Afghan Heroin Trails In Kyrgyzstan And Central Asia

[Tchort]

The Young Turks

5/31/2009

Ryskeldi Satke

Afghan Heroin Trails In Kyrgyzstan And Central Asia

The problem of afghan drug trafficking (heroin and opium) through Central Asia to Russia and Europe has become one of the most serious and difficult tasks for the Governments of Central Asian States for 17 years since the dissolution of the USSR with deteriorating situation every few years especially since the beginning of large-scale military operations by coalition forces of NATO and the United States since 2001 in the Afghanistan. Increased flow of the afghan heroin and opium to former soviet states characterized by complexity of the political,social and economic diversities in Central Asia.

Particularly noteworthy in this regard, the situation in Uzbekistan where President Islam Karimov has adopted a firm policy of repression against sunni muslim religious groups and opposition establishment in the Ferghana Valley. The most striking example of counter productive current policy of the Uzbek Government expressed in creation of Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) by radical leader Tohir Uldash who had stood alongside with the original founder and former soviet paratrooper Juma Namangani who was a veteran of a Soviet Afghan war. In addition, the deterioration of social and economic development in the Fergana Valley which is located at the intersection of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan has led to the inevitable expansion of drug trafficking business including Kazakhstan despite the growth of the Kazakh economy. It should be emphasized the activities of organized criminal groups associated most often with State institutions in particular, the shining example of criminal structures occurrence in power expressed in Kyrgyzstan where kyrgyz organized crime mob bosses were elected to the Zhogorku Kenesh ( the State Legislative Body ) of the Kyrgyzstan followed by high profile assassinations.

The daylight murders of the elected deputies – mob bosses took place in Kyrgyzstan repeatedly and in all cases kyrgyz law enforcement authorities made reference to the mafia wars. Another reason of the growing drug trafficking from Afghanistan was a civil war in Tajikistan from 1992 to 1997 which accompanied at the same time with settlement of the radical religious group IMU in mountainous areas of Badakshan along the afghan heroin and opium trade hot spots with strategic drug traffick routes from Afghanistan into Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The drug trade had already taken place previously along the tajik – afghan border near town of Horog on tajik side and afghan town of Fayzabad which ultimately gave the financial opportunity to Tajik warlords and IMU.

According to the report of the United Nations on drugs and crime for 2005 - 2006 in Central Asia the most extensive seizures of Afghan heroin and opium by law enforcement agencies are registered in Tajikistan (more than 1 tons of raw opium annually and over 2 tons of heroin in the same period). The Tajikistan is in direct proximity with hotbed of heroin production and distribution warehouses in particular the area of Badakshan which allows smooth smuggling operations passing practically unaffected by Tajik law enforcement efforts not referring to the wide spread corruption of the Government institutions. One of the most valuable and favourable drug traffick routes has been developed through the city of Osh in Kyrgyzstan.

The UN drug and crime report highlights the IMU control of heroin and opium supply in the Fergana Valley through Khorogh – Osh highway ( 728 kilometres of Pamir mountain motor roads ) as well as different landscape supply routes through Batken region of Kyrgyzstan where the border control lacks financial and human resources to monitor this section of the kyrgyz – tajik border. In recent years additionally to the city of Osh in Kyrgyzstan organized crime groups developed trafficking routes through neighbouring Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan despite tight border control on uzbek side. According to the assessment of the McClatchy newspapers Moscow Bureau Chief, Tom Lasseter “Afghanistan produces more than 90 percent of the world's opium, which was worth some $3.4 billion to Afghan exporters last year”. The UN experts estimated 3600 tons of opium in Afghanistan in the year of 2003 alone.

A crucial role in reliability of the drug trafficking routes through the territory of Central Asian States play several factors which include heroin - opium cargo security, the policy of the local and state government institutions in particular national security agencies and the Interior Affairs Ministry, corruption, social and economic situation.
Then recent data indicated a cost of one afghan heroin dose in Kyrgyzstan which is $ 2 USD at the time when the same dose in Tajikistan trades for $4 USD, Kazakhstan - $20 USD and Uzbekistan -$ 40 USD. The range of market prices in the region proves the assessment that Kyrgyzstan is the most favourable drug trafficking zone. Particularly it should be taken into account the role of kyrgyz drug smuggling cartels in securing the drug traffick routes. In this light kyrgyz organized crime groups achieved a goal of creating a favourable traffick conditions under which heroin prices in Kyrgyz domestic market are reflecting the real picture of demand and offer.

The Nation newspapers reporter Aram Roston in his article stated that “In Khujand, Tajikistan, when someone shows up with a new Mercedes or Audi or Jaguar, the joke on the street is that people don't ask how much money it cost. They ask how many kilos it cost.”

UN drug and crime reports notes a mutual interest in border crossings between IMU and afghan drug barons with
established a symbiotic relationship developing joint routes for their activities.
Such trafficking routes are also used to supply precursor chemicals to the
laboratories of the region, including in Afghanistan. There appears to have been a
notable increase in the precursors that have been transported to Afghanistan. In
1999, Turkmen authorities seized 15 tons of acetic anhydride,while in 2000 the
figure was approximately 83 tons.

The UN assessment further indicates that in the last few years, trafficking in firearms has received
surprisingly little attention in the region. The possible intersection with terrorism,
however, has contributed to the sensitization of the international community
towards these activities. In particular, in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, the activities
of the IMU together with a process of political and social radicalization in the Fergana Valley has helped to underscore the seriousness of the dangers posed by
trafficking in firearms.
Central Asia has been a major recipient of illegal weapons for well over a
decade. The proximity to Afghanistan has provided a plentiful source of small arms.
Until 2002, the estimate of small arms circulating in Afghanistan was about
10 million. More recent and better informed estimates have suggested that the
figure is somewhere between half a million and one and a half million small arms in
circulation, with approximately 200,000-290,000 in the hands of still active
combatants and militiamen.

The war in Tajikistan created a major demand for weapons, with different
sources supplying different factions to the conflict. According to one analyst, some
of these groups acquired weapons from the Russian military through theft,
purchases, bartering food and alcohol, or by simply disarming Russian soldiers.
Similarly, Afghanistan provided a plentiful source with a variety of weapons in
circulation.
In addition, both the Russian Federation and Uzbekistan supplied the Tajik
pro-government forces, while the opposition forces obtained weapons from
Afghanistan. Massive quantities of small arms, ranging from assault rifles to hand
grenades, were supplied from Afghanistan to the Tajik opposition. This created a
veritable arsenal in Tajikistan, which included such firearms as AK-47 and AK-74
assault rifles; SVD sniper rifles; AKM, AKMS and AKSU sub-machine guns; RPK
and PK machine guns; and RPG-2, RPG-7, RPG-18, RPG-22, SPG-7 and SPG-9
anti-tank weapons.
As a result of the large quantity of firearms in circulation, several states in the
region have become concerned about the trafficking in weapons into their territory.
Kyrgyzstan is particularly worried about weapons coming into the country from
Tajikistan. Some of these weapons move along the old Silk Road from Ishkashim
through Gorno-Badakhshan via Khorog and Murghab to Osh. Another route runs
from central Tajikistan to the Kyrgyz districts of Leilek and Batken and then to Osh
and Bishkek.

http://www.theyoungturks.com/story/...-heroin-trails-in-Kyrgyzstan-and-Central-Asia

 

[drug_mentor]

Pretty interesting article. It is amazing how in one region of a country you can get a dose for $2 and then in another it will run you $40, obviously criminal organizations are making a hell of a lot of money out of that.