Drug-related crimes on the increase in Russia’s Karachay-Cherkessia

KARACHAY-CHERKESSIA, 2 February, Caucasus Times – In 2005, as part of preventive measures, the Karachay-Cherkess department of the Russian Federal Drugs Control Service seized and destroyed 223 tonnes of wild-growing hemp, head of the department Anatoliy Korolev told a press conference on Wednesday [1 February].

He also said that an analysis of crimes related to the trade in narcotic and psychotropic substances in the Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia testified to a growth in the number of drug-related crimes.

“The number of drug-related crimes committed on a large and especially large scale has increased by 65 per cent. Seventy-five per cent of them are serious and especially serious crimes. The growing crime rate is observed almost in all the districts of the republic and more than half of the overall number of drug-related crimes were registered in the republic’s
capital,” Korolev said.

He pointed out that last year the drug police seized about 40 kilograms of various narcotic and psychotropic substances. At the same time, 519 people were brought to book for being in public places in a state of narcotic intoxication.

“Thirty-four people were removed from the books at the drug centre last year because they died. The main causes of their death were poisoning, drug overdose, murder and suicide. The average age of the dead drug addicts was 20-25,” Korolev said.

In all, about 300 drug-related crimes were uncovered in the republic last year. Of these, 200 were serious and especially serious crimes related to illegal drug trade. Thirty-six cases were related to illegal drug dens.

Caucasus Times

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