VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHNT #1315/01 3221055
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 171055Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0605
INFO RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 4489
RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA 0706
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 5106
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0985
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEABNE/DEA HQS WASHDC

UNCLAS TASHKENT 001315 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INL AND SCA/CEN 
JUSTICE FOR OIA, AFMLS, NDDS 
TREASURY FOR FINCEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR KCRM KJUS PGOV PREL UZ
SUBJECT: 2008 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY REPORT INCSR 
PART ONE, UZBEKISTAN 
 
REF: STATE 100992 
 
¶1. SUMMARY UZBEKISTAN: 
Uzbekistan is primarily a transit country for opiates originating in 
Afghanistan. Well-established trade routes facilitate the transit of 
these narcotics to Russia and Europe. There is a growing market for 
a variety of intravenously administered narcotics and consequently a 
growing problem with drug addiction and the spread of HIV/AIDS. 
Seizure data indicates that the smuggling of highly regulated 
prescription medications is becoming more prevalent, and cannabis 
cultivation is increasing. The Government of Uzbekistan (GOU) has 
taken some independent steps to combat the narcotics trade but still 
relies heavily on multilateral and bilateral financial and technical 
resources. Law enforcement officers seized approximately 1,704 
kilograms of illegal narcotics in the first six months of 2008 
(heroin accounted for 46 percent of seizures). Authorities also 
seized 118,940 psychotropic pills, mostly prescription medicines. 
Uzbekistan is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. END OF 
SUMMARY 
 
¶2. Status of Country 
 
While there is no significant drug production in Uzbekistan, several 
transshipment routes for opium, heroin, and hashish originate in 
Afghanistan and cross Uzbekistan for destinations in Russia and 
Europe. Seizures for the first half of 2008 increased by 54 percent 
compared to the same time period in 2007, according to official 
statistics. The GOU attributes the rise in seizures to increased 
narcotics production in Afghanistan and more effective 
counternarcotics operations by Uzbek law enforcement agencies. 
Precursor chemicals have, in the past, traveled the same 
transshipment routes in reverse on their way to laboratories in 
Afghanistan and Pakistan. Export of precursor chemicals, including 
acetic anhydride, has been controlled in Uzbekistan since 2000. In 
April 2008 Uzbek authorities interdicted 1.6 tons of acetic 
anhydride on a train that had entered Uzbekistan and was bound for 
Afghanistan. This was the first reported seizure of precursor 
chemicals since 2001 and occurred as part of the UNODC's "Operation 
Tarcet." Uzbek officials also reported seizing 320 liters of 
contraband sulphuric acid bound for Tajikistan. According to 
official statistics, no chemicals that can be used in the 
manufacture of narcotics were legally exported to Afghanistan. 
Effective government eradication programs have eliminated nearly all 
the illicit production of opium poppies in Uzbekistan. 
 
¶3. COUNTRY ACTIONS AGAINST DRUGS IN 2008 
 
¶A. POLICY INITIATIVES 
 
The United States and Uzbekistan continued limited counternarcotics 
cooperation in 2008 under the 2001 U.S.-Uzbekistan Narcotics Control 
and Law Enforcement Agreement and its amendments. These agreements 
provide for U.S. assistance to Uzbekistan, and are typically amended 
in the years following their first negotiation to increase 
assistance levels to ongoing programs, or to agree to begin new 
assistance programs. The agreements have established the framework 
to support projects designed to enhance the capability of Uzbek law 
enforcement agencies in their efforts to fight narcotics trafficking 
and organized crime. No new amendments have been signed since 2004. 
A bilateral Law Enforcement and Security Assistance Working Group 
met in November 2007 to discuss mutual interests in border security 
and counter-narcotics cooperation, which contributed to restored 
dialogue between the U.S. and Uzbekistan on these issues. The Uzbek 
criminal justice system continues to suffer from a lack of 
modernization and reform, mainly judicial and procedural reform, and 
standards remain below international norms. The Uzbek criminal 
justice system is largely inherited from the Soviet Union. The 
Executive Branch and Prosecutor General's Office are powerful 
entities, and the judiciary is not independent. The outcomes of 
court cases are usually predetermined, and conviction rates approach 
100 percent. Prosecutions often rely on coerced confessions by the 
defendants, and conviction is typical even in the absence of 
evidence. Corruption at all levels of the criminal justice system is 
rampant. However, Uzbekistan adopted new laws in 2008 which 
introduced some habeas corpus elements and strengthened the powers 
of defense attorneys.  President Karimov also issued decrees 
establishing a judicial research center and encouraging improvements 
in professional legal standards. 
 
¶B. ACCOMPLISHMENTS 
 
Uzbekistan continues to work toward the goals of the 1988 UN Drug 
Convention on combating illicit cultivation and production within 
its borders. The annual "Black Poppy" eradication campaign has been 
very successful and has virtually eliminated illicit poppy 
cultivation. As of October 2008, the annual operation has eradicated 
a very modest 1.24 hectares of drug production crops. However, 
authorities note that the aging helicopter fleet used in this 
operation is increasingly difficult to maintain. Efforts to achieve 
other convention goals are hampered by the lack of effective laws, 
programs, money, appropriate international agreement, and 
coordination among law enforcement agencies. The UN Office on Drugs 
and Crime (UNODC) is continuing its efforts to implement projects 
focusing on improvements in law enforcement, precursor chemical 
control, border security, and drug demand reduction. UNODC has also 
reported that cooperation with Uzbek law enforcement agencies is 
steadily improving, particularly with regard to prompt reporting of 
seizure data. The Government of Uzbekistan also participated in the 
successful pilot phase of the Central Asia Regional Information and 
Coordination Center (CARICC), which includes a full-time Ministry of 
Internal Affairs liaison officer at the headquarters in Almaty, 
Kazakhstan.  Uzbek authorities reported participating in a joint 
controlled delivery training exercise along with counterparts from 
Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan in October 2008 in the 
framework of the CARICC. 
 
The State Department, through the Bureau of International Narcotics 
and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), continues to provide financial 
support for several UNODC-implemented projects. 
 
¶C. LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS 
 
Preliminary statistics provided by the GOU show that in the first 
half of 2008, Uzbek law enforcement seized a total of 1,704 kgs of 
illicit drugs, a 54 percent increase from the same period last year 
Heroin accounted for 46 percent of the total, opium for 25 percent, 
cannabis 19 percent, kuknara 7 percent, and hashish three percent. 
The GOU also reported seizing 118,940 psychotropic pills in 90 
separate seizures, the vast majority of which were prescription 
medicines. During the first six months of 2007 Uzbekistan reported 
5,405 criminal cases pertaining to narcotics, including 176 arrests 
for drug smuggling and 2,931 for drug distribution.  For the first 
six months of 2008 authorities report 5,737 narcotics-related 
criminal cases, including 176 arrests for drug smuggling and 3,219 
for drug distribution.  The number of criminal cases for the first 
half of 2008 represents a six percent increase compared with the 
same period in 2007. 
 
Four agencies with separate jurisdictions have counternarcotics 
responsibilities: the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD), the 
National Security Service (NSS), the State Customs Committee and, in 
a new development in 2008, the Ministry of Defense. The MVD 
concentrates on domestic crime, the NSS (which now includes the 
Border Guards) handles international organized crime (in addition to 
its intelligence role), and Customs works at the border 
(interdiction/seizures at the border are also carried out by the 
Border Guards during their normal course of duties). Despite this 
apparently clear delineation of responsibilities, a lack of 
operational coordination diminishes the effectiveness of 
counternarcotics efforts. The National Center for Drug Control was 
designed to minimize mistrust, rivalry and duplication of effort 
among the agencies, but the Center continues to have difficulty 
accomplishing this goal. However, the National Center for Drug 
Control readily shares data with the U.S. Government and other 
international entities. 
 
In 2007, training and equipment were provided to the State Customs 
Committee under U.S.-Uzbekistan counternarcotics-related bilateral 
agreements. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) 
previously supported a Sensitive Investigation Unit (SIU) within the 
Ministry of Internal Affairs, which became operational in 2003. 
However, in March of 2007, DEA was forced to suspend its operations 
in Uzbekistan when visas for DEA personnel were not renewed. The DEA 
is anxious to return and support the GOU's counternarcotics mission. 
Despite overtures by the Government of Uzbekistan in 2008 that it 
would welcome reengagement with the DEA, a formal proposal submitted 
by the Embassy to reestablish a DEA office was turned down in July 
2008, and efforts continue to clarify the GOU's stance on DEA 
activity conducted out of Embassy Tashkent. 
 
According to National Center reports, most smuggling incidents 
involve one to two individuals, likely backed by a larger, organized 
 
group. Resource constraints have limited the GOU's ability to 
investigate these cases. In general, information that has been 
gathered suggests smuggling rings are relatively small operations. 
These rings tend to be located on the border between Uzbekistan and 
Tajikistan, where poor border controls allow group members to cross 
between the countries with relative ease. Government sources 
indicated that drug smuggling activities along the Turkmen-Uzbek 
border are not significant. Lack of training and equipment continues 
to hamper all Uzbek agencies. Basic necessities, even replacements 
for aging Soviet era equipment, remain in short supply or seem 
administratively difficult to obtain. Uzbekistan has relied heavily 
on international assistance from UNODC, the U.S., the UK, the EU, 
and others to supplement their own thinly-funded programs. 
 
In 2008 Tashkent-based UNODC officials reported a noticeable 
increase in cooperation with the GOU. In December 2007 the UNODC 
completed construction of a modern border checkpoint facility at the 
main Hayraton crossing between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan which was 
partially funded by the U.S. Government through the State 
Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement 
Affairs (INL). In June 2008 UNODC launched a project to upgrade 
security and interdiction capabilities at the Termez River Port 
linking Uzbekistan with Afghanistan, a project which is solely 
sponsored by the U.S. through INL. However, despite numerous 
statements from GOU officials affirming the grave common threat 
posed by increased narcotics production and trafficking in Central 
Asia, Uzbekistan still remained cautious about approving direct 
bilateral counternarcotics projects with the United States. 
 
In 2008 Uzbekistan participated in "Operation Typhoon," which 
successfully targeted a major Central Asian group which trafficked 
Afghan drugs to Russia.  The long-term investigation also involved 
authorities from Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan, which 
ultimately led to the leader of the organized criminal group and 
associates.  Operation Typhoon netted seizures of 880 kilos of 
heroin and 100 kilos of opium.  A total of 24 criminal cases were 
initiated and 42 active members of the group were arrested. 
Significantly, Operation Typhoon demonstrated the ability and 
willingness of Uzbek authorities to conduct a sustained 
investigative operation in collaboration with neighboring countries 
that reached beyond low-level "mules." Uzbek authorities also 
highlighted "Operation Caravan" which, in September 2008 in 
collaboration with Russia and Kazakhstan, resulted in the arrest of 
an international drug-smuggling ring that hid drugs in bags of 
garlic and transported them on buses. 
 
¶D. CORRUPTION 
 
As a matter of policy the GOU does not encourage or facilitate 
illicit production or distribution of narcotic or psychotropic drugs 
or other controlled substances. However, corruption is endemic at 
all levels of government, and the paying of bribes is an accepted 
practice. There are anecdotal accounts of drug traffickers bribing 
customs and border officials to ignore narcotics shipments. It is 
likely that some government officials are involved with narcotics 
trafficking organizations. 
 
¶E. AGREEMENTS AND TREATIES 
 
Uzbekistan is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, the 1971 UN 
Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1961 UN Single 
Convention as amended by the 1972 Protocol. Uzbekistan is also a 
party to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and 
has signed but not ratified the protocol on Migrant Smuggling. In 
July 2008 Uzbekistan adopted the UN Convention Against Corruption, 
an unexpected development which should help long-term efforts to 
increase transparency. Uzbekistan signed the Central Asian 
Counternarcotics Memorandum of Understanding with the UNODC, and in 
2006 formally agreed to the establishment of a Central Asian 
Regional Information and Coordination Center (CARICC) to coordinate 
information sharing and joint counternarcotics efforts in Central 
Asia.. A successful pilot project concluded in 2008 and has been 
extended until participating states ratify the CARICC agreement. 
Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan signed 
an agreement in September 1999 on cooperation in combating 
transnational crime, including narcotics trafficking. The five 
Central Asian countries, as well as Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, 
Pakistan, and Turkey, are members of the Economic Coordination 
Mechanism supported by the UNODC. The GOU has also signed agreements 
on increased counternarcotics cooperation in 2006 in the context of 
its membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the 
 
Collective Security Treaty Organization. However, to date, these 
agreements appear to have resulted in few tangible results. 
 
¶F. CULTIVATION/PRODUCTION 
 
The annual "Operation Black Poppy" has all but eliminated illicit 
opium poppy cultivation in Uzbekistan. Authorities log between 
600-800 hours of flying time in the course of the annual operation. 
Authorities report that in 2008 the first phase of Operation Black 
Poppy involved 875 search details involving 368 canines that yielded 
805 instances of illegal drug cultivation. A total area of 1.24 
hectares of cultivated crops were eradicated. 
 
¶G. DRUG FLOW/TRANSIT 
 
Several major transnational trade routes facilitate the 
transportation of opiates and cannabis from Afghanistan through 
Uzbekistan to Russia and Europe. The border crossing point at Termez 
remains a point of concern as, in the past narcotics have been 
discovered in trucks returning to Uzbekistan after delivering 
humanitarian aid into Afghanistan, as well as on trains coming from 
Tajikistan. However, a UNODC-implemented border security project at 
the road and rail crossing has resulted in improved control over the 
border crossing with Afghanistan, and a new INL-funded UNODC project 
will focus on improving the control regime at the river port. While 
humanitarian aid and other cargo crossing the border from Uzbekistan 
to Afghanistan has dropped since 2004, Uzbek authorities report that 
approximately 1,000 containers cross from Uzbekistan to Afghanistan 
daily via railroad. The contents are generally not searched, and 
Uzbeks have requested scanning equipment to help ensure that 
contraband, including precursor chemicals, do not reach Afghanistan. 
The National Center and UNODC report that trafficking also continues 
along traditional smuggling routes and by conventional methods, 
mainly from Afghanistan into Surkhandarya Province and from 
Afghanistan via Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic into Uzbekistan. 
The primary regions in Uzbekistan for the transit of drugs are 
Tashkent, Termez, the Fergana Valley, Samarkand and Syrdarya. 
 
¶H. DOMESTIC PROGRAMS 
 
According to the National Drug Control Center, as of the end of 2007 
there were approximately 21,777 registered drug addicts in 
Uzbekistan, of which. eighty-five percent were heroin users. In 
contrast with the official statistics, the Ministry of Internal 
Affairs estimates there are 35,000 drug addicts in Uzbekistan. 
However, observers in the international community believe the 
official number of registered addicts is believed to reflect only 
10-15 percent of the actual drug addicts in Uzbekistan. A UNODC 
study estimated that there are more than 130,000 opiate drug users 
in Uzbekistan. Over the last few years, there has been an alarming 
growth in the number of persons who are HIV positive, and Uzbek 
officials say the problem is getting worse. There were 849 new HIV 
cases registered in the first half of 2008, of which 231 (27 
percent) were injecting drug addicts, according to official GOU 
statistics. Approximately half of the 15,000-100,000 people infected 
with HIV are between the ages of 25 and 34. 
Hospitals with drug dependency recovery programs are inadequate to 
meet the increasing need for detox and treatment. The Ministry of 
Health and National Drug Control Center have recognized the need to 
focus increased attention on the drug problem, but do not have 
sufficient funds to do so adequately. Drug awareness programs are 
administered in cooperation with NGOs, schools, women and youth 
groups, religious organizations, national radio, and the mahalla 
(neighborhood) support system. In 2008 the GOU broadcast 129 TV and 
304 radio broadcasts to raise awareness about the dangers of drug 
use, and 232 newspaper articles were published. In 2007 UNODC 
completed an INL-funded drug demand reduction project that 
demonstrated increased drug abuse awareness among school children. 
Additional INL funds were provided to UNODC in 2008 which will be 
used for a follow-up drug demand reduction project.  A USAID drug 
demand reduction project which focused on key points along drug 
trafficking routes to prevent at-risk young people from becoming 
injecting drug users ended in 2008; some of the activities are 
continuing under the auspices of local NGOs or health facilities. 
 
¶4. U.S. POLICY INITIATIVES AND PROGRAMS 
 
¶A. BILATERAL COOPERATION 
 
U.S.-Uzbek bilateral counternarcotics assistance focuses on the 
prevention of illicit drug activities in and through Uzbekistan, and 
 
the need to increase the capacity of Uzbek law enforcement agencies 
to combat these activities. This assistance is most often provided 
in the form of technical assistance, training, and limited equipment 
donations. Since early 2005, the GOU has significantly slowed the 
pace of bilateral cooperation with the United States. The government 
continues to accept some operational training conducted in 
Uzbekistan or third countries as well as equipment donations. In 
spite of the GOU's continuing hesitance to engage in U.S.-sponsored 
programs in a variety of areas, including counternarcotics, eight 
mid-level officers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the 
National Security Service participated in an eight-week training 
program at the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in 
Budapest, Hungary from August - October 2008.This was the first time 
Uzbekistan officers attended training at ILEA since 2005, although 
the GOU only agreed to send half the number of officers for which 
invitations were extended.  An INL-funded drug demand reduction 
project administered by UNODC will begin in late 2008, which will 
build on a previously completed project to raise awareness about the 
dangers of drug use among schoolchildren. 
The State Department's Bureau of Export and Related Border Security 
(EXBS) modestly increased its activities in Uzbekistan in 2008 as 
the political relationship improved. The Embassy delivered ten 
radioisotope identification devices to the Higher Military Customs 
Institute in June 2008. Several officials from various parts of the 
Government of Uzbekistan participated in an export control training 
workshop in Washington, DC in September 2008. A mobile x-ray van 
previously delivered to Customs was repaired with EXBS funds and 
cooperation from the Government of Kazakhstan in August 2008. 
 
The Department of Defense increased counternarcotics activities with 
the GOU during 2008,following reengagement between Central Command 
(CENTCOM), the Ministry of Defense, and the National Center for Drug 
Control. In previous years Ministry of Defense officials stated that 
counter-narcotics was not in its competency; however, a July 2008 
diplomatic note from the GOU confirmed that the Ministry of Defense 
was ready to join CENTCOM's counter-narcotics program. GOU officials 
participated in DOD-sponsored counternarcotics events in FY 2008, 
including Marshall Center counternarcotics programs and other 
military-to-military training events concerning counternarcotics. 
Former CENTCOM Commander Admiral William Fallon and his successor, 
General Martin Dempsey, both raised the importance of 
counter-narcotics cooperation during separate visits to Uzbekistan 
in January 2008 and August 2008, respectively. 
 
¶B. THE ROAD AHEAD 
 
The U.S. remains committed to supporting appropriate Uzbek agencies 
to improve narcotics detection and drug interdiction capabilities. 
However, the effectiveness of U.S. assistance programs depends on 
the willingness of the Government of Uzbekistan to participate in 
these efforts. 
 
¶5.  DATA TABLES 
 
Drug seizure statistics for the first six months of 2007 and the 
same period in 2008: 
 
    2007   2008 
Heroin (kg)  151.2  771.4 
Opium (kg)  587.2  432.5 
Cannabis (kg)  196.4  324.8 
Hashish (kg)  52.7   55.8 
Opium Poppy Straw 116.4  120.0 
Psychotropic Pills 2,622  118,940 
 
 
 
NORLAND