known as "Lesha- camel-backed" was killed together with his body-guards. His jeep was exploded by the grenade thrower. The killer was never found.
In the time of the civil war in Tadjikistan, opium was in use as a monetary equivalent by different armed groups in payment for weapons, food, ammunition. In 1997, in result of the wide-scale military operation, governmental forces seized and disarmed the wide-known with the numerous acts of taking hostages gang of the terrorist Sodirov and killed the leader. In the region of armed clashes the governmental forces found a store of drugs.
The activity of the Russian Border Troops in Tadjikistan against Afghan narco-smuggling always was and still is sizeable and wide-scaled. In 1994 they seized 530kg of opium, in 1995- 1690, in 1996- 2150kg, in 1997- 2217kg of row opium. In March 1998, in course of the armed clash near the Afghan border, two officers of the Piandj group of Russian Border Troops were wounded. According to Russian officials, it was a revenge of the organized criminal group of drug-smugglers: 28.02.1998 the stock of heroin on 30, 000, 000$, they transported from Afghanistan, was seized by the Piandj group of Russian Border Troops. During 1998 Russian Border Troops in Tadjikistan cut off 135 attempts of smuggling via Tadjik-Afghan border, 35 narco-couriers were killed in armed clashes, 7-wounded. Leaders of the organized armed groups of narco-smuggler threatened revenge and death to seven commanders of border outposts. In his recent interview the Director of the Russian Federal Border Troops mentioned that Tadjikistan is becoming the real transporting corridor of Afghan heroin to Europe. According to the Russian Border Troops information, a number of big heroin laboratories are in the process of building in Afghanistan, quite close to Tadjik border. International experts estimated the prospect increase of annual heroin production in 700 tons to 2001 year. The Director of the Russian Federal Border Troops also stressed that, taking into consideration the current situation in the neighboring countries, the narco-smuggling to Europe via Tadjikistan and Russia is still considered by Mafia to be the mostly suitable and safe route. In this connection, General Totsky criticized his Tadjik colleagues for their links with drug-smugglers. The distance of 20 km of Tadjik-Afghan border, said General, was transferred for guarding by Tadjik State Border Troops since January 1999, in full accordance with the Russian-Tadjik inter-governmental agreement. But, according to the operative information, the flow of drugs and weapons, smuggled via this "probation" zone, increased incredibly in the period of the first two month after the agreement came into force. The Tadjik Border Guard just opened its sector of the state border for narco-couriers. "That is why,-said General,- we are going to "freeze" the experiment of independent guarding the Tadjik border by the domestic border troops". Answering the questions about the nearest perspectives of the Russian Border Troops in Tadjikstan, Konstantin Totsky said that "the problem of Russian Border Troops withdrawal will not be solved in the nearest future. Such a decision could be unconsidered. During the first four month of this year 53 attempts of illegal crossing of the state border were cut off on the guarded by Russian Border Troops sector of Tadjik-Afghan border, over 100 smugglers, armed and good equipped, were arrested, 48kg of drugs were seized. These figures stressed that our border troops answer their tasks on these frontiers. The presents of our border is supported by Tadjik governmental request. More over, the presence of our "green caps" on the Afghan border is in the objective interests of Russia. Just look at the situation: the severe bloody internal conflict in Afghanistan, lasting many years, easily can penetrate into neighboring Tadjikstan. The Islamic fundamentalists are prepared already "to export" this war into Russia. It is necessary to mention, that the annual production of different kinds of drugs in Afghanistan is estimated in 3 500tons. This drugs are intended for Russia and European countries. It is much easier to cut off a flow of "the white death" on the frontiers, protected by more or less saved "Soviet" infrastructure of the border guarding, than to close the 7 500km of the "transparent" Russian-Kazakh border". According to the signed in April 1999 Russian-Tadjik inter-governmental agreement, the Russian military base is located on the Tadjik territory. 800 attempt of armed narco-couriers to cross the Tadjik-Afghan border were cut off by Russian Border Troops since 1994, seized 7.5tons of drugs. Mr. Pino Arlakky, Executive Director of UNDCP called the Tadjik-Afghan border "the gates leading to the Western Europe".
Republic of Tadjikistan.
The narcotism and all the negative social consequences, linked with the narcotism, is a wide-scaled problem in Republic of Tadjikistan. It has a very negative influence on the moral and psychological atmosphere of the society, economical and political, criminal situation in the country. The level of the public narcotisation is aggravating rapidly. 3 000 students of the Dushanbe University and Institutes were anonymously questioned by The State Commission on Drug Control, attached to the Government of Tadjikstan in 1998. The results of this research demonstrated, that the "risk group"- the group of young people, experimented with drugs episodically, used drugs from time to time or constantly, amounted to 31% from the all questioned. 44% of the "risk group" composed the female students. The same research was carried out among 5000 pupils of the Dushanbe High Schools. The "risk group" in schools amounted to 18% of the whole number of respondents. 12% of them experimented with drugs, 6% had a close and constant contact with drug-abusers. The greatest awareness is caused by the reports about numerous arrests of Tadjik narco-couriers on the territories of other countries. According to the State Commission on Drug Control of Tadjikistan, 821 Tadjik citizen was arrested during 1996-1997 on the territories of Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan, 3059kg of drugs were seized, including 67,7 kg of heroin. The most used way of drugs transportation is railway - 49% of the total number of seizures. 25% of seized drugs were transported by air, 21%- by car.
The attempts of the local inhabitants to increase their family income with drugs production also aggravate the situation. 81 facts of illicit crops harvesting were disclosed in the Republic during 1998, 298 criminal cases were opened.
But the senior problem, troubling Tadjikistan today, is the lasting catastrophic increasing of the Afghan narco-flow. The deviation of the main transit narco-routes was recently noticed by the experts. In the last few years the main narco-routes passed via territory of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomic Region of Tadjikistan, now the Shuorobod, Moscow, Piandj and Shartus directions of Khotlon region are in the most use, 80% of drugs, concentrated in the border area of Afghanistan, are intended for the transporting to Tadjikistan via this territory. 956kg of drugs, including 172.1kg of heroin, were confiscated by the guarding these sectors of Tadjik frontiers border troops. The deviation of the main routes of narco-smuggling could be explained with the recent changes in the country socio-political situation, with the plain landscapes of Khotlon Region and good developed net of roads, leading to Khudjent, Dushanbe and than- to CIS countries and Europe. The smuggling of row opium is increasing in parallel with heroin expansion: 243.6kg of row opium total were seized in 1994, during the next year-1571.3kg, in 1996- 3405kg, in 1997- 3455.5kg. In 1998 the quantity of seized row opium unexpectedly and considerably decreased to 1190.4kg, but figures of the seized heroin in the same time increased rapidly. The number of crimes, committed by the organized criminal groups during the same period of time also raised considerably.52
Gorno-Badachshan Autonomic Region (GBAR) of Tadjikistan.
As it was already mentioned, the area of the UN Anti-drug Project "Osh knot" in Tadjikistan is located in Murghab Province of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomic Region. Taking into consideration that the real evaluation of the regional narco-situation is possible only in the context of the whole territory of GBAR, bordering with the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan on the distance of 618km. In the framework of this analysis it seems to be necessary to mention some figures, specifying the narco-situation in the region on the whole.
According to the State Commission on Drug Control of Tadjikistan, 25 criminal cases, linked with illicit turnover of drugs, were opened by law enforcement agencies of GBAR in cooperation with Russian border troops during 1992. During the next year- 40, in 1994- 41. The "top" figure - the number of cases, registered in 1996- 53. In 1996 the sizeable, almost twice, decreasing of the number of opened crime cases, linked with drugs were registered,- 28. (In the same year- "the top" of working results of the anti-drug law enforcement agencies of the neighboring Osh Region of Kyrgyzstan: it might be, that year the outstanding pressure of Afghan drugs they had to hold down on the Kyrgyz territory.) In 1997 the quantity of opened cases became even less- 24, only in 1998 some increasing was registered- 34 cases. From these 12 cases against narco-dealers were opened in Murghab, in 1997- 11. Taking into consideration all above, the State Commission on Drug Control evaluated the anti-drug activities of law enforcement agencies of GBAR as insufficient. They also mentioned the persistent decreasing of seizures from year to year. During 1993-1994 more than one metric ton of opium and opiates seized in the Autonomic Region, in 1998- only 10kg of row opium and 2kg731g of heroin. In the same time, the number of domestic drug offenders constantly increased and to 1998 the number of registered in the special police files reached 141.
The prophylactics of drugs addiction is paid a great attention in Gorno-Badachshan Autonomic Region today. In spite of the persistent lack of funds, the regional narcologic clinic was settled in Khorog, a few tens of drug addicts voluntary get there the treatment. The whole population of the region, without any hyperbole, rise up the combat against the evil of drugs. Some methods of this "guerrilla against drugs" are beyond the licit framework: for example, in the Porshnev village (14 000 population), all local drug abusers were concentrated in one big house, supplied with meal and medical care and forced to overcome the abstinent syndrome, "to recover". But the initiative of the local citizens to combat against drugs any way should be considered positive, because a few years ago the regional inhabitants looked on coming death of the national genealogical fund without any negative emotions. The leading role in the activation of the drug-abusing prophylactic belongs to the "Pamir"s Anti-drug Association of Volunteers", organized in GBAR by the initiative and with the great support of the UN Project "Osh knot". The organization activated the local anti-drug initiatives, made them regular, mutual supplementing and put into the licit framework. Imam Prince Aga-Khan Forth, the spiritual leader of the Gorno-Badakhshan population also called to combat against plans of the international narco-Mafia to make a narco-springboard on the territory of the region. During the last 6 years Prince Aga-Khan has been supplying all Gorno-Badakhshan population with food for free. Today he proclaimed the task to "clean" the Pamir territory, not only Tadjik, but its Afghan part also, to be initial and most important. With this aim he initiated the supplying with meals and goods the inhabitants of Afghan part of Badakhshan territory, within the special Program "Focus", according to the formula: "Free food and medical care for everyone refused to grow up the death-dealing crops".
Republic of Uzbekistan.
The increasing opium and heroin production in Afghanistan impose a very negative influence on the narco-situation in Republic of Uzbekistan. The automobile, railway and water routes are in the very active use by Afghan narco-couriers. During 1997 six armed groups of narco-smugglers were arrested on the Uzbek border. The greatest awareness of Uzbek law enforcement officials caused by the number of heroin laboratories, located on the round-border territory of the neighboring country. In 1995 an attempt of smuggling to Afghanistan of 72 metric ton of precursors - chemical substances, needed for the heroin production, was cut off by the Uzbek customs. In January 1998 in Termez 16 tons of anhydride, hidden in the tooth paste tubes and packed in the sewing-machines boxes. The number of the officially registered in Uzbekistan drug abusers is increasing rapidly. In 1997 in Uzbekistan were 12 000 officially registered addicts, out of them- 9% female. The social "face" of abuser also changes: the drug-addiction always was a specific urban problem, today 41% of officially registered drug abusers are rural inhabitants.
Andidjan Region of Republic of Uzbekistan.
All the above-mentioned tendencies, describing the current republican narco-situation and its trends are totally valid for the Andidjan Region, located in the sphere of UN International Anti-drug Project "Osh knot" activity. The number of crimes, linked with drugs, increased considerably, the same is in the republic in whole: 323 crimes were reported in 1992, out of them 133 cases against offenders were opened, 40kg of drugs were withdrawn from the illicit turnover. In 1993 these figures raised to 458, 322 and 190.1 correspondingly. In 1994 - 768 - 591 and 131.7kg. In 1995 - 740 crimes were reported, 591 cases opened and almost 100kg of drugs seized. In 1996 - 725 - 592 and 125.5kg, in 1997 - 740 - 558 - 148.3kg. In 1998 - 748 crimes, linked with drugs registered, 547 criminal cases opened, 81.7kg of drugs seized.
The main awareness of the law enforcement officials is caused by the rapidly increasing number of the reported cases of penetrating into Andidjan Region from Osh and Jalal-Abad Afghan-produced drugs, smuggled there via Tadjikistan. During 1998 20 facts of narco-smuggling were cut off in the Andidjan round-border area by the local police. 24 citizens of CIS countries were arrested, 13kg of drugs seized.
The officials of Andidjan Regional Customs Department also marked the increasing value of drugs, smuggling into Andidjan territory. In 1996-1997 reported 22 and 34 facts correspondingly. 93.4kg of drugs were seized in total (44.7 and 49.1kg correspondingly), out of these - opium - 34.9kg in 1996 and 42.6kg in 1997. All those drugs were smuggled to Andidjan Region from the neighboring Osh and Jalal-Abad Regions of Kyrgyzstan. It seems to be useful, to mention one specific detail: drugs were transported, hidden inside the old, weather-beaten Russian production vehicles - "Jiguly", UAZ, inter-city buses.
The socio-demographic analysis, carried out by the staff of the Andidjan Regional Department of Customs, proved that the jobless, suffering from the lasting lack of money people, without previous conviction are in the most use as narco-couriers. Out of 24 narco-smugglers, arrested in 1996, 7 persons had been convicted in the court in past (29.2%); 17 had no history of conviction (77.3%); 21 were jobless (87.5%) and only 3 had a constant job (12.5%). The correspondent figures for 1997: 50 smugglers arrested, 9 had been convicted in the court (29.2%); 41 had never been prosecuted (82%); 43 were jobless (86%) and 7 had a job (14%).
The majority of couriers, smuggling drugs on the territory of Andidjan Region, are Kyrgyz citizens. The following table is very demonstrative.
YEARS UZBEK CITIZENS, ARRESTED FOR DRUG LINKED CRIMES % FROM THE TOTAL ARRESTED KYRGYZ CITIZENS, ARRESTED FOR DRUG LINKED CRIMES % FROM THE TOTAL ARRESTED
1996 10 41.6% 12 35%
1997 10 20% 35 70%
During 1997 four Russian citizens (8%) were arrested for narco-smuggling. According to all available information, the territory of the Andidjan Region, mostly because of its geographical location, as well as the Osh Region in Kyrgyzstan, is mostly used as a transit way of smuggling Afghan opium to Russia. 24 attempts of the illicit narco-export from the territory of Andidjan Region (70.5% from all reported cases of narco-smuggling) were cut off by the local customs in 1997 (+14% in the comparison with 1996). 36kg 658g of drugs were seized from those 24 cases - 70% from the whole value of the confiscated drugs.
With the aim to make the process of the narco-smuggling more secure and to diminish risks, narco-barons use to hire the female narco-couriers. The below figures prove the resume about the increasing feminization of the narco-business: the number of female couriers, arrested by the Andidjan customs, increased during 1997 to 40 from 20 in 1996, it means the increasing of rate to 40% from 33.3% in 1996.
Republic of Kyrgyzstan.
The narco-situation in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan is aggravating rapidly. The same is true for the whole Central Asian Sub-region. The volume of drugs, transporting via the country territory by transit, is constantly increasing. 50 narco-couriers, citizens of Kyrgyzstan, were arrested in CIS countries during 1998. The number of reported crime cases, linked with drugs, is raising rapidly, simultaneously with the drugs market re-structuresation: the row opium is replacing by heroin with all the negative consequences, linked with such a replacement. The domestic organized criminal groups are in the process of taking the narco-business under their control, so the drug-dealing is becoming much more professional, what is hampering the investigation. The rates of this death-dealing business feminisation and juniors involving are also increasing: the age of the "statistical" drug-abuser today is 12-13.
Osh Region.
The negative development of the narco-situation in Kyrgyzstan is quite visible in the Osh Region. This region has nearly 600km of the common border with Tadjikistan (with Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomic Region, Khotlon and Lenin-Abad Region of Tadjikistan) and located in the area of the International UN Anti-drug Project "Osh knot" activity. The number of registered crimes, linked with drugs, is raising in this region from year to year. In 1991- 61criminal cases of this type were reported, 1.5kg of drugs was seized, in 1992- 116 cases were reported, 5.4kg of drugs was seized. In 1993 (the flow of drugs rushed along the Osh-Khorog road) - 183 cases were reported and 190.3kg of the raw opium was seized. The Afghan narco-expansion aggravated, the number of reported crimes, linked with illicit drugs raised simultaneously. In 1994 in Osh Region 257 crimes of this type were registered, 163.5kg of opium was seized, in 1995 - 306 cases and 536.5kg of opium correspondingly. The "top" of the opium-smuggling was in 1996: 375 drug-related crimes were reported in Osh, 725.6kg of row opium were seized. The total number of reported drug-linked crimes was growing up in 1997 too: 387 cases and 592.6kg of opium. But the first 1.2kg of heroin, seized in 1997, meant that the heroin expansion started already. In 1998 the number of drug-related crime cases raised in the Osh Region to 395, the value of the seized drugs - to 396.4kg, including 9.2kg of Afghan-produced heroin. This figure composed 37.2% of the whole value of heroin, seized on the territory of Kyrgyzstan in 1998. There for, the every ninth crime, reported by the Criminal Investigation Branch of the Department of Interior in the Osh Region during 1998, was linked with drugs.
In 1997 the main subjects of the narco-crimes in the Osh Region were local inhabitants (92.3%). In the number of the drug-smugglers, transported the sizeable weights of drugs 6.3% were composed by Tadjik citizens (20 narco-couriers arrested, 259.4kg of drugs seized). 7 arrested couriers were Uzbeck citizens, 2- from Kazakhstan, 2- from Russia and 1- from Lituania.
Since 1995 the mountain Khorog-Osh road lost its value as an only available regional smuggling route for Afghan produced drugs. Drugs, as it was mentioned above, rushed via the whole distance of the opened Tadjik-Afghan border - more then 800km. To avoid the police and customs posts and check-points, the mountain horse- and footpaths are in the most use by the narco-couriers. The numerous arrests of the smugglers by the special mobile police teams of the Osh Regional Department of Interior "Erckindik" ("Bravery") aside of the main roads prove this conclusion.
The Tadjik refuges, appeared in the Osh Region in 1992, when the civil war in Tadjikistan started, became the kind of "discoverers" of the new mountain paths and routes, valid for the people and goods transporting. They found more then 30 constant routes along the whole distance of the Tadjik-Kyrgyz border, leading to the Fergana valley. Later the majority of these hidden in the mountains routes were used by the illicit armed forces for the narco-traffic, arms, ammunition and food transportation.
Today the four known main routes of the narco-smuggling from the Tadjik territory to the Osh Region of Kyrgyzstan are:
1. Kyzyl-Art direction. Covering the Osh-Khorog road and the mountain-mass around. Located mainly in Murghab Province of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomic Region of Tadjikistan.
2. Altin-Mazar direction. From Rushan plateau on the Afghan-Tadjik border in GBAR, via the mountain paths of Pamir and Zaalay range to the Chon-Alay valley in Osh Region.
3. Batken direction. Covering the numerous small mountain roads, leading from Djergetal and some other neighboring provinces of Tadjikistan to the Batken and Khadamjay provinces of the Osh Region.
4. Leninabad direction. Covering the surfacing roads and the territories around, starting from the Khudjant city in Tadjikistan, involving the Lialyak province of the Osh Region and all surrounding provinces, belonging to Tadjik and Uzbek territories, till the Osh city.
Every direction above is divided into the numerous channels, roads and routed of the narco-transporting, including the high-mountain paths, such as Ak-Baytal (4655m above sea level) and Kyzyl-Art (4280m above sea level). The growing number of jobless in the region, the very low level of life, far below the "level of poverty", the high speed of inflation lead to the growing involving of the local inhabitants into narco-business. The organized criminal groups, keeping the narco-business under their control, use the harsh life circumstances for their profit and their mode of actions is very unusual and sharpening sometimes. For example, in course of investigations the increasing number of crime cases, where they had to release hostages, attracted the attention of the Osh Regional law enforcement agencies in 1997-1998. It appeared that before 1997 the local heroin prices were not so high and the Tadjik narco-barons used to provide their Kyrgyz colleagues with drugs for sale without advanced payment. It was a time of the stabile specialized criminal chains creation: narco-baron - courier - custodian - pusher - purchaser - wholesaler. The first kilo of heroin was seized in the region in 1997, since that time heroin, because of its highest profitability, started to replace opium from the narco-traffic and from the local market as well. The structure of the narco-market changed and the new possibility to transport drugs straight to Russia, aside of the Kyrgyz co-traders, appeared. So, the separation of the new markets broke up the obsolete criminal links and chains, the "credit of confidence" was exhausted by Osh narco-dealers, at least for that period of time, and Tadjik "narco-barons" refused to provide them with drugs for sale without payment in advance or pledge.
Osh narco-dealers had to change their tactics. They began to recruit the young jobless men from the local poor families from the remote provinces, promising them the "profitable job abroad", and even paid some small advances in sugar, flour, ets. On practice these people had to accompany their "employer" to Tadjikistan and only there they realized that their role was to become "an alive pledge" for drugs. They had to stay in Tadjikistan and to work hard for the local narco-dealers, as real slaves, till drugs were sold and the money paid back.
Today the process of the criminal narco-society integration reached the new, more dangerous, stage. All the known organized criminal groups in the Central Asian Region are involved into the narco-business on the different levels. Lately we can see the traces of its integration into the international system of drug-dealing with all the possible harmful consequences of this process, such as division of the areas of influence, the criminal specialization. Some of the organized criminal groups are specialized on the drug-smuggling from Afghanistan, some- on transporting from Tadjikistan, the third - on the drugs distribution in CIS countries, including all the Russian industrial cities. The main and mostly powerful organized criminal groups, able to carry out the whole circle of the narco-business, from smuggling from Afghanistan, transporting via Tadjikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, till the final point of destination, are Russian. These groups are working very effective and, according to the Chief of the Department of Combating against Illicit Customs Operations of the State Customs Committee of Russia,- "the lasting increasing of the value of drugs and psychotropic substances smuggling is the direct treat to the Russian national security". The following factors, used by the State Customs Committee of Russia specialist for the evaluation of the present operative situation, linked with the narco-smuggling, prove the opinion about the growing influence of inter-regional and ethnic organized criminal groups on the Russian drug-market:
the increasing value of heroin smuggling into Russia and replacing the cheaper kinds of drugs by heroin. During the last year the number of cases, linked with heroin, raised 5 times and 2 times raised the quantity of seized heroin in comparison with 1997.
the role, playing by the ethnic organized criminal groups in the structure of drug-smuggling in Russia. During the last year Russian Customs Service disclosed and cut off the Chinese, Korean, Nigerian, Tadjik and Gypsy channels of drug-smuggling.
the lasting process of the Customs Union forming, the fact of Tadjikistan joining this Union, with the increasing in the same time the value of drugs, smuggling from the Central Asian countries to the Russian territory.
According to the specialists of the State Customs Committee of Russia "the Central Asian States took the leading place in the structure of the narco-expansion into Russia, in it"s narco-market forming, and became today the main threat to the national security". Tadjikistan takes the forth place in the number of disclosed cases of the illicit transporting of drugs and psychotropic substances on the Russian territory (54 cases), after Ukraine (278 cases), Kazakhstan (79 cases) and Lithuania (62 cases). Kyrgyzstan takes the tenth place on this list (14 cases). In 1997 41 Tadjik citizens was arrested on the Russian borders for the drug-smuggling, 11 Uzbek citizens, 6 Kyrgyz citizens (during the same year 136 citizens of Ukraine, 25 citizens of Kazakhstan and 16 Lithuania citizens were arrested).
As it was already mentioned above, the main concern of the Russian Custom Service is caused by the growing heroin smuggling. In 1998 nearly 47.3kg of heroin were seized (131 case). In 80% of disclosed cases heroin was transported to Russia from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tadjikistan. The majority of the seized on the Russian borders opium (130kg) also arrived from the Central Asia. The same sources had the majority of marihuana delivery (more than 612kg of this drug seized) and hashish (44.2kg). The on the way to Russia the flow of drugs meet the great stokes of precursors, smuggling from Russia to Central Asia. The data analysis proved that the Asian direction of the chemical reagents smuggling is in the most use: 45.8% from the whole volume of smuggled precursors were seized on the Russian borders on Asian and Caucasian directions. For example, 10.3% of the whole volume of illegally transported from Russia and seized on the Russian borders acetone - a chemical reagent, needed for the morphine rectification in the process of heroin producing and as a universal solvent for the other groups of drugs production, in 1998 were directed to the Central Asia. 5 attempts of the illegal transporting of the 10 990kg of acetone to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan were cut off by the Altay customs staff in 1998. Such a sizeable figures of the illegal precursor"s transporting could be evaluated as heroin laboratory"s, existing in the Central Asian republics, traces or the traces of the very strong and stabile contraband links between these republics and Afghanistan, were the numerous of heroin labs are located all over the country.
The threat to the national security of Russia from the narco-smuggling was the main point of discussion of the Inter-Agencies Commission on the State Borders Policy of the Security Council of Russia in September 1998. The Security Council stressed that the state and customs borders of Russia became an object of the expansion of domestic and international narco-Mafia, the internal market of drugs, oriented on the integration into the international drug-business, is in the process of the very active formation in Russia. In this connection, the main factors, which will have the greatest influence on the development of the operative situation on the state borders in the nearest time will become the attempts of the world narco-Mafia to penetrate on the Russian black markets and to get there a strong and stabile position. Taking into consideration the growing influence of the organized criminal groups, including the Central Asian, in the sphere of narco-business, the Russian specialists predict the evolution of the anti-smuggling law enforcement activities into the combating against the organized crime. The ethnic criminal groups will much wider use females and children for the illicit drugs transporting, among the narco-couriers from the nearest countries the majority will be composed from the hired for the single transportation jobless people from the below poverty level part of society, without criminal past. The rapidly increasing by the way to Russia (from 10 to 15 times) the cost of drugs is the main reason to take a risk for the narco-couriers from the Central Asia and other countries with the low level of life. So, looking on the present narco-situation development, the specialists from the State Customs Committee of Russia express the opinion that "the main threat today is smuggling from the Central Asian countries drugs, produced there or transported from Afghanistan and Pakistan..." This conclusion, made by the Russian specialists, support the expressed above opinion, that the main point of Afghan produced drugs destination is Russian narco-market.
The China syndrome.
The attempts to transport drugs via the territory of the People"s Republic of China, to "involve" China into Afghan narco-traffic, lately became frequent, have a great influence on the regional narco-situation development. After one and a half century China faces the threat of the "Opium war" again. The new channel of the narco-smuggling was disclosed in Pamir mountains, on the territory of the Murghab Province of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomic region of Republic of Tadjikistan, in the area of Tadjik, China and Afghanistan state borders junction. Since 1998 the wild barter trading - Afghan opium and heroin in exchange on food and essential goods- had place here. According to the operative information, unofficially provided by the China customs officers in course of the working meeting, more than 50kg of opium were seized from the Tadjik and Kyrgys narco-couriers on the China territory in 1998. According to the specialists, the present situation on this sector of the China border is similar to the situation, had place on the Tadjik-Afghan border in 1991-1993. Such a wild "barter" started the Afghan narco-expansion, first forced the region to become the new transit way of the Afghan drugs to Russia and Europe countries, then penetrated and took the leading place on the regional narco-markets. One cannot predict all the negative consequences of involving the China territory into Afghan narco-traffic. The China law enforcement and security services have a confirmed information about the close contact and cooperation between the Central Asian organized crime and the China domestic narco- Mafia. The aim is to get access to the Western Europe and USA. And the easiest and shortest way is via the Karakorum highway, crossing the territory of China. The precursors, made in China, will be in the same time transported to Afghan and Pakistan direction via the Tadjik, Uzbek and Kyrgyz territories. The second: the narco-dollars will immediately stimulate the mechanism of corruption of the state officials in China. The third: the real possibility of establishing the close contact between Afghan Mojaheddins and leaders of the Sincsian-Uighur separatists on the base of the religious fundamentalism, fanaticism and arms trading. The evidences of such attempts became visible already. Keeping in mind the sad experience of the "Opium wars", when the part of the territory of the Great Impair of China - Hong Kong was separated from the country and became the English protectorate for the long 150 years, till 1997, the China government might enforce the military presence in the region. The movements of this kind might brake up the parity of forces in the region and cause the political un-stability and tension. Today, looking forward, the China authorities express their willingness to enhance the international cooperation against narco-business. As it was already mentioned above, the present problems of the drug-abusing and narco-business in the region linked mainly with the Afghan "narco-presence". The international UN experts, engaged in this problem researches, have the same opinion. The readiness to solve the problem of drugs producing and smuggling via the country borders expressed leaders of the both fighting sides of the Afghan armed conflict. According to the Afghan Islamic Press, the Highest Spiritual Leader of Talibs - Mullah Mochamad Amar ordered in February 1999 to destroy all the heroin labs in the country. The special commission was settled to control the order execution. According the commission Chairman"s opinion, Mullah Abdul Khamid, 41 chemical laboratory, proceeded the row opium into heroin, existed on the moment in Nangakhar Province, twice more in the Khandagar and Khelmand. The Talib authorities demanded the lab"s owners to stop the production within one week. Otherwise they will be punished in accordance with the Islamic Shariat legislation. The Talib leaders proclaimed their willingness to cut off the heroin production not because of the Western countries or American pressing, but because of the religious, spiritual reasons. The decision was made on the base of the detailed research of the problem, carried out by the Supreme Ulem - the Council of the most famous Islamic scientists. In their comments to this declaration the international experts expressed the opinion that the prohibition was issued only concerning the heroin production. Conserning the opium harvesting the Talibs leaders stressed that this process cannot be cut off in the short time. The UN and international society support is needed to give the Afghan farmers an alternative source of income. The same opinion was expressed by the official representatives of the Islamabad UNDCP office. The promises, given by the Talibs earlier, to prohibit the opium harvesting, were not answered. More over, the opium production in 1998 increased on 9% in comparison with 1998, the territory nearly 63000 hectares is covered by the opi-poppy. The official representative of UN stressed the remarkable success of Pakistan in the illicit crops eradication and mentioned that the success was strongly supported by 200 000 000US$, invested by the UN into the multi-lines support to the stopped opium cultivation tribes. An opinion was expressed, that failed to obtain the general international recognition, the "Taliban" movement is trying now to win the recognition "de facto", in case the UN will agree to provide them with the financial support of the agricultural programs. That is why the Talibs declared the willingness to destroy the heroin labs on the controlled by their forces territories, expecting to obtain in exchange the international recognition and "free" financial investments.
The leaders of the anti-Talibs coalition also proclaim their readiness to combat against narco-business. In one of his recent interview the First Vice - President, Minister and Chairman of the Military forces Council of Afghanistan Ahmad Shakh Masud said: "We are against any kinds of narco-business. There are no drugs on our territory. We are doing all our best to control the narco-business. But there is another side of the medal. Tadjikistan, Turkmenia and Iran are not able to protect their borders and combat against narco-traffic effectively". In June 1999 the opposition forces disclosed two illegal centers of the synthetic illegal drugs production in Faizabad - capital of the northern Afghan province Badakhshan (the province is under the opposition control). The leaders of the opposition blamed the "Taliban" movement in organizing and supplying labs with raw material in order to compromise the opposition forces. 70kg of heroin, 130kg of precursors and 200kg of raw opium were destroyed on the public ceremony.
As a commentary to the above declarations of the leaders of the both sides of the Afghan armed conflict it is necessary to mention that the efforts, made in combating against narco-business and drugs smuggling to the neighboring countries by the both fighting sides were insufficient. More over, both sides gained the profit from the narco-business as a main source of funds for their armed forces.
In accordance with all above, the further escalation of the Afghan narco-expansion with all linked negative consequences for the Central Asian states, can be predicted.
List of used publications.
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2. Inter-Governmental Agreement of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kyrgyzstan and Republic of Uzbekistan: "About cooperation in combating against illicit turnover and abusing of drugs and psychotropic substances." 05.04.1996. The State Commission on Drug Control, attached to the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic. Festschrift of normative acts and documents, Bishkek,1996.
3. Inter-Governmental Agreement of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan and Republic of Tadjikistan on drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors control, 1998.
4. Mutual Declaration "About further development of friendship and mutual cooperation between Kyrgyz Republic and People"s Republic of China", 27.04.1998. "Slovo Kyrgyzstana", 29.04.1998.
5. Askar Akaev, interview to the newspaper "Komsomolskaya Pravda", 15.12.1998.
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19. Project Document "Strengthening Law Enforcement Capacities and Cross Border Cooperation in Central Asian Subregion (Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan-Tadjikistan)".
20. UNDCP Project AD/RER/97-C32 "Mapping the extent of illicit cultivation in Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan-Tadjikistan". Annual Tri-partite Review Meeting, December, 01,1998.
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22. Statistical data. Anti-drug Branch of the Osh Regional Department of Interior.
24. Press-release of the National Information-Analytical Center on Drug Control, attached to the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 1998.
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26. "Anti-drug Efforts of I.R. of Iran in 1996". Drug Control Headquarters, TEHRAN-1997.
27. "Iran: producers should be targeted in fight against drugs- Prosecutor- Geneva". Internet, 02.03.1999.
28. Review of the narco-situation in Kyrgyz Republic. Anti-drug Department of the Ministry of Interior of Republic of Kyrgyzstan, 1998.
29. Review of the combating against narco-smuggling in 1996-1997. Andidjan Regional Customs Department of the State Customs Committee of Republic of Uzbekistan.
30. "Three soldiers for each kilometer of border". Internet, 31.05.1999.
31. "The border is on lock and general Totsky holds the key to it". Internet, 28.05.1999.
32. "Review of the narco-situation in Republic of Tadjikistan". Report, 1999.
33. "Review of the narco-situation and prophylactics of the drug-abusing among GBAR inhabitants in 1998 and two month of 1999". The State Commission on Drug Control, attached to the Government of Republic Tadjikistan, 1999.
Report of the working results in combating against illicit drug-traffic on the territory of the Andidjan Region for 12 month of 1998. Criminal Investigation Branch of the Andidjan Regional Department of Interior, 1999.