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Drug Seizures and Trafficking Routes - Kazakhstan

see in interactive mapThe map shows heroin seizures[1] effected by the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the first half of 2007 and throughout 2008. The bulk of seizures were registered in Almaty, Southern Kazakhstan and Zhambyl provinces along the Kazakh-Uzbek and Kazakh-Kyrgyz borders.
Drugs from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan are transported through Almaty, Southern Kazakhstan and Zhambyl provinces to Karaganda and Eastern-Kazakhstan provinces.
It should be stressed that large seizures near Karaganda combined with the relatively low heroin prices (see “Drug Prices” Section) may indicate that one of the major transshipment points is in Karaganda province[2]. From Karaganda, drugs are transported to the north (through Akmola and Kostanai and Northern-Kazakhstan provinces) and north-east of the country (to Pavlodar province), and then onward to the Russian Federation. In Western Kazakhstan, less than 1 kg of heroin was seized in a total of three areas, pointing to some transit of drugs from northern Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan into Kazakhstan.
As a result of extra-large consignments of heroin seized at Kayrak checkpoint in Kostanai province (537 kg), Karaganda province (177 kg), and Almaty province (120 kg), major trafficking channels to the Russian Federation and Western Europe were suppressed and criminal groups arrested.
According to estimates of the Government of Kazakhstan, 30% of heroin trafficked through Kazakhstan is absorbed in the country for internal consumption, and 70% is transported to the Russian Federation. Kazakh experts estimate that some 80% of heroin is transported by road and 20% by rail.[3]

[1] Starting 100 g and over. 

[2] According to the National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in 2008 as a result of joint operations with securities of foreign countries the Central Asian Makhmudkhodjaev’s drug community, major drug transshipment point in Karaganda city and trafficking channels to a number of Russian cities were suppressed.

[3] UN Annual Reports Questionnaire for 2008, Kazakhstan.