From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Thu Nov 18 2004 - 09:13:09 EST
Paper looks at "worrying" drugs situation in Kazakh south
Text of report entitled "Entries to 'drug gardens' in Chu Valley are
being mined" published by Kazakh newspaper Ekspress-K on 29 October; all
ellipsis as published
Deputy Prosecutor-General Abdurashit Zhukenov told journalists yesterday
[28 October] the addresses of places in the capital, where the drugs
trade is being conducted openly. Then, he suggested that we conduct our
own investigation. Apparently, the police officers from the department
on the fight against the drugs trade are tired of their own work\...
The situation is very funny. It turns out that the Prosecutor-General's
Office has more accurate information on drug selling in Astana than the
police officers do. If this is the case, then why these places still
functioning? It is also impossible to understand why the Deputy
Prosecutor-General did not share these "secrets" with the head of the
Kazakh Internal Ministry's committee on the fight against drug
trafficking, Anatoliy Vyborov? After all, conducting similar
investigations and shutting down such "trade" outlets not for a month,
but forever, is his responsibility. I hope that Mr Vyborov, who
participated in yesterday's meeting, nevertheless wrote down these
addresses. He thus saved us, journalists, from this risky job\...
However, on the other hand, one can also understand the committee's
chairman. The staff of his subdivision comprises only 630 men. And this
staff has to cover the whole country, which, slowly but surely, is being
buried in drugs. According to Mr Vyborov, the situation in the country
regarding the consumption and growing of cannabis is getting out of
control "thanks" to those officials who saw no threat in the "grass".
And teenagers were quick to catch on that hashish is a "light" narcotic,
you can have a smoke and easily "quit" smoking. But often all you have
to do is to start, and than it leads straight to heroin or synthetic
drugs.
"The situation in Chu Valley [southern Zhambyl Region] is worrying. More
and more of its residents are becoming drawn into the drugs business.
Moreover, all the signs of organized activity by drug rings, to the
extent of the separation of functional obligations are on hand. Local
groupings are growing stronger. They seem to be always armed and they
give an armed repulse. Even entrances to drugs labs are being mined!"
says Anatoliy Vyborov.
Where these very mines are coming from is also something to dwell upon.
During the seminar Anatoliy Vyborov, also spoke about other problems
connected with the work of the regional subdivisions of the internal
affairs' bodies. Because of the faults at work, the heads of the
departments on the fight against drug trafficking in Zhambyl [southern
Kazakhstan] and Karaganda [central Kazakhstan] regions were relieved of
their posts. Some 14 police officers are being brought to criminal
responsibility for their involvement in the drugs trade.
In spite of everything, over the past three months only 15 tons of drugs
and 34 tons of precursors were seized and removed from illegal
circulation. During Operation "Dope", 243 people, including 11 medical
workers, were brought to criminal responsibility for violations in the
field of the legal circulation of narcotics.
Source: Ekspress-K newspaper, in Russian, on 29 Oct 04 p2
BBC Mon CAU 171104 km/td
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