From June 1 to June 16, 2025, officers of the Lepel District Department of Internal Affairs recorded 13 instances of cultivation of the drug-containing plant "Poppy" within the territory of Lepel District. Over 14 kg of the drug-containing plant were destroyed.

Currently, a special programme called "Poppy" is underway throughout the Republic of Belarus. Its objectives include preventing the spread of narcotic raw materials of plant origin, destroying illegal crops of drug-containing plants, identifying individuals involved in the storage, sale, and transportation of narcotic substances, and eliminating the causes and conditions that facilitate the illegal distribution of plant-based narcotics.

Operatives of the criminal investigation department of the Lepel District Department of Internal Affairs (ROVD), in conjunction with other services, are primarily focused on destroying the narcotic raw material base of plant origin, as well as on suppressing the activities of individuals engaged in the cultivation and growing of poppy and hemp.

Within the framework of the special programme "Poppy" in the Lepel district, from 1 to 16 June 2025, employees of the Lepel ROVD identified 13 instances of cultivating the drug-containing plant "Poppy", and destroyed over 14 kg of the drug-containing plant.

Employees of the Lepel ROVD identified a patch of wild-growing "Poppy". Over 700 kg of the drug-containing plant were destroyed.

The Lepel ROVD appeals to citizens and strongly recommends reporting locations of drug-containing plants and individuals engaged in illegal cultivation to the internal affairs bodies!

If the illegal sowing and/or cultivation of plants containing narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances, which are prohibited for cultivation, is committed without the intent of sale, manufacture, or other obtaining of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances, it will result in a fine of up to 20 basic units (Article 17.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Belarus). It does not matter whether you personally planted the drug-containing poppy and hemp plants, or if they grew on your plot on their own. Remain vigilant and prevent their growth to avoid liability.

The illegal sowing and/or cultivation of plants or fungi containing narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances, for the purpose of their sale, manufacture, or other obtaining of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances, provides for punishment up to imprisonment for a term of up to 3 years (Article 339 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus).

The term of imprisonment may be increased to 7 years if the same actions are committed repeatedly, or by a group of persons, or by a person who has previously committed drug-related crimes, as well as up to 15 years if the crime was committed as part of an organized group.

Any information about persons engaged in the cultivation of drug-containing plants, using narcotic drugs, or facilitating and allowing non-medical use of medicinal preparations containing narcotic, psychotropic, and potent substances in their composition, can be reported by you by calling the Lepel District Department of Internal Affairs – 8 (02132) 3-20-83 or 102, anonymity is guaranteed.