Largest Narcotics Seizure for the Past 20 Year in the Amount of More than 2.5 Million US Dollars as the Result of a Joint Work of Kyrgyz Law Enforcement and UNODC

Attempts to counteract the detrimental effects of drug trafficking and abuse have been made for many decades, and appropriate mechanisms are being created to address this problem at the national and international levels. Substantial results have been achieved in reducing drug trafficking and abuse.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Programme Office in the Kyrgyz Republic supports Counter Narcotics Service (CNS) of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) of the Kyrgyz Republic as part of the UNODC XACZ60 project: Sub-program 1 "Combating transnational organized crime, illicit drug trafficking and prevention terrorism» of the UNODC Program for Central Asia 2015-2019.

During the special operation aimed at establishing, identifying and detaining channels of the large-scale narcotic drugs trafficking of Afghan origin, on 1 st February of this year, CNS officers as part of interagency cooperation with the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic, the competent authorities of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Russian Federation seized the largest -scale narcotic drugs with a total weight of 280 kilograms and 620 grams, including hash 276 kilograms and amphetamine 4 kilograms 620 grams. The total estimated value of seized drugs from illicit trafficking could amount to more than $ 2.5 million US dollars.

"The conducted special operation was possible due to the efforts and comprehensive support provided by the UNODC Programme Office in the Kyrgyz Republic as part of the UNODC project with financial assistance from the Government of Japan and the Bureau for Combating the International Trafficking in Narcotic Substances and Law Enforcement (Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)) of the United States of America", stated Mr. Mirlan Kanimetov, Deputy Minister of Interior of the Kyrgyz Republic.

According to him, successful implementation of the special operation was possible thanks to the strengthening of international and interdepartmental cooperation, the exchange of operational information and, in particular, the deployment of officers in the Drug Control Agency under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan and the Ministry of Interior of the Russian Federation under the UNODC project.

Mr. Kanimetov also stressed that "CNS officers applied knowledge and skills gained during the special training courses on combating drug trafficking, and capacity development which was the result of the successful implementation of the UNODC project in Kyrgyzstan.

"United Nations Office on drugs and Crime renders a comprehensive support to the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic on counteracting the illicit drug trafficking, corruption, organized crime and terrorism", said Mr. Andrey Seleznev, the Head of the UNODC Programme Office in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Important to note that this seizure is considered to be the largest seizure for the past 20 years and is the first joint operation of the law enforcement agencies of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and Kyrgyz Republic.

This is the second large-scale operation as part of the UNODC project on combating transnational organized crime, illicit drug trafficking and prevention terrorism.  In July 2019, employees of CNS, SFIS, General Administration for Drug Control (GUNK) of the Russia' Ministry of Interior and law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Kazakhstan successfully executed a large-scale, international special operation to establish, identify and detain a transnational organized criminal gang. The group operated via Internet on the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation, engaged in illegal trafficking of narcotic substances.

UNODC is the only UN Agency which fully supports the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic in achieving Sustainable Development Goal #16 to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, access to justice for all and create effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

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