During the first quarter of 2021, a total of 2,050 criminal cases were revealed as a result of complex search operations carried out by law enforcement agencies in the fight against drug addiction and drug trafficking. Of them, 747 were related to the illegal sale of drugs, 1264 were related to the illegal acquisition and possession of drugs, 13 were related to the illegal cultivation of narcotic plants, and 26 were related to other crimes of this category.

    The results of measures taken by the relevant authorities (compared to the same period last year) to combat drug trafficking, psychotropic substances and their precursors were analyzed and summarized in the permanent Working Group of the State Commission on Combating Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking.

     According to the revealed facts, 1 ton 287 kg 819,817 gr of drugs and psychotropic substances, 656 kg 378,952 gr of heroin, 326 kg 541.49 gr of marijuana, 147 kg 157,972 gr of opium, 25 kg 734.08 were confiscated from the illicit traffic. grams of hashish, 89,679 grams of cocaine, 29 kg 418,755 grams of methamphetamine and 637.84 grams of other drugs, 101 kg 861,049 grams of psychotropic substances. Also, 5 kg 881.85 g of strong substances and 4.05 g of toxic substances were seized during the mentioned period.

     During the reporting period, 1,071 people were prosecuted for drug trafficking, including 4 people aged 16-18, 80 people aged 18-25, 202 people aged 26-29, and 785 people aged 30 and over. Of these, 1,045 were men and 26 were women. Of those prosecuted, 12 are foreign nationals.

       Of the 12 foreign nationals prosecuted, 4 were citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 3 of Georgia, 2 of Turkey, 2 of Ukraine and 1 of Russia.

     During the first quarter of 2021, law enforcement agencies revealed 31 facts of smuggling drugs and psychotropic substances into the country, and 175 kg 847,482 grams of various drugs and psychotropic substances were seized from the illicit traffic.

         In total, 71 crimes were committed in groups and 431 kg 475,208 grams of drugs were seized from the illicit traffic.

        The analysis shows that compared to the first quarter of 2020, the number of facts revealed by law enforcement agencies in connection with the illicit trafficking of drugs and psychotropic substances during the relevant period of the current year was 510, the number of facts of illegal sale was 147,  the number of facts related to illegal acquisition and possession without the purpose of sale increased by 356, the number of facts related to illegal cultivation of narcotic plants increased by 7 units, and the number of facts related to other crimes of this category remained stable.

        Also, the weight of drugs seized from illicit trafficking increased by 656 kg 945,417 grams, the number of prosecuted persons increased by 300 people.

       The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan referred 14,329 people to the Republican Narcology  Center of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Azerbaijan to identify all types of intoxication. Of them, 529 out of 1,043 people who underwent medical examinations to determine drug use were identified as users and necessary measures were taken in this regard. During the reporting period, 1234 people were hospitalized. At present, 773 patients are being treated in 3 places under the methadone replacement therapy program.

        According to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as of December 31, 2020, the number of people registered with a diagnosis of drug addiction in the country was 33,788. Of these, 28,318 are dispensaries and 5,470 are prophylactically registered. 618 of them are women. 23,537 are opioid users and 10,251 are cannabinoid users. In 2020, 2723 people were registered with the relevant diagnosis, and 1856 people were deregistered.

During the reporting period, 117 people in Azerbaijan were infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). In general, from 1988 to the end of March 2021, 8805 people with confirmed HIV diagnosis were registered at the Republican AIDS Center of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Azerbaijan (8506 Azerbaijani citizens, 299 foreigners). Of those infected with HIV, 6,316 are men and 2,489 are women. In 3,396 of them, HIV infection occurred as a result of injecting drug use. 2694 people from this category are currently registered in dispensaries.

       During the first quarter of 2021, 15 out of 121 patients involved in antiretroviral therapy (ART) were injecting drug users. As of March 31, 2021, the total number of HIV patients involved in ART was 6,990, of which 2,274 were injecting drug users.

      In accordance with the State Program, the Permanent Working Group of the State Commission on Combating Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking has carried out purposeful work to prevent drug trafficking and the spread of drug addiction through the use of modern information technologies. coordination was organized, as a result of mutual cooperation, the scope of public awareness work was expanded.

     Thus, the "Action Plan" of the State Commission for Combating Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking for 2020 was prepared, approved and implemented.

      In connection with the implementation of paragraph 4.1.23 of the "State Program", the "Annual Report" was prepared by the permanent Working Group of the State Commission on Combating Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking.

      The “802” hotline operating in the Working Group of the State Commission on Combating Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking received 32 appeals in the first quarter of this year, 6 of which were related to illegal sale of drugs (criminal proceedings were instituted on the basis of 4 appeals). 9 of them were related to drug treatment (6 people were admitted to treatment), and 17 were related to other issues. The mentioned appeals were sent to the relevant authorities for taking appropriate measures.

     At the same time, the "Online Appeals" section of the website of the State Commission for Combating Drug Abuse and Illicit  Drug Trafficking www.nmdk.gov.az received 7 appeals, 4 of which were related to illegal sale of drugs (4 criminal cases were initiated), 2 were related to drug treatment and 1 was related to another issue.

        In order to further strengthen the anti-drug propaganda work of the permanent working group of the State Commission, joint Action Plans have been signed between the Penitentiary Service of the Ministry of Justice and the Baku City Department of the Ministry of Education and a number of measures are being taken in this direction.

       At the same time, the memorandum was signed on the Agreement on Cooperation with the NGO Coalition against Drug Abuse  in order to strengthen cooperation in the fight against illicit trafficking in drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors and the spread of drug addiction, the involvement of relevant non-governmental organizations, including other civil society institutions.

       In order to raise awareness about the harm of drug addiction to society and human health, the measures taken in this area and their consequences, articles were published in accordance with the schedule of the column opened in the newspaper "Iki Sahil".

       In connection with the implementation of paragraph 4.4.38 of the State Program, a video on the activities of the "802 hotline" telephone service, "Drug is a borderless disaster" and in the animated format "Protect the sun inside, say no to drugs" social videos were shown on electronic boards in the streets and avenues of the capital, as well as broadcast on television channels.

      In accordance with paragraph 4.4.9 of the State Program, 26 new social signs with information on drug abuse and drug complications were installed in the Guards Regiment, convoy battalion and penitentiary institutions of the Penitentiary Service.

In connection with the implementation of item 4.4.35 of the Action Plan for the implementation of the State Program, within the framework of joint cooperation of the Permanent Working Group of the State Commission and Baku Metro Closed Joint-Stock Company, 20 social boards were installed in “Memar Ajami”, “Koroglu”, “ Azadlig ”,“ Hazi Aslanov ”,“ Ahmadli ”,“ Khalqlar Dostlugu ”,“ Inshaatchilar ”,“ Nasimi ”,“ Ganjlik ”,“ Nariman Narimanov ”and other stations and it is planned to show it within a year.

  At the same time, in order to ensure the sustainability of the work, new social videos developed by the Working Group of the State Commission will be shown on monitors in metro stations after the end of the tightened special quarantine regime to prevent the spread of the new type of coronavirus (COVID-19).

   Representatives of the Working Group of the State Commission participated in online zone seminars and other events on "Strengthening the fight against drug addiction among young people during the Covid-19 pandemic" in February and March of this year.

    In accordance with item 4.4.17 of the State Program, an online event on "Drugs is a borderless disaster" was held on April 7 with the Azerbaijan Technical University, on April 15 a seminar-meeting with the Yasamal District Youth and Sports Department on "Actual problems of combating drugs and drug trafficking" , a webinar on "The role of awareness-raising activities in the fight against drug addiction" together with Baku Music Academy on April 22, on April 29, Baku State University organized an online scientific-practical conference on the implementation of the "State Program on Combating Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and their Precursors and Drug Addiction for 2019-2024."