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Belarus’ upper house of parliament ratifies agreement on SCO Anti-Drug Center
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MINSK, 27 February (BelTA) – The bill “On the ratification of the agreement between the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on the SCO Anti-Drug Center” was approved during a meeting of the fourth session of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus of the eighth convocation, BelTA has learned.
“The need to sign this agreement stems from several negative trends in criminal activity, namely the expansion of drug supply volumes and channels from both European Union countries and Asia; the use of illicit schemes for precursor trafficking in India and China to supply the global market; the shift of organized drug crime into the digital realm; and the use of non-bank payment methods for settlements in the drug business,” Minister of Internal Affairs Ivan Kubrakov said. He also pointed out that in 2025, 3 tonnes of drugs were seized in Belarus, 2.5 tonness of which were in transit through our country.
The minister added that the main tasks of the center are defined as monitoring the drug situation in the SCO region; information and analytical support for the competent authorities of the member states of the organization, including the formation and maintenance of a data bank, collection, storage, protection, analysis and exchange of information on persons, criminal schemes and processes related to drug trafficking; legal work; organizational and methodological activities, namely training of personnel and exchange of experience; countering drug trafficking; and the preparation and implementation of coordinated international operations and investigative measures to counter drug trafficking.
Ivan Kubrakov stressed that Belarus’ ratification of the agreement will expand mutual information exchange with SCO member states and pave the way for more coordinated action both at specific points in the drug trafficking chain and against the organizers and distributors behind these criminal networks.
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