During January-October 2023, the results of the fight against drug addiction and the illegal circulation of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors have been comparatively analyzed and summarized by the Permanent Working Group of the State Commission.

During the months of January-October of this year, as a result of the complex operational-search measures implemented by the law enforcement agencies in the field of combating drug addiction and illegal drug trafficking, a total of 9,292 criminal facts were discovered. 3059 of them were related to the illegal sale of narcotic drugs, 5910 were related to illegal acquisition and storage of narcotic drugs, 293 were related to illegal cultivation of narcotic plants, and 30 were related to other crimes of this category.

According to the discovered facts, a total of 6 tons, 541 kg, 600, 212 g of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances confiscated from illegal circulation, of which 1 ton 884 kg 118, 404 g was heroin, 3 tons 815 kg 252, 277 g was marijuana, 256 kg 551,635 g was opium, 53 kg 453,994 g  was hashish, 750, 831 g was cocaine, 388 kg of 487, 646 g and 95 pills was psychotropic substances, 142 kg of 985,425 g was other drugs. Also, during the specified period, 48,911 pills of methadone, 95 pills of psychotropic substances, 16,551 pieces of hemp plants, as well as 3 kg of 197,368 g, 7,703 capsules, 3,591 pills and 25,55 g of powerful substances, 1 kg of 613 g of toxic substances and 65.68 g of the precursor was taken from illegal circulation.

During the reporting period, 944,559 wild narcotic plants weighing 303 tons 122kg 290.98g were identified and destroyed accordingly from the 420,494 hectares area organized by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan with the participation of representatives of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the State Border Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan and other relevant institutions.

The total value of 6 tons, 541 kg, 600.21 g of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances seized from illegal circulation during January-October 2023 is estimated as 264 million 480 thousand AZN.

7,090 people were brought to criminal responsibility for illegal drug trafficking, 81 of them are citizens of foreign countries. A total of 665 kg 850,783 g of various types of narcotics and psychotropic substances and 568 pieces (327 kg 575 g) of hemp plants containing narcotics were taken from the citizens of foreign countries.

243 facts related to the smuggling of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances into the territory of the country were discovered by the law enforcement agencies. According to those facts, the total weight of illegal circulation was 2 tons 934 kg 228,659 g and 6740 pills of methadone, 95 pills of various types of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, 89,655 pills, 7,631 capsules and 1 kg of 517 g of active substance, 40,682 g of precursor were extracted.

In total, 271 of the detected crimes were committed in a group, and according to those facts, 2 tons, 050 kg, 597.51 g, and 1,270 pieces of methadone drugs, 95 pills of psychotropic substances, and 170.3 g of powerful substances were confiscated from the illegal traffic.

2783 criminal acts were committed by previously convicted people and 1 ton 377 kg 244.56 g of various types of narcotics and psychotropic substances were confiscated from them.

The analysis shows that, compared to January-October 2022, during the corresponding period of 2023, the total number of facts detected by law enforcement agencies related to the illegal circulation of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances was 272, the number of facts related to the illegal sale of drugs was 122, the number of facts related to the illegal cultivation of narcotic plants decreased by 100, the number of other types of criminal facts decreased by 58, and the number of group crimes decreased by 53 facts. The number of crimes related to smuggling was 8 cases, 8 cases were related to illegal acquisition and possession without the purpose of sale, the number of people brought to responsibility was 248 people, and the weight of drugs removed from illegal circulation increased by 1 ton, 478 kg, 616.04 g.

According to the information of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Azerbaijan, during the reporting period, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan referred 74,296 people to the Republican Narcology Center of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Azerbaijan for the determination of all types of intoxication.

Among them, 1228 out of 2140 people who were medically examined for the purpose of determining drug use were found to be users, and necessary measures were taken in this regard.

According to the information provided by the Republican AIDS Center, there is a decrease in the number of new cases of human immunodeficiency virus infection among drug addicts in the country. During the last 10 months, 764 people were infected with HIV. 736 of them were citizens of Azerbaijan, and 28 were foreigners. Among the citizens of Azerbaijan, 62 people (8.4%) were injection drug users.

The "802" hotline phone call service received 1068 citizen appeals, of which 186 were related to illegal drug trafficking, 372 were related to drug addiction treatment, and 510 were related to other issues (re-applying, explaining the terms of the legislation, procedures for compulsory treatment, etc.). 558 letters were addressed to the relevant authorities for taking appropriate measures on the mentioned appeals.

So that, ensuring prompt coordination with relevant organizations and citizens, relevant criminal cases were initiated based on the information provided on the illegal circulation of narcotics and large quantities of narcotics were seized from illegal circulation, drug users were referred to specialized medical institutions for treatment based on their voluntary requests,psychological support for families suffering from drug addiction and the provisions of the current legislation were explained and necessary recommendations were given in order to prevent the spread of drugs and addiction through the 802 hotline call service.

Permanent Working Group of the State Commission for Combating Drug Addiction and Illegal Trafficking in Narcotics