Azernews.Az

Azerbaijani law enforcers have stepped up efforts in combating the spread of drugs in recent years, an official of the UN Baku office says.
Head of the UN office department for work with law enforcement agencies, Mazahir Afandiyev, said the Ministries of National Security and Internal Affairs, the State Border Service and the State Customs Committee have outlined outstanding steps to fight drug trafficking. 2,309 and 2,376 related crimes were registered in 2006 and 2007 respectively. 2,141 individuals were held criminally accountable for such offenses last year.
The annual disclosure rate on drug-related crimes has been stable in the past years, amounting to 94.4%, Afandiyev told a presentation dedicated to the Southern Caucasus Anti-Drug (SCAD) Regional Program.
In 2007, 1.15 tons of various narcotics were impounded, a considerable increase compared to previous years. "This indicates that law enforcement agencies have toughened steps in fighting drugs in the past five years."
Among government agencies, the National Security Ministry confiscated the most drugs last year - 496 kg.
Afandiyev went on to say that the share of drugs impounded from foreign citizens in Azerbaijan increased in 2007. Whereas 64 kg were confiscated from 53 expatriates in 2006, 92 kg were impounded from 49 foreign nationals the following year. The arraigned foreigners included citizens of Iran, African states, Ukraine, Turkey, Georgia and Russia. Traffickers mostly attempted to smuggle drugs through Azerbaijan's southern border.
The fifth phase of the SCAD Program was presented by the European Union, UN Development Program (UNDP) and the Azerbaijani government on Tuesday.
The phase has five components all focusing on EU good practices on drugs: drug information and epidemiology; legal assistance; treatment and rehabilitation of drug users; public awareness campaigns with NGOs, educators and the media; and regional cooperation in law enforcement.
UN Resident Coordinator Bruno Pouezat said in his remarks that the government's support was one of the most important factors in combating drugs. These steps should be envisioned by the national legislation, along with enlightenment efforts.
"Awareness activities should be carried out in educational institutions and rehabilitation centers set up," Pouezat said.
Mazahir Afandiyev, who also acts as SCAD Country Manager, said drug addiction was widely spread among Azerbaijani schoolchildren. Research has also revealed that the crime rate among youths is rising by the year.
"The Azerbaijani government has allocated ample funds for awareness activities in the past five years, but these activities have yet to yield results. This means that a new incentive should be given to enlightenment efforts," Afandiyev said.
There are currently 21,180 drug addicts in Azerbaijan, including 374 women and 32 children, according to official figures.
SCAD has been implemented since 2001. A total of $1.815 million has been spent on the program so far.
Funded by the European Commission, SCAD is implemented by UNDP in the three republics of the Southern Caucasus in cooperation with the national authorities. The program aims to contribute to reducing drug trafficking as well as drug demand and drug abuse.