The Kyrgyz Republic is planning to toughen
its penalties for the transportation and distribution of drugs in Kyrgyzstan. Initiators
of these additions to local legislation are calling for the introduction of the death
penalty for drug traffickers. Kyrgyzstan has been flooded with drugs from Tajikistan as
they enter the country from Afghanistan. The Kyrgyzstan Minister of Internal Affairs,
Omurbek Kutuev, reports that during this year the amount of narcotics seized in Kyrgyzstan
has increased 1,600% compared to last year. The amount of heroin has increased
800%. The drug channel has grown so much that it could not only turn all Kyrgyzstanis into
drug addicts, but also addict millions of people throughout the world. All experts agree
that the origin of drugs coming into Central Asia is from one source: the Taliban in
Afghanistan.

Pakistan has blocked the heroin channel to Europe and overseas by introducing a death
penalty for drug traffickers. Uzbekistan has blocked its border with Afghanistan by laying
rows of barbed wire and stationing armed soldiers. As a result, drug traffickers have only
somewhat safe route, through Tajikistan’s frontiers to the south of Kyrgyzstan. A few
days ago, agents supervising the struggle against drug trafficking under the Ministry of
Internal Affairs discovered and removed more than 31 kilograms of the purest heroin in the
south of Kyrgyzstan. The operation was carefully planned and for several days,
investigators observed the home of a resident of the Jany-Turmush village in the Osh
region. As a result of searching for narcotics, police also found six soldered gas
canisters similar to those found in the Laylak district of in Batken belonging to
terrorists.

At the beginning of July in the Isfana village, a Chrysler automobile owned by a
Russian citizen was stopped. Half of the car’s gas tank contained 12 kg of heroin and
19 kg of opium. Near the Ak-Aryk village, Kyrgyz militia agents stopped a Lada automobile
with Tajikistan license plates. The driver was a senior officer of the intelligence
department in the Committee of Tajikistan State Frontier Guard. During the inspection of
the car, agents found more than 2 kg of heroin and seized a Kalashnikov sub-machine-gun
with a full magazine from the Tajikistani officer. Legislation directed toward toughening
the struggle against drug trafficking is under consideration by the Parliament of the
Kyrgyz Republic. Initiators of new laws request the introduction of capital punishment
into law even though at present there iss a moratorium against the death penalty in
Kyrgyzstan.

It is expected that the period of imprisonment for the trafficking and distribution of
drugs will be lengthened. Taking into the consideration the fact that today there is a
high level of government corruption, drug traffickers could easily avoid serving time in
Kyrgyzstani prisons by bribing Kyrgyz bureaucrats. There are many examples of such
bribery. Considerable concentrations of military units in southern Kyrgyzstan are
strengthening the frontier and playing a significant role in the struggle against drug
trafficking. Frontier guards have detained many trespassers but the Kyrgyz military can
not deal with this alone. Kyrgyzstan needs assistance and cooperation from countries and
organizations interested in eliminating the drug channels that pass through the country.

Aziz Soltobaev, American University in Kyrgyzstan, Economics
Department.