Armenia

I. Summary

Armenia is not a major drug-producing country and its domestic abuse of drugs is relatively small. The Government of Armenia (GOAM), recognizing its potential as a transit route for international drug trafficking, is attempting to improve its interdiction ability. The Parliament passed a bill aimed at strengthening the police mandate to combat drug sales and trafficking in 2002. Together with Georgia and Azerbaijan, Armenia is engaged in an ongoing UN-sponsored Southern Caucasus Anti-Drug Program (SCAD), which was launched in 2001. Armenia is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention.

II. Country Status

As a Caucasian crossroads between Europe and Asia, Armenia has the potential to become a transit point for international drug trafficking. At present, limited transport traffic between the country and its neighboring states makes Armenia a secondary traffic route for drugs. Armenia Police Service’s Department to Combat Illegal Drug Trafficking has accumulated a significant database on drug trafficking sources, routes and the people engaged in trafficking; scarce financial and human resources, however, limit the Police Service’s ability to combat drug trafficking. Drug abuse does not constitute a serious problem in Armenia, and the local market for narcotics, according to the police, is not large. The principal drugs of abuse are opium, cannabis and ephedrine. Heroin and cocaine first appeared in the Armenian drug market in 1996 and, since then, there has been a small upward trend in heroin sales, while cocaine abuse has remained flat. The Interdepartmental Committee on Combating Drug Addiction and Drug Trafficking created in 1993 became an official Government of Armenia body in the past year. The Commission is headed by the Chief of Police.

III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2004

Policy Initiatives. There were no new policy initiatives since the enactment on May 10, 2003 of the Law on Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances of the Republic of Armenia.

Accomplishments. Preventive measures to identify and eradicate both wild and illicitly cultivated cannabis and poppy continued in 2004. The draft law on Money Laundering, which has passed the first reading, should be enacted in the near future.

Law Enforcement Efforts. In the first 9 months of 2004, the Armenian Police uncovered 340 criminal drug trafficking cases and 156 cases of criminal drug abuse. In this period more than 12 kilograms of drugs were seized, more than twice as much as during the first 9 months of 2003.

Corruption. Corruption remains a problem in Armenia. Although the GOAM has taken some steps to develop an anticorruption program, political will and concrete steps toward implementation have not been adequate. The government does not encourage or facilitate illicit production or distribution of narcotic or psychotropic drugs or other controlled substances, or the laundering of proceeds from illegal drug transactions and no government officials have been found to engage in these activities.

Agreements and Treaties. In 1992 in Kiev, the Ministries of Internal Affairs of CIS (Soviet successor states) member-countries entered into an "Agreement against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Substances Frequently Used in Illicit Manufacturing of Drugs." On June 6, 1999 in Tbilisi, a "Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Area of Narcotics Control and Money Laundering" was signed between Armenia, Georgia, Iran and UNDCP. Armenia also has a number of bilateral agreements with CIS countries on law enforcement cooperation that include the area of illicit traffic of narcotic drugs. Armenia is party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, the 1961 UN Single Convention as amended by the 1972 Protocol, and the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Lastly, Armenia is a party to the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and its protocols on migrant smuggling and trafficking in women and children.

Cultivation and Production. Hemp and opium poppy grow wild in the northern part of Armenia, particularly in the Lake Sevan basin and some mountainous areas. From September 10 to October 10, 2004, Armenian Police carried out "Hemp and Poppy 2004" an annual measure to find and eradicate cultivated and wild growing hemp and poppy.

Drug Flow/Transit. The principal transit countries through which drugs pass before they arrive in Armenia include Iran (opiates, heroin), Georgia (opiates, cannabis, hashish), and the Russian Federation (opiates, heroin). Armenia’s borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan remain closed due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict; however, according to the police, opiates and heroin are smuggled to Armenia from Turkey via Georgia. When all Armenia’s borders reopen, the police believe that drug transit could increase significantly.

Demand Reduction. The majority of Armenian addicts are believed to be using hashish, followed by heroin and then by ephedrine. Armenia has adopted a policy of focusing on prevention of drug abuse through awareness campaigns and treatment of drug abusers. These awareness campaigns are being implemented and manuals are being published under the framework of the South Caucasus Anti-Drug (SCAD) Program, funded by the UNDCP.

IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs

Bilateral Cooperation. The USG continues to work with the Government of Armenia to increase the capacity of Armenian law enforcement. Joint activities include development of an independent forensic laboratory, improvement of the law enforcement training infrastructure and establishment of a computer network that will link law enforcement offices within Armenia and between Armenia and the rest of the world.

The Road Ahead. The USG will continue aiding Armenia in its counternarcotics efforts through capacity building of Armenian law enforcement and will continue to engage the government on operational trafficking issues.