U.S. Department of State
1996 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, March 1997

United States Department of State

Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs

ARMENIA

I. Summary

II. Status of Country

The main drugs transported are opium and hashish, though heroin and cocaine recently became a focus of concern. Traffickers smuggle drugs into Armenia by truck from Iran and Turkey. They also use other routes, however: a heroin shipment seized in 1996 was suspected by the MVD to have been delivered from Moscow by plane, whereas Buprenorphine was confiscated from a passenger on a Yerevan-Delhi flight in Yerevan. Drug shipments from Central Asia are also brought to Armenia by plane, according to the MVD.

Domestic drug appears to be limited in Armenia, and the MVD believes that the local market for narcotics is not large. The traditional drugs of choice are opium and cannabis. Hemp and opium poppy grow in the wild. A small amount is used for local native foods. Northwestern Armenia and border areas, where many military personnel are stationed, are the regions with the highest rates of drug abuse.

In 1996, some new drugs appeared on the Armenian drug market. For the first time, police confiscated heroin and cocaine. By MVD estimates, the total amount of heroin brought to Armenia for consumption was small, about 2 kgs. Also, the MVD seized a shipment of 1,091 ampules (five-gram vials) of Buprenorphine produced in India under the brand name "Morphine". While these are small amounts, the MVD says it is quite concerned about the potential for increased drug trafficking and abuse in the future. Low local prices for heroin and cocaine could attract customers and slowly convert Armenia into a more important market.

The upward trend in drug abuse is another indicator of potential market expansion. The MVD estimates that there are currently roughly 19,000 drug addicts in Armenia; for 1995 the number was estimated at 10,000. These estimates are corroborated by the chief physician of the counternarcotics dispensary.

III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 1996

There were no new antinarcotics laws passed in Armenia in 1996.

Law Enforcement Efforts. There was a slight drop in drug-related crimes during the year. MVD reports 517 drug-related crimes committed in 1996 compared to 569 in 1995 and 525 in 1994. The Prosecutor General's Office reported 430 indictments in 1996, involving 515 suspects. The police destroyed 113 mt of cannabis and opium plants.

In November, the Ministry of National Security (MNS) and the MVD were merged into a single agency, the Ministry of Interior and National Security (MINS); it is now headed by the former Minister of National Security.

The spokesperson for the Central Bank of Armenia claimed in a December interview that money laundering does not constitute a serious problem in Armenia. This seems likely, as Armenia is isolated, and its banking system is rudimentary. The country is beset by economic problems and is therefore an unlikely site for extensive money laundering activity.

Demand Reduction. The Public Health Service reports a significant increase in drug use, especially among teenagers. Both physicians and the MVD acknowledge that the officially registered number of drug addicts does not reflect the true picture. By their estimates, at present there are about 19,000 drug addicts in Armenia, compared to about 10,000 in 1995. By the physicians' estimates, almost one-third of their drug-addicted patients are opiate addicts. Most drug addicts choose not to apply for treatment because this automatically leads to criminal punishment. Currently, there are fewer than 300 patients officially registered at the dispensary as drug addicts, primarily males.

Corruption. Corruption is a serious impediment to efforts to stem the flow of narcotics to and through Armenia. Efforts to combat the problem of corruption have only just begun. In November, authorities arrested three employees of the MVD Narcotics Department and charged them with abuse of power, bribes and false arrest of innocent people as drug dealers. The investigation was conducted by a joint group from the Ministry of National Security and MVD. As a result of this scandal, the Chief and Deputy Chief of the MVD Narcotics Department were dismissed.

Agreements and Treaties. In addition to being a party to the 1988 UN Convention, Armenia is a party to 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances and the 1961 UN Single Convention and its 1972 Protocol. Also, Armenia signed bilateral agreements on cooperation against illicit traffic in narcotics and psychotropic substances with the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan, the Customs Committee of the Republic of Georgia, and the Customs Committee of Tajikistan. Armenia is a signatory to the 1996 Dushanbe Agreement on Narcotics Control Assistance among the Confederation of Independent States (CIS), a grouping of some of the successor countries to the former Soviet Union.

Cultivation and Production. Hemp and opium poppy grow in the wild in the northern areas of Armenia, in particular, in the Sevan Lake Basin and in nearby mountainous areas. The MVD destroyed 113 mt in 1996.

Domestic Programs/Demand Reduction. The interagency Narcotics Commission is reportedly considering the establishment of a rehabilitation center for drug addicts. The conditions at the narcotics dispensary, which is currently the only place for treatment of drug addicts, are far below acceptable standards; test methodology is outdated and medicines and staff are inadequate.

IV. US Policy Initiatives and Programs

The Road Ahead. Over the next year, the USG will encourage Armenia to expand its drug control activities and to establish the necessary legislative and institutional capabilities to ensure efficient interdiction and prosecution of narcotics traffickers.