Source: 2007
Released by the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
Kazakhstan is a major transit country for narcotics originating from Afghanistan and bound for Europe. In 2006, Kazakhstan significantly increased counterdrug operations. President Nazarbayev declared a national effort against drug use and drug trafficking. The government encouraged law enforcement agencies, NGOs, political parties and media to join together to combat drugs. The number of people who committed drug related crimes this year increased 13.4 percent. President Nazarbayev announced two ambitious programs on combating corruption and drug trafficking. Strengthening the borders, especially in the south, is a priority for Kazakhstan as well. Officially the number of young drug addicts under 17 years old increased 9.3 percent in comparison with the same period last year. Seventy percent of the drug addicts in the country consume heroin. The Government of Kazakhstan (GOK) is devoting more attention and resources to interagency cooperation in the fight against drug supply and demand. Law enforcement services acknowledge that without the assistance and pressure of society in general, NGOs, and the mass media, they will not be able to effectively combat drug distribution. Kazakhstan is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention.
With a record amount of opium produced in Afghanistan in 2006, increasing amounts of opiates may transit Kazakhstan en route to Russia and Europe. While sources differ, the UN reports that about 11 percent of the drugs transiting the country remain in Kazakhstan. Importation of synthetic drugs such as Ecstasy (MDMA) and LSD from Russia and Europe is increasing. However, more recent estimates provided by the Deputy Head of the Division on Combating International Drug Trafficking of the Committee for National Security showed that of the 100-120 tons of drugs expected to transit Kazakhstan in 2006 about 15-20 tons will stay in the country. In addition, there is an existing marijuana growing area in the Chu valley on the Kazakhstani-Kyrgyzstani border.
According to the local press, the Deputy Head of the Division on Combating International Drug Trafficking of the Committee for National Security announced that criminal activity related to the production of Afghani opiates presents the most serious problem for Kazakhstan. He stated that the problem of drug trafficking became much more acute when Russian border guards left the border of Tajikistan with Afghanistan at the end of 2005. Another newspaper, Komsomolskya Pravda, reported that in Kazakhstan one kg of high quality "999" type heroin costs around $18,000, while in Europe the price would increase to $60,000 and in the U.S. to $120,000.
Policy Initiatives. In November 2005 President Nazarbayev signed the Decree on Approval of the Strategy on Combating Drug Addiction and Drug Trafficking in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2006-2014. The aim of the strategy is to counter drug addiction and drug trafficking in Central Asia. In an effort to ensure the gradual development of the process of combating drug addiction and drug trafficking, the strategy was divided into three stages: 2006-2008, 2009-2011, and 2012-2014. The goal of the first stage is to stop the increase in drug consumption and the illegal drug trade. The second stage focuses on stopping the growth of addiction to psychoactive substances among the Kazakhstani population. The third stage aims to further develop a complete and effective system of state and public counteraction to drug addiction and the drug trade.
In addition to the strategy above, in September 2006 President Nazarbayev stated to the Security Council that the commitment of the capital city to combat narcotics should set an example for the rest of Kazakhstan. With the public backing of President Nazarbayev, the Akimat (City Hall) of Astana in consultation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) developed a program entitled "Astana - Drug Free City for 2006-2008." It covers three main themes: demand reduction, treatment of drug addiction, and combating drug trafficking. On September 29 the government decided to allot one billion tenge ($8 million) to implement the program. In remarks to the Security Council, the President authorized the Committee for National Security (KNB) and MVD to join forces to combat drug use and drug trade. Nazarbayev advocated publicizing the counternarcotics push on television in order to get the message out to the population that drug use is unacceptable. Notwithstanding that the program "Astana - Drug Free City" was designed for the capital, law enforcement agencies have begun to apply it to the whole country. The MVD Minister, Baurzhan Mukhamedzhanov, mentioned that in the near future similar projects will be developed in other cities with serious drug problems.
The "Kazakhstan Today" newspaper reported that owners of night clubs in Almaty and Astana met with the leaders of the MVD to discuss measures to counteract the spread of drugs in night clubs and prevent drug addiction among their clients. As a result of the meeting the parties came to the unanimous decision to join forces with government law enforcement and security services to combat drug distribution and ensure the security of night clubs. In addition, the businessmen proposed that MVD officers train the security guards working in night clubs in basic knowledge and skills of drug detection. In July and again in October the KNB publicly burned seized Afghan heroin. In July, 43 kg were burned and in October 67 kg of heroin and 217 kg of opium.
In 2006, the MVD Minister suggested toughening punishment for drug-related crimes. In an interview in "Kazakhstanskaya Pravda" in September, he said that the MVD prepared draft legislative amendments to the Criminal Code stipulating tougher punishment for drug-related crimes, including the death penalty. The Procurator General's Office suggested establishing an interagency information center for the exchange of legal information to be used by law enforcement bodies and special services of CIS member countries. Deputy Procurator General Georgy Kim stated at a CIS conference of the heads of law enforcement information services that the Center should be not just a data base, but a unified analytical complex, where information about transnational crime received from customs, border guards, law enforcement, prisons and other agencies would be accumulated and analyzed. He said that Kazakhstan was ready to provide the Center with available software and the necessary legal basis, and would assist in the development of data security measures for shared information.
In 2006, Kazakhstan devoted more attention to drug demand reduction programs in addition to law enforcement efforts. The Ministry of Information and Culture, Ministry of Tourism and Sport, Ministry of Education and Science, MVD, Ministry of Health and NGOs all have begun efforts to reduce demand for illegal narcotics in Kazakhstani society. One of the aims is to involve youth as much as possible in other activities such as sports and social events. In one case, a member of the Mazhilis (Parliament), Tanirbergen Berdongarov, explained that after the launch of "Astana-Drug Free City, Zhas Otan", the youth wing of the "Otan" political party joined in the effort to reduce drug demand. Recently the Committee on Combating Drugs of the MVD organized a media forum and proposed to the assembled journalists that they actively cooperate in combating drug addiction. MVD representatives pointed out to the journalists the necessity of increasing social advertisements in mass media directed against drug addiction.
Accomplishments. Kazakhstan continues to comply with UN conventions on combating illicit narcotics cultivation and production within its borders. Foreign Ministers of the member states of the Memorandum on Understanding and Cooperation on Control over Illegal Production, Circulation, Abuse of Narcotics, Psychotropic Substances and Precursors decided to locate the Central Asia Regional Information Coordination Center (CARICC) in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The Center will be the focal point for communication, analysis and exchange of operations information on transnational crime and will assist in organization and support on coordination of joint operations to combat narcotics. According to official information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 50 specialists will work in CARICC. The President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov proposed the idea of CARICC during the visit of then UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, to the Republic of Uzbekistan in October 2002.
Law Enforcement Efforts. The GOK continues to actively combat narcotics. During the KNB's 2006 "Operation Trap," a lengthy joint operation between Kazakhstani agencies, Russian special services, and Tajik law enforcement bodies, KNB officers stopped the activity of a criminal drug group, which controlled a significant portion of drug trafficking transiting through Central Asia. Experts of the KNB successfully identified the money laundering mechanisms for drug trafficking proceeds. Isatai Sabetov, Deputy Head of KNB Division on Combating International Drug Trafficking, stated that in order to launder the proceeds of drug sales, the criminal group created several businesses in Kazakhstan, Europe and offshore zones. In one of these businesses alone, KNB officers discovered and seized $1.6 million.
In October 2006, Almaty KNB officers intercepted an international drug ring of five people at the final stage of a controlled delivery operation. The criminals transported drugs through the territory of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan inside a truck carrying grapes. The consignment of narcotics was destined for the European Union. Also in October, the Almaty city KNB Department burned 67 kg of heroin and 217 kg of opium in front of TV cameras. According to Kazakh authorities, the packages of heroin were stamped with a sign "999" showing that it was produced in Afghanistan and was of the highest quality. The drugs were seized in a June 2005 special operation.
In the first 10 months of 2006, the KNB detected and eliminated 20 international drug distribution and transit networks and eight criminal rings, instituted criminal proceedings against 135 people, and claimed to have seized over 800 kg of opium and heroin.
As a result of a special operation from September 21 to October 1, MVD officers detected 577 incidents of drug use, seized over two tons of drug substances (including four kg of heroin), and discovered 154 drug sales. Law enforcement agencies seized 22,549 kg of drugs in the first nine months of 2006, compared with 21,635 kg last year. The MVD seized the largest amount of drugs with 19,753 kg; the KNB - 2,598 kg; and the Customs Control Committee of the Ministry of Finance - 198 kg.
Head of the Committee on Combating Narcotics Anatoliy Vyborov announced that as a result of the work of law enforcement agencies, 7,900 drug-related crimes were prepared for prosecution in the country; this is 5.6 percent higher than the same period last year.
According to the "Liter" newspaper, the increased seizure rates show that law enforcement agencies and security services were more efficient in 2006. This is attributed to increased collaboration with neighboring countries in Central Asia and the regular exchange of information with them. "Liter" newspaper also reported that Russian special services are the most effective in collaborating on regional antinarcotics work because they have maintained contacts in Afghanistan since Soviet times. Law-enforcement agencies seized 3,665 liters of liquid precursors in the first nine months of 2006, versus 89 liters for the same period last year.
Corruption. Corruption in Kazakhstan is a factor hampering the country's war on drugs. On December 28, 2005, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan signed the decree "On the State Program of Combating Corruption for 2006-2010." All state agencies were mandated to take measures to combat corruption internally. From January to September 2006, the Agency on Combating Economic Crimes and Corruption registered 1,225 corruption crimes - an increase of 20.2 percent over the same time last year. Criminal cases were brought against 378 people, among them 44 employees of the MVD. According to the "Express-K" newspaper, a senior officer of the Department of Internal Affairs (DVD) of Zhambulskaya oblast (southern Kazakhstan) was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The officer, a police major, dealt drugs; he used his position to charge drug addicts a price three times higher than the street rate. One drug addict who had to pay 4,000 tenge ($32) for 1.5 grams of heroin reported the Major to the KNB.
Agreements and Treaties. The U.S. and Kazakhstan signed the fourth Supplementary Protocol to the Memorandum of Understanding on Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement in August 28, 2006. This amendment increased funds available for narcotics law enforcement programs in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention and has signed the Central Asian Counternarcotics Memorandum of Understanding with UNODC. The Kazakhstan national antinarcotics law, passed in 1998, specifically gives provisions of international antinarcotics agreements precedence over national law (Article 3.2). Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan signed an agreement in September 1999 on cooperation in combating transnational crime, including narcotics trafficking. The five Central Asian countries, as well as Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey, are members of the Economic Coordination Mechanism supported by the UNODC.
Cultivation/Production. On October 3, officers of Astana Department of the KNB discovered an area for the cultivation of a high quality Afghan strain of marijuana in the village of Romanovka, 30 kilometers from Astana. The owners of the land had set up an entire process to produce and package the drugs. KNB officers seized 100 kg of marijuana and 77 grams of heroin in the operation.
KNB officers in Zhambulskaya oblast discovered a workshop for the production of drugs in the cellar of a secondary school in the Chu region. A physical education teacher from the school had established the workshop to produce and package drugs for a drug ring. A search of the teacher's home revealed 90 kg of dried hemp and a 9 kg sack of hashish.
Drug Flow/Transit. The main flow of drugs, including heroin and opium, enters Kazakhstan from the Central Asian region (Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan). Drug couriers are mainly residents of Central Asian countries. The main reason for this is poverty and high unemployment rates. Couriers rely on vehicles and trains to smuggle the majority of the narcotics into Kazakhstan. In 2006, drug smugglers responded to the increased counterdrug operations by law enforcement and security agencies by devising new methods and new routes. Increased operations on the south-central border forced the smugglers to look for other routes to the east and west to avoid interception.
According to the KNB, during the last year officers detained several passengers on an Almaty - Beijing flight at the Almaty airport when they tried to smuggle 10 kg of heroin. The couriers were two Russian citizens, one citizen of Kazakhstan, and one citizen of Azerbaijan. Six months later, special service officers arrested the leader of the group. When arrested, he had over 3,000 tablets of Ecstasy in his possession.
Local newspapers report that Almaty, the former capital in the south of Kazakhstan, stopped being a terminal point for transiting drugs from Afghanistan to Europe. Today criminals transport drugs directly through Karaganda (located in the center of Kazakhstan) in the north of the country. Drugs are transported to Almaty only for local market there, since the local demand for drugs has not decreased.
Couriers developed or borrowed new methods to avoid detection. Some couriers cover packed drugs with parts of wolf in order to escape detection by drug dogs. According to Kazakhstanskaya Pravda, on another case, "Aul" post customs and border guard officers found over 230 grams of heroin in a propane tank, while inspecting a car.
Train passengers also resort to novel approaches. A common method for concealing illegal narcotics is to hide them in big suitcases or bags with false bottoms. One unusual method is to put heroin in walnut shells and then glue them back together.
Domestic Programs. According to official statistical data for the first nine months of 2006, there are 54,705 people using drugs and psychotropic substances in Kazakhstan. This represents a 4.9 percent increase from last year (52,137 registered last year). The figure includes 4,890 women, 4,652 minors (including 1,331 children under 14), 29,629 young people aged 18-30 years old, and 20,424 who are 30 and older. Several Kazakh government ministries and local government bodies conduct sport events, cultural events, and competitions to keep young people away from drugs. The Government of Kazakhstan has promised to build more sport clubs for young people. The government now requires that NGOs go though professional training to be able to effectively conduct demand reduction programs.
Policy Initiatives. The overall USG goal is to develop a long-term cooperative relationship between law enforcement bodies in the United States and Kazakhstan. This relationship will enhance the professional skills of officers and improve the organization and management of GOK law enforcement services, thereby improving the results in the fight against illegal narcotics and terrorism.
The Road Ahead. The USG conducted a Counter Narcotics Bilateral Strategy meeting with Kazakhstan in December 2006 to improve collaborative efforts to combat narcotics. The meeting discussed best practices the U.S. has learned from its efforts to combat illegal narcotics including interdiction, demand reduction, and rehabilitation. To allow for the more effective search of trucks and trains, the USG also provides technical assistance and training to GOK law enforcement and security services, including search equipment for border posts, interior checkpoints, and patrolling the green border. The USG is working with law enforcement and security service training academies to improve curriculum and training methods, and will continue to work closely with Kazakh enforcement personnel to enhance cooperation on narcotics interdiction.