2009 PRESS RELEASES
2009 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report - Tajikistan
I. Summary
Tajikistan is not a producer of illicit narcotics, but it is a major transit country together with Pakistan and Iran for heroin and opium from Afghanistan. The Republic of Tajikistan has emerged as a frontline state in the war on drugs and is suffering from the boom in Afghan drug production. The Republic of Tajikistan is also a major center for domestic and international drug trafficking organizations. A significant amount of opium/heroin is trafficked, primarily using land-based routes, through Tajikistan, onward through Central Asia to Russia and Europe. Approximately 40 percent reaches Russia; 30 percent goes to Europe; and there is evidence of trafficking in Afghan opiates to and through China. Chinese border police and the Tajik Drug Control Agency conducted a joint study of the drug flow of Afghan opiates from Tajikistan to China in October 2007. They estimated that approximately five percent of Afghan opiates entering Tajikistan exit to China, three percent go to the United States, three percent through Africa to South America with the remainder going to Russia and Europe.
The Tajik Government is committed to fighting narcotics; however, corruption within the Tajik government continues to limit the effectiveness of counternarcotics efforts. Corrupt officials at all levels thwart law enforcement efforts as officers strive to move drug investigations up the chain of organized criminal groups. So far, no anti-corruption efforts by the Government of Tajikistan have had a significant impact on the corruption problem.
The Government of Tajikistan continues to implement counternarcotics activities, which the UNODC states yield more seizures than all other Central Asian states combined. While effectiveness is agency specific, Tajikistan's law enforcement and security services coordinate activities with all major donors and surrounding countries. Tajik law enforcement continues to make arrests and seizures for mid- to low-level cases and there has been increased cooperation between Russia, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Tajikistan focusing on narcotics smuggling rings. Cooperation between Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and, most importantly, Afghanistan is increasing among counter-narcotics agencies.
Tajikistan is ill-equipped to handle the myriad social problems that stem from narcotics trade and abuse. Tajikistan's medical infrastructure is inadequate to address the population’s growing need for addiction treatment and rehabilitation. Still, Tajikistan is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, as well as the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC).
II Status of the Country
Geography and economics make Tajikistan an attractive transit route for illegal narcotics. The Pyanj River (Amu Darya in Afghanistan) which forms most of Tajikistan’s border with Afghanistan is thinly guarded and difficult to patrol. Traffickers can easily cross the border at numerous points without inspection due to the lack of adequate border control.
Tajikistan’s non-criminal economic opportunities are limited by a lack of domestic infrastructure and complicated by the fact that its major export routes transit neighboring Uzbekistan. A new U.S.-built bridge provides a new route for trade through Afghanistan to the south. In the past, Uzbekistan closed and mined a significant portion of its border to combat a "perceived instability" from Tajikistan, although borders have generally remained open for the last three years.
Criminal networks that came to prominence during the 1992-97 Tajik civil war, continued instability in Afghanistan, rampant corruption, low salaries, a poorly trained legal cadre and dysfunctional legal system, and inadequate funding to support law enforcement all hamper efforts to combat illegal narcotics flows. With a $40 average monthly income, high unemployment, poor job prospects, and massive economic migration to Russia, the temptation to become involved in lucrative narcotics-related transactions for those remaining in Tajikistan remains high.
In-country cultivation of narcotics crops is minimal. However, the Government of Tajikistan said that it is investigating the possible existence of small mobile Afghan opiate processing labs in the southern border area in Shurabad district near Yol and Sarigor, and in the east near Khorog in Gorno-Badakhshan.
III. Country Actions against Drugs in 2008
Policy Initiatives. In his annual speech to Parliament on April 25, President Rahmon called for the transfer by 2010 of the power to issue preliminary arrest warrants from the prosecutors to the courts. The transfer of powers to issue arrest warrants is one of the key elements of ongoing reform of Tajikistan's Criminal Procedure Code. President Rahmon ordered a new draft Code to be submitted for consideration to Parliament in 2008. While vesting the courts with greater oversight of criminal prosecutions would be an important development, a great deal of work will be required to improve the fairness, efficiency, and effectiveness of the criminal justice system. Passed in early 2008, the "Law on the Human Rights Commissioner" established an ombudsman who would independently review human rights claims against government officials. The law lacked some provisions that observers hoped would safeguard the Commissioner’s independence. At the time of this report’s publication, a Human Rights Commissioner had not yet been appointed.
In 2008 President Rahmon sent for ratification to the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) an agreement between Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan on the establishment the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Center (CARICC) for combating illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, and precursors. UNODC launched the Center to counter illicit drug trafficking. The Center has liaison officers seconded from member states whose role is to ensure cooperation between CARICC and the competent authorities in the respective country.
Law Enforcement Efforts. The data below shows the narcotics seizures by law enforcement and security services during the first 9 months of 2008 compared with the same period of 2007:
Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD):
Heroin (kg): 2007: 792. 2008: 751
Opium (kg): 2007: 1002. 2008: 411
Cannabis (kg): 2007: 347. 2008: 821
Total MVD (kg) 2007: 2141. 2008: 1983
MVD 2007 percentage change 2008: -7.4 percent.
Drug Control Agency (DCA):
Heroin (kg): 2007: 278. 2008: 307
Opium (kg): 2007: 329. 2008: 487
Cannabis (kg): 2007: 309. 2008: 358
Total DCA (kg) 2007: 916. 2008: 1152
Total DCA (kg) 2007: 916. 2008: 1152
DCA 2007 percentage change 2008: +25.8 percent
Border Guards (BG):
Heroin (kg): 2007: 82. 2008: 111
Opium (kg): 2007: 471. 2008: 241
Cannabis (kg): 2007: 276. 2008: 649
Total BG (kg) 2007: 829. 2008: 1001
BG 2007 percentage change 2008: +20.7 percent.
Committee for National Security (KNB):
Heroin (kg): 2007: 100. 2008: 200
Opium (kg): 2007: 397. 2008: 468
Cannabis (kg): 2007: 102. 2008: 121
Total KNB (kg) 2007: 599. 2008: 789
KNB 2007 percentage change 2008: +31.7 percent.
Customs Service (CS):
Heroin (kg): 2007: 36. 2008: 81
Opium (kg): 2007: 0. 2008: 01
Cannabis (kg): 2007: .026. 2008: 9
Total CS (kg) 2007: 36. 2008: 90
CS 2007 percentage change 2008: +149.8 percent.
Total-All Agencies:
Heroin (kg): 2007: 1280. 2008: 1450
Opium (kg): 2007: 2199. 2008: 1607
Cannabis (kg): 2007: 1034. 2008: 1958
Total (kg) 2007: 4521. 2008: 5015
All Agencies 2007 percentage change 2008: +11 percent.
According to the UNODC, in 2008 Tajikistan accounts for approximately 50 percent of Central Asia heroin and opium seizures. Although drug seizures are significant, the lack of a conspiracy law severely limits law enforcement's ability to target upper echelon drug traffickers. Corruption continues to hinder law enforcement investigations, and as in previous years major narcotics traffickers are not apprehended and brought to trial. Such a move would require the full backing of the Presidential Administration and the possible prosecution of government officials charged with narco-related corruption. The United States continues to advocate with the Tajik government to encourage official focus on investigations and prosecutions, rather than just seizures and arrests.
The State Committee on National Security on January 31st, 2008 in Qubodiyon district of Khatlon carried out the largest single drug seizure in 2008. Officers seized a total of 400 kg of drugs including 73 kg of heroin. Law enforcement officers arrested eight people including four Border Guard Officers. The courts sentenced the Border Guards to jail terms of 16-19 years and gave 15-16-year terms to the other traffickers. Another long sentence was awarded to three foreign nationals from Uganda, the Philippines and Afghanistan after an investigation linked them to a single criminal drug trafficking incident.
The Drug Control Agency is one of the most effective and active enforcement and intelligence agencies in Tajikistan. In the first nine months of this year they seized over 1152 kilos of illicit drugs. Agency operations are unique in their ability to collaborate effectively with other government agencies and regional and international law enforcement institutions. The Agency participated in thirty-seven joint operations with the Russian Federation, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, and Afghanistan. These operations were successful, giving rise to information which helped Afghan forces to destroy four drug laboratories in Afghanistan and to seize large amounts of drugs and weapons.
As a means to encourage more cooperative enforcement activity, the USG is actively working with law enforcement bodies to develop and use joint operational intelligence strategies. These initiatives include the development of a Joint Intelligence Center and a Field Intelligence Center. The Joint Center is intended to improve the capacity of law enforcement officials to work jointly in detecting, investigating, apprehending, and prosecuting criminals and terrorists. This strategy complements the United States' ongoing efforts to upgrade database software utilized in the analytical centers to organize and better track complex criminal investigations.
The Border Guards which are the first line of defense against contraband trafficking along the Tajik-Afghan border were more successful in seizing drugs in 2008 than in 2007. They seized 1001 kg of drugs during the first nine months of 2008, which is a 17 percent increase over the same period last year. Shurabad region, on Tajikistan's southeastern border with Afghanistan, is considered to be the main entry route for Afghan drugs. It is also the region which experiences the highest incidence of violence targeting Border Guards. Fifteen skirmishes were reported in 2008, with casualties reported to both Border Guards and traffickers. The Border Guards' lower ranks are young, poorly paid conscripted soldiers, and very susceptible to corruption. Statistical information on border activity continues to be difficult to obtain since the Border Guards were placed administratively under the direction of the State Committee for National Security.
On the whole, Tajik law enforcement and security ministries are becoming more proactive and technically competent in dealing with border smuggling and organized crime although poor funding and corruption limit their effectiveness.
Corruption. As a matter of policy, the Tajik Government does not encourage or facilitate illicit production or distribution of narcotic or psychotropic drugs or other controlled substances and has continued to seek international support in augmenting its efforts to combat narcotics trafficking. It is impossible to determine authoritatively just how pervasive drug-related corruption and other forms of corruption are within government circles. However, there is certainly a striking discrepancy between the extravagant lifestyles of some senior officials and their nominal government salaries. Even when arrests are made for narcotics trafficking, the resulting cases are not always brought to a satisfactory conclusion. There have been some arrests of Border Guard and Customs officers in the past by the Drug Control Agency, Ministry of Interior, and State Anti-Corruption Agency; however, these are low level officers, and investigations rarely proceed beyond indictment of the courier and foot soldiers involved.
In 2006 Tajikistan ratified the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). In 2007, the President created the State Financial Control and Anti-corruption Agency, which reports to the President’s office. The Agency has not conducted any investigations of high value targets. The Ministry of Justice and the Prosecutor General’s Office remain major obstacles to improving many law enforcement efforts. As corruption continues to be the single largest obstacle to reform, the United States is looking at ways to engage law enforcement and support rule of law programs with a more grass-roots approach to promoting public action and involvement in supporting anti-corruption and community-based rule of law initiatives.
Law enforcement units of the Anti Corruption Agency discovered 693 corruption-based crimes in the first nine month of 2008: 244 of them were felonies, 142 were connected to bribery, and 121 were committed by government employees. Authorities accused employees of the courts and law enforcement agencies including officers from the Drug Control Agency and the Ministry of Defense of 132 corruption-based crimes. The Anti Corruption Agency investigated 232 cases and 208 of them were sent to the court for further proceedings.
The State Financial Control and Anti-Corruption Agency conducted 792 financial audits of government entities for the period conducted 792 financial audits of government entities for the period January-October, 2008. Auditors discovered theft or misappropriation of $31 million from the country's budget; almost $10 million was returned. 983 officials received disciplinary punishment and 43 were released.
Agreements and Treaties. Tajikistan is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, the 1961 UN Single Convention as amended by the 1972 Protocol, and the 1972 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Tajikistan is also a party to the e UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its protocols against migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons.
Cultivation/Production. According to media reports in 2008 poppies and marijuana are cultivated in very limited amounts in various parts of the country. The Drug Control Agency does not consider Tajikistan a narcotics production country. The two largest cultivations were found by the Tajik police in Sughd region, along the Tajik-Kyrgyz and Tajik-Uzbek borders and in districts of the remote Badakhshan province. Officers found a total of 85,000 bushes of wild marijuana and destroyed them as part of the "Poppy-2008" operations in 2008. There were no laboratories found or reported in Tajikistan.
Drug Flow/Transit. Tajikistan is an important transit route for the Afghanistan drug trade. Estimates suggest that between 15 percent and 30 percent of Afghanistan drugs pass through Tajikistan destined for Russia, China, and Europe. Although the volume has likely increased, because of higher Afghan production, the estimated percentage has remained relatively stable. Hashish from Afghanistan also transits Tajikistan en route to Russian and European markets. This year there has been a marked 89 percent increase in the quantities seized in Tajikistan. An undetermined quantity of Afghan opiate traffic is crossing into Tajikistan, transiting through the eastern Badakhshan region and entering western China. Lack of verifiable intelligence and actual seizures in that region make it difficult to assess the amount of this traffic. The remoteness of the Badakhshan region and limited law enforcement capacity continue to offer challenges to enforcement and deterrence on one hand while offering opportunities to traffickers on the other.
It is estimated, but not verified, that precursor chemicals used in Afghan heroin production are coming from western China to Afghanistan via the eastern Tajikistan route. With U.S. and other donor assistance Tajikistan authorities are addressing this region more aggressively, strengthening their enforcement profiles and developing their intelligence structures. In particular the USG has been working to develop integrated intelligence capacity and to encourage joint operational strategies.
Domestic Programs/Demand Reduction. Drug addiction in Tajikistan is increasing yearly and school-age children from all regions have relatively easy access to illegal narcotics. The Government of Tajikistan's resources to address both the user and transit problems are limited. Unofficial United Nations statistics estimate about 119 registered drug users per 100,000 people in Tajikistan, with heroin the overwhelming drug of choice in all regions in the country. Unregistered drug users, included in this estimate, cause the figure to be higher.
According to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Tajikistan, in the first half of 2008, 8,732 drug addicts have been registered by health centers (7,791 in 2006, 8,117 in 2007). Most registered drug addicts are found in the capital Dushanbe (47 percent) and Sogd Region (19 percent). Drug-related problems, including crime and HIV infection, have begun to take their toll on Tajik society. The U.S. Embassy conducts drug demand reduction projects to address the increasing consumption. Jointly with the Tajik Karate-do Federation the U.S. embassy, co-sponsored an International Karate-do Tournament under the slogan "Strike a Blow Against Narcotics" to advocate a healthy lifestyle for Tajik youth. This program aims to stop drug addiction by bringing drug demand reduction information to young people in their schools. The program complements other U.S. counter-narcotics initiatives aimed at improvements in traditional narcotics interdiction and law enforcement institution-building. The project targets high school students in Dushanbe, Khujand and Khatlon to promote a healthy and drug-free lifestyle through peer-to-peer interaction.
The Drug Control Agency continued to expand and develop its initiatives to increase drug awareness during the reporting period, primarily among school children. The Tajik government funded the "Decrease of Demand for Drugs in Tajikistan" project which supports a rehabilitation center for drug users in Badakhshan. Under the project the government also constructed a sports complex in Khorog to provide healthy alternatives to young people. The Drug Control Agency organized 801 programs including 281 anti-drug publications, 274 TV programs, 268 meetings, seminars, round table discussions, and 69 sport activities. In April and July of 2008 the Prime-Minister of Tajikistan chaired sessions in Dushanbe to organize programs to prevent drug use in Tajikistan. Other leaders conducted similar sessions in all the regions of Tajikistan.
IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs
Bilateral Cooperation. The U.S.-Tajik bilateral relationship in counter-narcotics and law enforcement is sound. Cooperation in reform of the justice sector has just begun, but has already led to an invitation to assist in reform of the process for selection and training of judges. However, international donor assistance for rewriting the Criminal Procedures Code resulted in bureaucracy and obstruction by Tajik officials with no assistance ever accepted. The counter-narcotics office in the U.S. Embassy in Tajikistan is headed by a full-time International Narcotics and Law Enforcement officer. He is assisted by a Senior Law Enforcement Advisor, Rule of Law Attorney Assistant, Program Managers for Border Security and Policing, and a Construction Engineer. The embassy funds the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime as an implementer for support to the Drug Control Agency. The International Organization for Migration is the implementer of the INL-funded Trafficking in Persons programs; American Bar Association implements the rule of law programs, and local non-governmental organizations implement justice sector programs.
The United States has been supporting the Drug Control Agency (DCA) for nine years and is hoping to prepare the agency for full self-sufficiency, but this will require budget commitment by Tajik authorities. The Dushanbe Office of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime facilitates cross border cooperation between drug agencies in Kyrgyz Republic and Afghanistan. The DEA Dushanbe Country Office engages the Drug Control Agency and the Ministry of Internal Affairs Department on counter-narcotics by assisting in international counter-narcotics cases and mentoring Agency officers to improve operational skills.
U.S. security assistance to Tajikistan continues to expand with additional resources coming from the Department of Defense and other sources. The Office of Defense Cooperation manages Central Command's counter narcotics program to develop the Government of Tajikistan’s capacity to limit narcotics trafficking along its porous border with Afghanistan through projects that promote interagency cooperation; improve mobility, communications, and support of guards stationed at isolated outposts by the Drug Control Agency and the Border and Customs Services; and professionalize the Government's approach to counternarcotics. The Office has implemented a major communications project that links all border posts and border guard headquarters. Next steps include expanding the system to link law enforcement/security agencies in Tajikistan and connect to the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Centre in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The purpose of the Center is to improve information flow and operational intelligence across Central Asian borders to better combat the increase of transnational organized crime networks in the region.
The Departments of Defense and State renovate border outposts; provide training, and operational and investigative equipment to various law enforcement and security-related government agencies. The embassy's Border and Law Enforcement Working Group (BLEWG) coordinates all USG assistance on counternarcotics and border assistance. Donor countries and organizations coordinate provision of assistance through the Border Security Working Group that meets monthly. Cooperation with the Border Guards is bureaucratic and slow. Lack of transparency, insufficient staffing, and regular leadership changes within the Border Guards delay project implementation and require more donor oversight and direct implementation. The US continues to assist the Ministry of Internal Affairs by renovating the Ministry's Training Academy, reforming curriculum, and improving teaching methodology.
The Road Ahead. The United States remains committed to working with the Tajik Government to increase its law enforcement and counternarcotics capabilities. The United States will continue to focus on building basic capacity of the major law enforcement agencies, in particular the Ministry of Interior and the Border Guards; to expand mid-level management and leadership training to these entities; and to continue to push for meaningful anti-corruption efforts throughout the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration will provide more sophisticated operational training and mentoring of the Drug Control Agency. A greater emphasis on recruiting and developing a network of reliable sources will enable the Drug Control Agency and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to initiate cases against major trafficking organizations operating regionally and internationally.
The United States will also sustain the justice sector reform program and coordinate with other donors and international organizations during planned training of prosecutors, judges, and defense attorneys. A major goal of the INL-funded rule of law program, a subset of the justice sector program, is to strengthen Tajikistan's ability to investigate and prosecute major drug traffickers and organized crime syndicates as well as improve and reform judicial sector training. In order to achieve this goal in light of existing corruption and transparency issues within the government, the United States will increase its emphasis on anti-corruption, public outreach, ethics, and education efforts. The culture of corruption fueled by the huge amount of drugs passing through the country poses a significant threat to Tajikistan’s stability and prosperity. The embassy will focus on anti-corruption campaigns within existing counter-narcotics, policing, and border security programs. To combat the ever increasing drug consumption, the U.S. will sustain drug demand reduction programs especially using the peer-to-peer principle. To improve regional cooperation to address common problems and threats, the United States will coordinate closely with other donor countries and international organizations to organize and implement as many Afghan-Tajik joint training courses as possible.
http://www.state.gov/p/inl/rls/nrcrpt/2009/vol1/116525.htm