Drug-related crimes

According to the data of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 10665 or 29.2 percent of 36494 criminal cases registered in 2022 were related to the illicit trafficking of drugs and psychotropic substances, which is 24.4 percent more in comparison with 2021 indicator. 62.8 percent of them was illegal purchase, storage, preparation, processing, transportation of drugs or psychotropic substances in excess of their personal consumption without the purpose of sale, 32.4 percent the same actions for sale, as well as the production, shipping or illegal sale of these substances, 3.7 percent illegal cultivating plants containing drugs, 0.9 percent illicit trafficking of highly potent or toxic substances for sale and 0.21 percent other crimes.

During the reporting period, 8587 offenders were detained for the illicit trafficking of drugs and psychotropic substances, 34.4 percent of them were previously prosecuted. 98.9 percent of offenders were prosecuted, 1.1 percent of them were exempted from criminal responsibility according to the law.

72.8 percent of people who committed a crime were those never worked and studied, 2.7 percent were women. 0.2 percent of the offenders were children aged 14-17, 7.0 percent young people aged 18-24, 17.5 percent aged 25-29, and 76.1 percent aged 30 and over.

Furthermore, during 2022, 2017 people who committed an administrative offense on this issue were brought to administrative responsibility, which is 29.8 percent more in comparison with the indicator of the previous year.

In 2022, from 5034.5 kilograms of drugs and psychotropic substances withdrawn from illegal circulation 2250.30 kilograms were heroin, 2134.2 kilograms marijuana, 434.6 kilograms opium, 38.2 kilograms hashish, hashish oil and resin, 0.4 percent cocaine, 176.8 kilograms other drugs and highly potent substances.