SCO Anti-Drug Strategy ready for approval of SCO heads of states: Marat Tazhin

6th meeting of Security Council Secretaries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member-states completed in Astana on April 29, Tengrinews.kz reports. After signing of the final document Secretary of the Security Council of Kazakhstan Marat Tazhin told the journalists about the meeting that took place behind the closed doors. Security Council Secretaries completed preparation of the SCO Anti-Drug Strategy that will be submitted to the Heads of the SCO member-states in June in Astana. “There is one simple fact that emphasizes the important of the SCO Anti-Drug Strategy: according to experts about 90 percent of all the opiates in today’s world – this is the figure given by experts, but it can vary a little – anyway, the main part of opiates in the world originates from the territory of Afghanistan. Our counties are located in the transit zone of these drugs. A substantial part of transited drugs, unfortunately, according to estimate of a majority of experts, government bodies and law enforcement bodies, is being consumed in these transit countries. “Fighting drugs and drug-related crimes is of strategic importance for us. For this reason the Anti-Drug strategy is one of the top documents,” Marat Tazhin said. He said that the interaction between the SCO member-countries has been successful. Though joint efforts more than 240 people found involved in drug trafficking and drug-related crimes have been arrested in Kazakhstan alone this year.