Azerbaijan Transit Country for Illicit Narcotics

• 03.23.2015, 15:34
•  Region,  World

Photo from www.unodc.org

According to the US International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) Azerbaijan remains a transit country for illicit narcotics. As it is stated in the report over 5.8 and seven metric tons (MT) of narcotics transit Azerbaijan annually.  On July 11 of 2014 a truck carrying 2.7 MT of liquefied heroin disguised as liquid soap was detected in Georgia after it was transited from Azerbaijan. The truck contained 650 kilograms (kg) of pure heroin, which would be equal to European street value of approximately $25-40 million.

Like Azerbaijan Georgia is also a transit and destination country for illicit drugs produced in other countries. Similar amount of illicit drugs was seized near the port of Batumi in Georgia in July, 2014 which again contained 2.7 MT of liquefied heroin.  As opposed to Georgia and Azerbaijan, Armenia is considered a country with modest domestic consumption of illegal drug as well as less attractive country for drug trafficking.

It is important to mention that the Department of State’s International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) is based on section 489 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (the amended "FAA," 22 U.S.C. § 2291).  2015 report covers the period from January 1 to December 1, 2014 and consists of two volumes, the second of which is on money laundering and financial crimes (there are no reports on South Caucuses countries in second volume).

The INCSR serves as a fact sheet for the President’s report to Congress on the major drug transit or major illicit drug producing countries primarily defined in section 591 of the Kenneth M. Ludden Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2002 (P.L. 107-115) (the "FOAA"), and now made permanent pursuant to section 706 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003 (P.L. 107-228) (the "FRAA").

According to Section 706 of the FRAA the President is to submit annual reports in which he should identify the major drug transit and producing countries. In addition the president is also to identify the countries that “failed demonstrably … to make substantial efforts” to take counternarcotics measures in accordance with the US law in the duration of previous 12 months. Any country designated as having "failed demonstrably" may be denied to be provided assistance under the current foreign operations appropriations act unless the President considers that the provision of such assistance to be vital to U.S. national interests. However it should be noted that humanitarian, counternarcotics, and certain other types of assistance are considered exclusions in this case.

It is interesting to notice that in the report both Armenia and Georgia are reported as the countries improving their counternarcotics measures. In case of Armenia it is particularly stated: “Armenia continues to develop and implement an integrated border management regime, improving its ability to detect illegal narcotics shipments”, while for Georgia it is stated: “Georgia significantly expanded the list of pharmaceuticals for which a person needs a prescription in 2014, in an effort to better control the illegal use of pharmaceuticals”. Azerbaijan seems to lack behind two other South Caucasus countries. As for Azerbaijan the reports particularly states: “Government sponsored programs targeting drug abuse remain inadequate, and drug treatment centers in Azerbaijan would benefit from increased support”.