The results of the fight against drug trafficking, psychotropic substances and their precursors in the country in the first quarter of 2020 were summarized by the Permanent Working Group of the State Commission on Combating Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

   Thus, during the first three months of this year, law enforcement agencies revealed 1540 facts in the fight against drugs, including 600 illegal sale of drugs, 908 illegal acquisition and possession, 6 illegal cultivation of narcotic plants, 26 were related to other crimes.

   According to the revealed facts, 630 kg 874.4 g of various drugs and psychotropic substances were withdrawn from circulation.

  Among seized drugs 236 kg 009 grams of marijuana (37.4%), 93 kg 253.9 grams of opium (14.3%), 233 kg 805 grams of heroin (37%), 16 kg 694 grams of hashish (3 , 1%), 51 kg 111grams were psychotropic substances and others (8.1%).

   780 people were prosecuted, including 2 people aged 16-18, 69 people aged 18-25, 142 people aged 26-29 and 567 people over 30 years old. Of those prosecuted, 28 were workers, 2 were financially responsible, 1 was a transport worker, 1 was an agricultural worker, 177 had previously committed a crime, 3 were previously registered, 530 were unemployed and 757 were men, 23 women, 24 were foreign citizens. 17 foreigners are citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 4 citizens of Georgia and 3 citizens of the Russian Federation.

   In general, 98 criminal facts revealed by law enforcement agencies were committed through smuggling and various types of drugs with a total weight of 189 kg 096.1 grams were seized from the illicit traffic.In addition, 104 criminal cases were committed in groups and 148 kg 769 gr of drugs were seized from the illicit traffic. In total, 277 of the identified crimes were committed by previous offenders, and 103 kg 465 grams of various drugs were seized from them.

   At the same time, 236 kilograms or 37.4 percent of 630 kg 874 g of drugs seized from illicit trafficking was marijuana.

  According to the Republican Narcology Center of the Ministry of Health, during the first 3 months of 2020, 9,353 people underwent medical examinations to determine all types of intoxication. 1769 of them were examined for drug use, 964 positive results were found and registered. At the same time, 828 outpatients underwent compulsory drug testing during the relevant period of the current year, and 546 of them were prescribed compulsory drug treatment.

   According to the Center for Combating AIDS of the Ministry of Health, 13.4% of cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among Azerbaijani citizens in the first quarter of 2020, and in general from 1992 to March 1, 2020. 40.5% of cases occurred as a result of injecting drug use.

   In general, 3314 out of 8296 people diagnosed with HIV since 1988 were injecting drug users, of which 2598 (78.4%) were registered in dispensaries. At the same time, it should be noted that there has been a decrease in the number of new HIV infections in the country. During the first quarter of 2020, 22 (13.4%) of the 164 HIV-infected Azerbaijani citizens identified were injecting drug users. 19 of them were registered at the Republican AIDS Center, while others were identified through the Main Medical Department of the Ministry of Justice and are currently being observed in penitentiary institutions.