Drug crimes in Uzbekistan have increased by 103 percent in the last 5 years

In Uzbekistan, the number of drug crimes has increased by 103 percent over the past 5 years, while the illegal trafficking of synthetic drugs has increased by 80 times. This was reported by the Daryo online publication, citing Mirzo Ulugbek Shamsiddinov, a leading researcher at the National Center for Drug Control under the Presidential Administration.

It is noted that the situation is also deplorable at the international level. According to the 2024 World Drug Report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, about 350 million people suffer from drug addiction. Most tragically, more than 500,000 people die every year as a result of drug abuse, while 28 million suffer from serious illnesses.

Also, a report by the World Customs Organization revealed that 1,347 tons of narcotics were seized from illicit trafficking in 2024.