One of the main directions of the legal-protection activity the State Customs Committee of the Reoublic of Azerbaijan consists of prevention illegal drugs transportation through a customs border, not to let use of a country territory as “ a transit point”, the fulfilment of moved out duties from the “Programme (2007-2012 years) about struggle against illegal drugs, psychotropic substances and their precussors trafficking and spreading of drug addiction” approved by Decree No 2271 on June 28, 2007 of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

There are some factors making it necessary illicit drugs trafficking is a human problem. It worries the whole world and deals a great blow to interests and morality of the state and society. It creates danger for a human life and health and causes increase of criminality and other dangerous appearances.

As a result of the favourable being geographical position, location between Asia being a producer of drugs and European countries being a consumer, having wide land, sea, air railway station of the Republic of Azerbaijan, expansion of trade relations of Azerbaijan with nearly 140 countries of the world and successful implemention of numerous great scale of the economic projects in the Republic year by year increase of number of transported cargo, means of transport and passengers year after year involve narcosmugglers and they try to use this transport infrastructure for their dirty purposes and as a “transit point” in drugs transportation through a country territory.

One of the main factors infulencing on narcocondition in the world and Azerbaijan is Afghanistan factor. According to the valuations of the UN Drugs and Criminality Office in 2009 though the scale of the poppy planting is decreased 22%, illegal narcotic production is decreased 10%, narcotic production is 6900 tons in Afghanistan produced over 90% of opium in the world in 2009 caused catastrophic results and created ground for other countries “narcoaggression”. According to information of the same Office in former years the volume of illegally produced opium reserves is 10 thousand tons and it is enough for meeting need of drug addicts during 2 years in the world.

It is necessary to note fact that only in 2009 in Afghanistan for changing of produced 6900 tons opium into heroin demand for nearly 14 thousand tons precursors (a chemical substance using for getting heroin) don`t except efforts to transportation of precursors in the contrary direction and make inevitable to keep in the serious control of these substances trafficking. The main reason involving in this action by reducing narcosmugglers without doubt is fantastic incomes gaining from narcobusiness being one of the most profitable types. For example, in Afghanistan 1 kg heroin gained for 2500 US dollars in black market of Europe it is possible to realize it for 200 thousand US dollars. These profits then change into motive forces for financing of terrorism, money laundry and other criminal action types. Transit of drugs through a country territory causes for “5settling” one part of them in the country, increase of number of drugs users, crimes connecting with drug addiction, diseases and other social misfortunes. Above mentioned clearly show the national-human necessity and importance of the struggle against illicit drugs trafficking.

The State Customs Committee with the object of provision of fulfilment their duties in the struggle direction against illicit drugs trafficking implemented some expedient measures in expansion of customs authorities material-technical basis, international cooperation and information exchange, improvement of cadres professional preparation, strengthening of operational-investigation activity, application direction of rational methods and management system of risk. Thus, customs aithorities were provided with buildings and installations meeting modern requirements, technical control means, monitors, narcotests, endoscopes, narcodetectors, means of transport and communication means and other some plant inventories.

Up to the last periods there were difficulties in inspection of cargoes with big size. For liquidation of these difficulties 4 numbers mobile scanners were attained. This activity is being countinuosly carried out. By learning use of technical means measures are implemented by customs authorities.

With the object of improvement of customs employees professionality regional conferences and seminars on struggle against illegal drugs trafficking were held not only for Azerbaijan for customs officials, but also for neighbour region states customs employees in the Regional Training Centre of the World Customs Organization in Baku.

According to jointly implemented projects “Strenghening of the SCC potential of the Republic of Azerbaijan and creation of the information transmission net “Control on Drugs in South Caucasus” (SCAD) and other projects by the Customs Committee, European Union and the Azerbaijan representation of the UN Development programme sets of computers, installations, motor vehicles, communication means etc were gained and devivered to the operative departments for struggle against drugs, registration and control system of legal violations were organized in the customs authorities, inviting local and foreign specialist trainings and seminars on different problems of the struggle against narcotics were held for customs authorities employees.

With the object of the further strengthening and rational increase of the struggle measures against drugs smuggling the mutual cooperation with customs services of other states and especially states having the same border, Russia and Turkey and information exchange were expanded. In this direction joint operational-investigation measures were implemented.

The mutual cooperation and joint activity with side by side other states, connected organizations, legal-protection organs, the Ministry of National Security, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Border Service were strengthened by the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Employees of the State Customs Committee actively took part in the preparation and improvement of the normative legal basis related with drugs trafficking in the organization and holding of abolition measures of confiscated drugs for republic in the composition of being formed Abolition commission by the State Commission For Strugge Against Drug Addiction and Illegal Drugs Trafficking of the Republic of Azerbaijan, held scientific-practical conferences on “Young people say no to drugs”. The Organization For Democracy and Economic Development-Struggle against spreading of narcotics, terrorism, organized criminality of GUAM.

Giving monttly information about detected illicit drugs trafficking facts to the State Customs Commission Working Group For Struggle Against Drug Addiction and Illegal Drugs Trafficking of the Republic of Azerbaijan was provided.

Taking one of the main struggle methods of the antipropaganda into consideration materials with the educational activities character were lightened in the “Customs news” newspaper, “Customs Officials” monthly magazine, special telecast, on internet page.

The 2008 th year was announced the struggle year against drugs and psychotropic substances by the World Customs Organization. As a result of implemented measures by Azerbaijan customs authorities mobilizing all energies for this initiative during the 2008 th year in connection with illegal drugs trafficking 64 facts were detected. According to these facts 356 kg 338 grammes drug, 68 kg 255 grammes heroin, 62 kg 732 grammes opium, 221 kg 406 grammes hashish, 3 kg 945 grammes marijuana, 4202 numbers psychotropic substance (in ampoule, capsule, pill forms) and 242 grammes Methamphetamine substance were captured.

Efforts shown by Azerbaijan customs authorities were not out of attention. 10 Azerbaijan customs officials were rewarded with corresponding certificates for their struggle against drugs by the Secretary General of the World Customs Organization K.Mikuria.

In the 2008 th year with the object of strengthening of the customs control legal drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors the creation of the information basis and carrying out mechanism of analysis were determined obeying it are kept under a serious control.

Taking necessity of the international cooperation in the struggle against illegal drugs trafficking being human misfortune by the State Customs Committee into account for joint activity close cooperation was carried out with WCO, Interpol, European Union, CIS, ECO, GUAM, UN Office for Drugs and Criminality, in South East Europe Cooperation Initiative (SECI) existing international organizations, organizations and communities. Bilateral and polysided contracts, agreements, memoranda, working protocols were signed and joint measures were implemented with customs services of Russia, Iran, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Turkmanistan, Georgia, Austria, USA, Belgium, Bulgaria, Creat Britain, Estonia, France, Lithuania, Lebanon, Moldova, Netherland, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Kyzghyztan, Ukraine, Greece, Italy, China, Poland and other States.

The employees of the Committee closely took part in the session of the Committee for Struggle against narcotics of Asia and the Passific Ocean Region (HONLEA), with the object of the struggle against drugs and pyschoropic substances held measures by the created Central Asia Regional Information Association Centre.

Employees of the State Customs Committee gave information about planting and production of drugs and exportation them to other countries in the territories out of control in occupied Nagorni Karabakh and neighbouring districts to participants in all international measures.

Taking rationality of service investigation dogs application in the struggle against illegal drugs trafficking all over the world into account the Cynological Centre with all training equipments and medicinal technical installations answering the most modern standars requirements was created for 100 service dog`s training and veterinary examination. At Present 39 service dogs are applied in the daily activity for narcotic searching in the Cynological Centre. Besides this located dogs in the Centre are also successfully applied by customs services of Turkey, Bulgaria and Moldova.

In the 2009 th year as a rational means in the Struggle against drugs in the location of the service dogs for investigation of drugs taking the role of the Cynological Centre the material-technical equipment was strengthened, attaining 17 numbers new dogs old and ill dogs were substituted by them. The training were held for cynologists.

2005-2009 th years 285 facts were detected. According to these facts 972 kg 538 grammes drugs, 201272 numbers (ampoule, capsule and pill forms) psychotropic substance was taken from the illegal trafficking. Out of these drugs were 162 kg 076 grammes opium, 509 kg 843 grammes hashish, 143 kg 119 grammes heroin, 157 kg 047 grammes marijuana.

During last five years in connection with illegal drugs trafficking 329 men, out of them 191 Azerbaijan citizens, 86 citizens of Iran, 12 citizens of Georgia, 12 citizen of Russia, 7 citizens of Pakistan, 5 citizen of Nigeria, Ghana and other African countries, 5 citizen of Turkey, 4 citizen of Uzbekistan, 1 citizen of Lithuania, 1 citizen of Cambodia were made answer.

Last years increase of use cases of women as anrcocouries is observed. During 5 years 46 men of making answer, in other world nearly 14 percent were women. Even there is use case of children in transportation of drugs.

Last years among taken narcotics from illegal trafficking heroin having “strong influence” gives rise to serious anxiety. If during the 2005-2006 th years 1487 grammes heroin was captured, but this numbers during the 2008-2009 th years was 130125 grammes, that was in comparison 87,5 times more.

According to opinion of specialist from 1 kg heroin 10.000 doze is received. It is possible to make dependent 170 men on drigs by 100 grammes heroin.

In comparison with previous years amount of captured opium and hashish considering “heavy” increased, on the contrary amount of marijuana decreasing 380 times from 143.6 kilogrammes in the 2005 th year, but in the 2009 th year it was only 377 grammes.

Illegal production of taken drugs was not met in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Side by side with this during the 2005-2009 th years taking vegetation period into account as a result jointly implemented measures together with other legal-protection by customs authorities employees over 20 thousand numbers wild hemp shrubs with narcotic property were detected from the boder districts of the republic and abolished.

Last years analysis of detected facts and operational information proves that most narcotics were brought to Azerbaijan from Iran and transported to Russia by narcosmugglers.

Besides this a considerable amount drugs, mainly heroin was captured in Iran-Azerbaijan-China route. Narcocouriers using of Baku-Moscow-Shanghai, Baku-Tbilisi-Istanbul-Shanghai, Baku-Istanbul-Shanghai flight tried to transport heroin brought to Azerbaijan from Iran. Information about transportation brought drugs to Azerbaijan directly or through Georgia to Europe (mainly to Italy) was received. Last years one of the main problems giving rise to special anxiety is increase of commiting facts by transnational organized criminal groups of narcosmuggling and narcogroups. According to these facts, analysis of transportation route and other cases show importance of joining of international efforts in the Struggle against them and these crimes having transnational character by covering some states territory.

Last years carrying out serious division of duty among narcogroups members. existing selfdiscipline and control use of advanced technology, modern finance and payment system increase riskiness of these groups and cause difficulties in the struggle against them.

For example from May 8, 2009 up July 10, 2009 period as a result of implemented complex operational-investigation and investigation measures 6 transnational criminal group was exposed and over 50 kilogrammes drug with strong infuence drug, heroin was taken. During these measures a great narcochannel for transportation narcotics to Pakistan-Iran-Azerbaijan, but then China and Italy organized by Pakistan and Nigeria narcobusinessmen was detected and 15 men trying to transport narcotic in the special made secret storage place: 7 Pakistan, 3 Uzbekistan, 1 Nigeria, 2 Azerbaijan, 1 Lithuania, 1 Cambodia citizen (9 men, 6 women) were captured and made answer. 12 numbers suitcases having writing on them “BLESS” were taken from the special made secret storage places under the lining of the narcocarriers. According to the noted facts the criminal action was started by articles 206.4, 234.4.1 and 234.4.3 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan/.

In the 2007 th year the analogical facts were registered by Azerbaijan customs officials.

Thus, on July 30, 2007 while implementing the customs inspection of the suitcase belonging to the citizen of the Ukraine, passenger trying to fly by Baku-Urumchu flight I.Krasnyuk hidden inside of it 3115 grammes, on December 5, 2007 while implementing the customs inspection of the suitcase belonging to the citizen of the Republic of Azerbaijan trying to fly by Baku-Moscow-Shanghai flight N.Guliyev 2622 grammes heroin was detected by employees of the Head Customs Office in the Air Transport. In connection with the last as a result of the implemented urgent operational-investigation measures 2500 grammes heroin was detected in different flats in Baku city and citizens Mali, Ghana, Nigeria were stopped.

One of the problems rousing interest and demanding special attention, in service activity of customs authorities are special hide methods using in smuggling of drugs. Hide methods are many-coloured and numerous used by narcosmugglers.

Last years with the object of secretly illegal transportation drugs through a customs border specially made secret places in air balloons, fuel tanks, spare wheels, cargo places, empty places, tape-recorders of motor wehicles, inside of a body, intestine emptiness, hide inside of fruit, washing powder, underclothes, heel of shoes, inside cigarettes and match boxes, double side suitcases, gas balloons, vacuum cleaners, emptiness of other musical centers, shampoo, post sendings, emptiness of ventilator and ceiling of carriages and other hide methods were widely used.

Information about interesting hide methods for detected many facts by Azerbaijan customs authorities as an example were broadcasted all member customs services by the World Customs Organization.

With the object of building reliable shield in front of illegal drugs international trafficking by improving forms and methods of struggle against narcotics the implementation of the complex measures is being continued by customs authorities of the Republic of Azerbaijan.