The law introduces the following changes:
Sentences for organizers of crimes are increased (up to life imprisonment).
For couriers, especially young individuals, penalties are softened if they are involved in crimes due to recklessness.
Senator Sovetbek Mede baev explained:
“Today, the profile of a drug dealer has significantly changed. Typically, these are young people from fairly well-off families aged between 16 and 30. They are characterized by active use of internet technologies. They enter the ranks of drug dealers due to a desire for ‘easy money,’ low legal literacy, culture, and social responsibility. However, there are young people who get involved in drug trafficking out of despair. Therefore, the social factor here is also extremely important.”
Article 297-1 stipulates penalties for the illegal production of drugs, including long prison sentences (up to 20 years or life for officials abusing their positions).
Criminal prosecution is introduced for the illegal cultivation of banned plants and for violating the rules of handling potent substances within the country.
A unified electronic database is being created for individuals with drug addiction to facilitate their tracking and treatment oversight.
Non-medical use of narcotic substances is prohibited.
Control over the circulation of drugs that contain narcotics is being strengthened.
The internal affairs authorities are being granted more powers to revoke gun permits from violators.
The adoption of these changes is important because:
More than 8% of prisoners, or 37,000 convicted individuals, are serving sentences for drug-related crimes.
In the first 11 months of 2024, the internal affairs authorities detected over seven thousand drug-related criminal offenses, including more than three thousand drug crimes. Moreover, seizures of synthetic drugs increased by 45% over the year.
“There were 430 cases of storing narcotic substances in especially large quantities. Criminal cases have been initiated against organizers and participants for creating and leading organized criminal groups. Sixty drug laboratories have been shut down,” – reported Sovetbek Medetbaev.
According to information from the Ministry of Health, the current number of registered drug-dependent individuals is 18,233, including 1,527 women and 59 minors.