KAZAKHSTAN: AMENDMENTS TO DRUG LAWS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 001245 STATE FOR INL/AAE (BALABANIAN),INL/C, SCA/CEN (O'MARA) SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR SOCI KCRM KZ SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: AMENDMENTS TO DRUG LAWS ASTANA 00001245 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. On June 26, the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, President Nazarbayev signed into law amendments introducing tougher punishment for drug-related crimes. The new law increases penalties to life imprisonment for most serious drug-related crimes. ¶2. Interfax-Kazakhstan reported that President Nazarbayev signed the law amending the Criminal, Criminal Procedural and Administrative Codes to introduce increased penalties for drug-related crimes. Because of the threat to Kazakhstani national security posed by narco-trafficking, the new law defines drug-related crimes as especially grave and, thus, life imprisonment will now be available in cases of trafficking in large quantities; participation in drug-related crimes as part of a criminal organization; sale of drugs in an educational institution and/or to minors; and sale or distribution of drugs resulting in death. -------------- Article 48 - Penalties -------------- ¶3. Pursuant to Article 48 of the Criminal Code, one can be sentenced to life imprisonment for especially grave crimes, making life imprisonment an alternative to the death penalty, which was suspended in 2003. However, as was the case for the death penalty, women, anyone who committed a crime when under the age of 18, or men over the age of 65 at the time of sentencing can not be sentenced to life imprisonment. The newly amended Article 48 includes drug-related crimes. -------------- Defining "Large" -------------- ¶4. Many of the amended articles of the criminal code apply significantly higher penalties to offenses involving "especially large" quantities. The law defines especially large, large, and small depending on the type of drug and whether and how it has been processed. An especially large quantity of heroin is defined as more than one gram; any offense involving a small amount - less than 0.01 grams - is merely an administrative offense and a large amount - between .01 and 1 gram - makes an offense criminal without being a grave crime. In the case of pure opium, 3 grams is a large quantity and 0.1 grams is small amount. For marijuana, 1 kilogram is a large amount. Possession of a small amount of marijuana - up to 50 grams - is an administrative offense and one is only subject to a fine. �A;The law also provides guidelines for fresh marijuana, hashish, cannabis, opium cut with neutral substances, poppies, and morphine. -------------- Article 259 -------------- ¶5. Under the new Article 259 of the Criminal Code, imprisonment sentences from 15 to 20 years with confiscation of property or life imprisonment can be applied in cases of illegal purchase, transportation or storage with the aim of sales, production, processing, or sales of drugs or psychotropic substances committed by a criminal organization or in especially large amounts in educational organizations. Article 259 also includes any drug-related activity targeted at children. -------------- -------------- Article 261 - Drug-Related Offenses Involving Minors -------------- -------------- ¶6. Article 261 prescribes 15 to 20 years with confiscation of property or life imprisonment in cases of encouraging minors to consume drugs, especially by (a) a group of people; (b) repeatedly; (c) with the use of violence; and (d) against one or more minors. The article also covers the encouragement of the consumption of drugs leading to death of any person. -------------- Article 250 - Cross Border Trafficking -------------- ¶7. Imprisonment from 15 up to 20 years with confiscation of property or life imprisonment is now offered in cases of 1) smuggling drugs in large quantities through the border; 2) committing the above offense repeatedly; by an official misusing his/her authority; using violence against a customs control officer; or a crime committed by a group acting in concert; 3) committing the above offense in especially large quantities by an organized criminal group or organization. Previously, the maximum sentence under Article 250 was 10 to 15 years and did not include trafficking of large quantities. -------------- ASTANA 00001245 002.2 OF 002 Article 259 -------------- ¶8. The title of Article 259 of the Criminal Code "Illicit Production, Purchase, Storage, Transportation, Carriage or Sale of Drugs and Psychotropic Substances" was amended to include "Processing". Illicit purchase, transportation or storage without the aim of sale of drugs and psychotropic substances in especially large amounts is now punishable by imprisonment from three to seven years with confiscation of property. Previously this offense was punishable by an administrative fine or up to three years imprisonment. The same offense committed with the aim of sale, but by a person not connected to a criminal group or organization is punishable by six to 12 years imprisonment. Previously the penalty was three to seven years. -------------- Administrative Penalties against Businesses -------------- ¶9. Article 319-1 of the Administrative Code penalizes entrepreneurs of entertainment facilities who do not take measures to stop the sales and/or consumption of drugs, psychotropic substances, and precursors. Fines are determined by the status of the owner and are based on the Monthly Calculated Index (MCI),which is determined by the GOK annually and is the basis of all fines and taxes for both individuals and businesses. Additionally, MCI is also the basis for pension calculations and benefits. MCI is currently 1,168 KZT (approximately $9). As an example of the use of the MCI, the current administrative fine for possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana is 2 MCI. ¶10. Individual entrepreneurs fined under Article 319-1 will be subject to a fine of 50 to 150 MCI. Large entities (as defined in the tax code) will be subject to fines ranging from 700 to 1,000 MCI. In the case of a repeated offense in the same year, a large entity would be fined 1,500 to 2,000 MCI and the business would be closed. ¶11. For the first time the new law defines entertainment facilities as gambling establishments, night clubs, cafe-bars, restaurants, internet cafes, billiard clubs, bowling alleys, cinemas, theaters and any premises or building used for entertainment, performance, sports, cultural purposes. The new definition broadly expands the businesses covered under Article 319-1. -------------- Destruction of Evidence -------------- ¶12. The GOK has wrestled with the serious problem of securing evidence from large seizures. In some cases, corrupt police have resold seized heroin. In response, the Ministry of Interior (MVD) has drafted a law allowing for the destruction of seized narcotics. The new law would allow anything more than the minimum amount defined as "large" to be destroyed as soon as forensic testing is completed. The destruction will require permission of the prosecutor and court. The minimum amount of the drug would be retained and entered into evidence, along with the forensic report, during trial. The only exception will be samples admitted as material evidence according to Article 223 of the Criminal Procedural Code. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶13. While drafting the law, the MVD studied both international and Kazakhstani practices. Initially, the MVD took its example from the Chinese and attempted to reintroduce the death penalty, which was suspended in Kazakhstan in 2003. If they had been successful, the death penalty would have only been available in drug-related crimes. However, Parliament chose to follow Kazakhstani practice and approved the imposition of life sentences as an alternative to the death penalty. This is but one example of the MVD's reaction to the increasingly serious problem of narco-trafficking and drug use among the young. Even without the reintroduction of the death penalty, the new law is evidence of the GOK's commitment to the fight against narco-trafficking through Kazakhstan. Criminal organizations and narco-trafficking rings have been especially targeted by this law. Strong drug laws in coordination with the creation of the financial intelligence unit are necessary for the GOK to cut off both the merchandise and the profits of these organizations. The next important step is passage of the law to allow for the destruction of large quantities of seized narcotics, which will also strike a blow against corruption in the law enforcement community. End Comment. ORDWAY