Drug addiction is a painful attraction drugs used in various ways: inhalation, swallowing, intravenous injection. It leads to a total defeat of the person, accompanied by complications from physical health, ultimately leading to death.

On December 7, 1987, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution that decided to mark June 26 as International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, or more simply, International Day Against Drugs, as a sign of its determination to strengthen activities and cooperation for achieving the goal of creating an international society free of drug addiction.

Despite the continued intensification of the efforts of the international community, the world drug problem continues to pose a serious threat to public health, security and well-being of the whole society, as well as to national security and sovereignty of states.

Despite the fact that decisive measures are being taken around the world against drug trafficking and drug use, the problem of drug addiction and drug trafficking remains one of the most urgent. The non-medical use of psychotropic substances and drugs is increasing. And above all in the youth and adolescent environment!

It is well known that the illegal import of narcotic substances, cultivation, as well as their illegal trafficking are strictly prohibited by law, and entail criminal liability. Based on the foregoing, one of the priority tasks of the customs authorities is the identification, prevention and suppression of crimes in the field of drug trafficking and cultivation.

The staff of the operational department of the State Customs Committee, in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies of Uzbekistan, carry out targeted measures and comprehensive operations to identify and suppress the illegal activities of transnational drug smugglers, block channels for smuggling, eliminate drug crops and prevent the spread of drug addiction.

As a result of targeted joint operational measures carried out by the state customs authorities in the border and internal regions of our republic during 2019, 326 facts of drug trafficking, 104 facts of illicit trafficking of psychotropic substances and 18 facts related to trafficking in precursors were revealed.

81 kg of narcotic drugs were seized as physical evidence, including 8 kg of heroin, 8.5 kg of hashish, 5.6 kg of opium, 56.3 kg of marijuana, 3 kg of kuknar, 2.94 kg (or 57,263 units) of tramadol tablets, as well as 33,074 units of psychotropic tablets and 767 grams of precursors.

One of the largest and effective joint operational measures to detect the facts of drug smuggling is a series of operations carried out at the Tashkent International Airport in December 2019 by employees of the operational units of the State Customs Committee, the Specialized Customs Complex “Tashkent-AERO” and the Customs Administration for Surkhandarya Region.

As a result of multi-stage operational-search measures to identify the entire drug distribution chain, customs officers detained 7 drug couriers who tried to transit through Uzbekistan, in their bodies, a total of more than 5 kg 739 grams of heroin.

From January to May 2020, the customs authorities identified 172 cases of illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. In 152 (120 cases during the period from January to May 2019) identified cases, 24.9 kg (14.3) of narcotic drugs were withdrawn as evidence and in the remaining 20 cases, more than 240 thousand units of psychotropic drugs were seized. In particular: 157.9 g of heroin, 9.05 kg of hashish, 7.3 kg of opium, 7.6 kg of marijuana, 3.9 g of kuknar, 254.1 g (4941 units) of tramadol tablets, as well as 240,612 psychotropic drugs.

In conclusion, it should be noted that drug addiction is not only the tragedy of one person who fell into its trap, but also a catastrophe that strikes at the development of the whole society and country. Therefore, the fight against this terrible evil should be the responsibility of not only law enforcement agencies, but also each of us. Everyone who cares about himself, his family, children, relatives, loved ones, about all of humanity and the future generation.