Official statistics on drug use clearly demonstrate that drug addiction is one of the most dangerous problems worldwide, and the prevalence of drug addiction among children and adolescents is a tragedy for a large number of parents.
Official statistics on drug use clearly demonstrate that drug addiction is one of the most dangerous problems worldwide, and the prevalence of drug addiction among children and adolescents is a tragedy for a large number of parents.
Drug addiction has a negative impact not only on an individual's life but also on society as a whole. The social consequences of this disease are diverse, manifesting as the destruction of family relationships, a decrease in social activity, and often a loss of work capacity.
Unfortunately, there is currently a significant global increase in both the number of individuals using narcotic and psychotropic substances and the overall illicit drug trafficking.
Counteracting illicit drug trafficking and related drug crime remains one of the priority areas in the fight against crime as a whole and is of paramount importance for ensuring the national security of the Republic of Belarus.
According to statistical data, the Republic of Belarus has observed a downward trend in the number of detected drug trafficking offences from 2018 to the present.
Thus, in 2018, 4604 crimes related to illicit drug trafficking were detected, of which 2475 crimes were committed with the intent to sell.
In 2019, 4276 crimes in this area were detected, of which the sale of narcotic substances was established in 2184 crimes. Also, 2 crimes were detected, classified under Article 332 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus, namely the provision of premises, organization or maintenance of dens for the manufacture, processing and/or consumption of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their analogues and/or other intoxicating substances.
In 2018, a total of 4 crimes related to illicit drug trafficking were detected in the Lepel district.
In 2019, 13 crimes related to illicit drug trafficking were detected, of which 5 crimes were committed with the intent to sell narcotic drugs.
Also, 2 crimes related to illicit
of narcotic substances, where the object of the crime is marijuana, which was obtained from "Cannabis" plants grown on household plots, as well as in other, including publicly accessible places.
Thus, a previously unconvicted 34-year-old resident of Lepel, with the intent of illegally acquiring and possessing narcotic drugs without the purpose of sale, in 2017, by collecting growing Cannabis plants, as well as from other sources not established by the investigation, illegally acquired a dangerous narcotic substance – marijuana without the purpose of sale, and prepared the substance for consumption. He consumed part of it himself, and kept the rest at his place of residence.
The same person, for the purpose of sale, acquired marijuana from citizen N., transported the goods by electric bicycle around Lepel, and subsequently sold it to two female residents of the city.
The Lepel District Court, taking into account the presented evidence and the position of the state prosecutor, found the resident of Lepel guilty of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 328 and Part 3 of Article 328 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus, and, taking into account mitigating and aggravating circumstances, imposed a sentence of 8 years of imprisonment with serving the sentence in a correctional colony under an enhanced regime.
The sentence was handed down in 2019 and entered into legal force.
According to the above statistical data, in the **district** during the period 2018-2019, the detection of crimes related to illicit drug trafficking has significantly increased.
For 5 months of the current year, 1 crime related to illicit drug trafficking has been detected in the Lepel district.
Thus, drug addiction remains a serious societal problem. The problem of drug-related crime can only be solved by coordinated actions of law enforcement agencies and citizens themselves, as an active civic stance and the fight by citizens against the distribution and use of narcotic and psychotropic substances leads to the creation of a healthy and socially active society.
Intern for the position of Assistant Prosecutor of the Lepel District T.V. Lukutina