“The volume of synthetic drugs seized in Uzbekistan has increased 11 times in the last five years.”
Elchi.az reports that this was stated by the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev at a government meeting.
He stated that 95 percent of such drugs are sold online, payments are made with cryptocurrency, and drug laboratories are being created within the country.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev criticized the Agency for Drug Control and Control of Firearms and announced that its responsibilities would be expanded. The agency will be tasked with coordinating the activities of relevant bodies and assessing their performance.
The President also ordered the creation of a comprehensive system to combat cross-border and online organized crime. A special service to combat organized crime will be created within the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Mirziyoyev warned about the influence of radical and extremist ideas on young people through digital platforms, emphasizing that this problem can only be solved through punishment. The head of state announced that reintegration groups will be created in each district of the capital Tashkent on a permanent basis.
The President also stated that cybercrime is increasing rapidly, and the number of registered types of crime has increased from 18 to 62. He expressed concern about the theft of personal data, the use of artificial intelligence to imitate voices and faces, the spread of malicious software, and the transfer of stolen funds abroad via cryptocurrency.
According to him, a separate cybercrime department will be created within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the minister will be personally responsible for this. The Ministry of Justice will also create a department for cybercrime and digital law.
The Uzbek leader expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of transparency and independent control in law enforcement agencies. He noted that a legal audit mechanism will be introduced under the Ministry of Justice to solve this.