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INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
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RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 3917
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RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000190 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, INL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR KCRM PGOV SOCI TX IR
SUBJECT:  TURKMENISTAN: WOMEN INCREASINGLY INVOLVED IN 
DRUG TRADE 
 
ASHGABAT 00000190  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public 
Internet. 
 
¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY:  The Chief of the State Counter 
Narcotics Service (SCNS) reported at the February 5 
session of the Cabinet of Ministers that two Ashgabat 
women had been arrested for heroin smuggling.  No 
other details regarding the women's background or 
activities were provided in news reports of the 
incident.  During one broadcast, the two women were 
shown, in tears, publicly admitting guilt and asking 
for the president's forgiveness.  At the cabinet 
meeting, President Berdimuhamedov expressed "deep 
concern" over the increasing number of women involved 
in the drug trade and stressed that there was "no 
place for drug traffickers in Turkmen society."  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶3. (SBU) At the February 5 session of the Cabinet of 
Ministers, the Chief of the State Counter Narcotics 
Service (SCNS), Colonel Aman Garayev, reported that 
two female residents of Ashgabat, Gulshirin Meredova, 
age 28, and Bahargul Yagshyeva, 35, had been arrested 
for trafficking and distributing narcotics.  Yagshyeva 
is reportedly married with one son, and Meredova is 
single.  Both were in the business of importing goods 
from Iran, Turkey, and Dubai.  As was shown in 
television news reports of the incident, the women had 
attempted to transport brown heroin packed in a nylon 
sports bag that had been placed in the center of a 
rolled up curtain.  Also confiscated was a large 
amount of cash in Turkmen manats and U.S. dollars, as 
well as scales and weights. 
 
¶4. (SBU) As is customary in arrests that are made 
public, no details were provided about how the 
operation was conducted, the amount of heroin seized, 
the location of their arrest, or the existence of 
accomplices.  Instead, both women were shown standing 
against a wall, crying and begging for the president's 
forgiveness.  Both publicly admitted their guilt and 
promised to never again be involved with drugs. 
Yagshyeva, in her statement, was heard to say, "... I 
am guilty before my parents and relatives, everybody, 
and our people.  I got involved in this illicit 
business because I was spoiled.  I am a disgrace as a 
mother and I have destroyed my life."  Meredova then 
confessed "... I repent for getting involved in this 
illicit business as a woman... I promise I will never 
ever do it again.  Now, I have lost face among 
people..." 
 
¶5. (SBU) According a police contact, slightly less 
than two kilograms of heroin were seized from the 
women as they attempted to re-enter Turkmenistan from 
Iran.  Reportedly, all of the goods they had with them 
were also confiscated, together with several thousand 
dollars worth of cash in Turkmen manats and U.S. 
dollars.  This was reportedly not the first time that 
the women had imported heroin to Turkmenistan.  They 
had allegedly smuggled drugs into the country from 
Iran several times during the past year and had 
managed to elude detection.  It is unclear whether 
customs officials had previously been involved and or 
who had supplied the drugs to them. 
 
¶6. (SBU) President Berdimuhamedov referred to the 
arrests during the cabinet session, and said "... the 
fight against drugs should be consistent and 
 
ASHGABAT 00000190  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
uncompromising. The point here is not about my or 
somebody else's personal view on this issue.  It is 
much deeper, as it is about [preserving] the fabric of 
our nation.  ... We started the war against drugs by 
taking administrative measures and established a 
government agency to combat narcotics.  If necessary, 
we will establish yet another agency to work in this 
direction..."  Underlining the need to take effective 
measures against drugs, the president then focused on 
the fact that women appear to comprise the majority of 
drug traffickers. 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  A highlight of the president's speech was 
when he announced to provincial governors, mayors and 
heads of public organizations that "In the villages 
and cities, you are called upon to conduct public 
events with the participation of elders and other 
respected people in society and wage a decisive battle 
against drug addicts and dealers.  If we don't call 
upon all of our people to get involved in the fight 
against this evil, then we will not be able to achieve 
our goal and we will not succeed at ridding this evil 
from our society."  Addressing the governor of Ahal 
province, which borders Iran, he said, "In the 
province that you head, the mayors of districts work 
ineffectively with the population.  Rather than 
improving the situation, the level of drug trafficking 
has increased.  The situation is equally bad in the 
other provinces.  We will return to this issue later 
this year.  If the governors of provinces do not 
achieve good results, I am warning that they will face 
consequences.  If you do not take decisive action, 
even meeting your cotton or grain harvest quotas will 
not excuse you."  He further admonished non- 
governmental organizations to work effectively in the 
battle against drug addicts and dealers, saying "There 
is no place for drugs in our society." 
 
¶8.  (SBU) COMMENT:  Berdimuhamedov's speech was very 
well received by the public.  While no statistics were 
disclosed, it would appear that the problem is 
becoming serious enough that the president felt 
compelled to refer to the need "rescue a generation" 
from drugs.  Many believe the speech was a green light 
to NGOs and other public organizations to move ahead 
in drug demand reduction activities.  The president 
has also put provincial governors on notice, that 
fighting drugs should be their number one priority. 
END COMMENT. 
 
CURRAN