SCO drugs control agencies approve strategy to counter drugs trafficking

Today in Astana Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) drugs control agencies approved a strategy to counter drugs trafficking, Tengrinews.kz reports. According to Serik Baimagambetov, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Internal Affairs, drugs-related crimes are a transborder problem calling for joint efforts of nations. He informed that SCO experts had been working to draft a counter-drugs strategy for 2011-2016 for the past two years. The sitting was attended by reps of drugs control agencies of China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, as well as reps of diplomatic missions of Iran, Pakistan and Belarus. According to the Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, in 2009-2010 Kazakhstan spent $ 260 million to combat drugs trafficking. In 2004-2008, the figure only stood at $ 29 million. In 2010, a total of 28.5 tons of drugs were confiscated, including 323 kg of heroin. 8 800 drugs-related crimes were revealed. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental mutual-security organization which was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Except for Uzbekistan, the other countries had been members of the Shanghai Five, founded in 1996; after the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001, the members renamed the organization. Kazakhstan is this year's rotating chair state of the SCO.