The number of synthetic drug-related crimes in Uzbekistan has doubled between 2019 and 2024, announced the Director of the National Drug Control Center under the Presidential Administration Ravshan Mamatov on November 15 at an event in Tashkent dedicated to the fight against drug addiction and drug-related crimes.
“Analysis found that over the past five years in Uzbekistan, the number of drug-related crimes has doubled, the seizure of narcotic substances has increased by 8.5 times, and the seizure of synthetic drugs by 400 times. These phenomena require the adoption of comprehensive measures and the organization of effective interdepartmental and international cooperation,” he said.
he also emphasized that the widespread use of “prescription drug addiction” in the region, in particular in Uzbekistan, is of concern.
“We are concerned that the evil called “prescription drug addiction” is spreading widely among young people. We are ready to share experiences and cooperate with our closest neighbors in this area. Given that organized crime is increasingly becoming transnational, it is safe to say that only a transnational response can lead to success," he added.
In 2024, Uzbekistan adopted for the first time in history the National Strategy for Combating Drug Abuse and Drug-Related Crime for 2024-2028. According to Mamatov, the main goal of this strategy is "to develop immunity to drug addiction and intolerance to drug-related crimes among the population, especially young people."
