Drugs destroyed in Uzbekistan as Afghanistan asks neighbors for help

An international conference dedicated to June 26 — International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking — was held in Uzbekistan. A QALAMPIR.UZ correspondent attended the event.

The conference was attended by members of the state and regional commissions on the control of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, heads of nearly 100 relevant state bodies and public organizations, representatives of local authorities, specialists and experts, as well as representatives of more than 10 international organizations and partner structures.

The event was opened with introductory remarks by the heads of the Agency for the Control of Narcotic Drugs and Firearms under the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Operational Management Division of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and the European Union’s Central Asia Drug Action Programme (CADAP-8).

According to experts, the growing scale of the drug problem shows that it is spreading across various social groups, including young people and women. To fight this trend, not only law enforcement agencies, but society as a whole — families, educational institutions, the media and civil society institutions — must act together.

Sheikh Mawlavi Abdul Ghafar, Ambassador of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to Uzbekistan, also attended the international forum. In an interview with QALAMPIR.UZ, he said strict measures are being taken against narcotic substances in his country and that penalties have been toughened for those who cultivate and distribute them.

The ambassador also asked neighboring countries for assistance in eliminating drug trafficking.

During the event, it was noted that drug-related crimes had also been committed among students over the past five months. The most important symbolic event of the conference was the drug-burning ceremony. According to the State Security Service, this year 2 tons and 963.61 kilograms of narcotic substances were destroyed by burning, including 1 ton and 348.79 kilograms of marijuana, 649.64 kilograms of hashish, 101.43 kilograms of poppy, 426.35 kilograms of opium, 78.37 kilograms of heroin, 225.88 kilograms of synthetic drugs, including methamphetamine, MDMA, mephedrone, A-PVP, LSD, spice and others, 83.98 grams of cocaine, 197.51 grams of hashish oil, 0.04 grams of psychotropic substances, 71.08 kilograms of potent substances and 54 kilograms of precursors, including 152.5 grams of potassium permanganate and 53.88 kilograms of hydrochloric acid.

As part of the international conference, an exhibition was organized with the participation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Customs Committee, the Border Troops, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, the Ministry of Preschool and School Education, the Defense Industry Agency, the Youth Affairs Agency and other partner organizations, showcasing the work being carried out in the field.

To learn more about the details of the event, watch the video on QALAMPIR.UZ’s YouTube page.