30% of Afghan drugs go to markets of Russia and Western Europe via Central Asia

(AKIpress) - About 30% of drugs go from Afghanistan to the markets of Russia and Western Europe via so-called northern route in Central Asia, deputy chairman of drug control department of the State Service of Drug Control of Kyrgyzstan Nurlan Beishekeyev said on May 13 during the round table discussion on impact of Afghan drug trafficking on security of Central Asian states.
The drug trafficking is still one of the most vital problems in the world, he said. He provided data on drug production in Afghanistan. Thus, 5% of Afghanistan's population is involved in opium poppy cultivation, 2.5% of the adult population in Afghanistan are drug addicts (over 1 million people).
Area of poppy fields in 2013 equaled 200,000 hectares, he said, and the opium poppy production in tends to increase in Afghanistan. This fact negatively impacts on the countries of Central Asia, particularly on Kyrgyzstan, he added. According to him, it makes the number of drug addicts and HIV/AIDS-positive people to grow, at the same time increasing the number of drug-related crimes.