Drug-related crimes among women and youth increase in Uzbekistan

From 2020 to 2024, the number of people prosecuted for drug-related crimes in Uzbekistan has more than doubled. Statistics show a growing share of women and young people among offenders. This was reported to QALAMPIR.UZ by Sarvar Urmonov, senior inspector at the National Center for Drug Control under the Presidential administration of Uzbekistan.

According to him, five years ago, women accounted for only a small percentage of offenders, but their number has now tripled. The situation among the youth is even more alarming, every third person convicted of a drug crime is under the age of 30.

Urmonov noted that this sharp rise can be linked to the active spread of narcotic substances through social networks. Criminal groups are increasingly targeting young people, luring them with promises of easy money, but ultimately leading them toward danger and destruction.

’’Law enforcement agencies are achieving progress in seizing large quantities of narcotic substances and strengthening border control. However, criminal networks themselves are becoming increasingly complex. Drug trafficking has shifted from the real world to the digital sphere. Therefore, combating it requires new approaches, from developing cyber monitoring and data analysis to preventive measures in schools and universities,’’ the expert said.

It was stated that despite the government’s efforts to tighten control, expand international cooperation, and enhance preventive measures, the dynamics show that the drug market is quickly adapting to new conditions.

’’To keep the situation under control, proactive action is needed, on the internet, in schools, and within families. Today, the fight against drug addiction is not only the responsibility of law enforcement officers but also a shared duty of all of us,’’ Urmonov emphasized.

It is worth noting that earlier, a third-year student of a private university was arrested for actively participating in an organized group engaged in the online sale of synthetic drugs in the Tashkent district of the Tashkent region. In the first six months of 2025, 46 university students across Uzbekistan were involved in drug-related crimes.