Central Asian states are facing a grave threat to their security from drug trafficking in recent years. Geo-strategic location, unstable socio-political situation, and emergence of radical parties are providing the leitmotif to the proliferation of illegal trade in this region. In some cases, there appears a linkage between drug trafficking and rebel movements on the one hand and the law enforcement authorities on the other. The problem requires adoption of a multi-pronged approach on part of the state authorities of these countries in combating the menace. Civil society organizations can also play an important role in this regard in raising the aware-ness of people regarding the negative consequences of drug use and trade. What may be useful is a firm commitment on the part of political elite in meeting the challenges emanating from drug trafficking. Augmenting the existing regional cooperative arrangements like CSTO, SCO and CACO is also necessary.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Ahisheva, Zuldyz . 2003. ‘ Basic Characteristics of Illegal Drug Distribution in the Region of Central Asia ’, Kazakhstan and Contemporary World, (Almaty) vol. 3, no. 6, pp. 93–99 .
2.
Asian Development Outlook. 2006. Hong Kong: Asian Development Bank .
3.
Baibulov, B.2003. ‘ Illegal Drug Trafficking as a Threat to National Security ’, Central Asia's Affairs, no. 1, pp. 5–7 .
4.
Berimjarov, Asel . 2001. ‘Afghan Drugs: Right now they are the Main Threats’, The Times of Central Asia, 29 December.
5.
Bhadrakumar, M.K.2005. ‘The “Talibanization” of Central Asia’.http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/GE12Ag02.html.
6.
Buzan , Barry, Ole Waever and Jaap de Wilde.1997. Security: A New Framework of Analyses. Bouldor, London: Lynner Rinner .
7.
‘Central Asia’. 2005. ‘ Afghan President Publicly Links Drug Trafficking with Terrorism ’, 14 October. Available at http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/407/karzai.2html. Accessed on 24 December 2005.
8.
Central Asian Human Development Report. 2005. Bringing Down Barriers, Bratislva, United Nations Developmental Programme, Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States .
9.
Chouvey, Pierre Arnaud . 2003. ‘ Opiates Smuggling Routes from Afghanistan to Europe and Asia ’, Jane's Intelligence Review, vol. 15, no. 3 (March), pp. 32–35 .
10.
Cornell, Svante, E.2005a. ‘ The Interaction of Narcotics and Conflict ’, Journal of Peace Research, vol. 42, no. 6, pp. 751–60 .
11.
Cornell, Svante, E.2005b. ‘ Narcotics, Radicalism, and Armed Conflict in Central Asia: The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan ’, Terrorism and Political Violence, vol. 17, pp. 577–97 .
12.
Cornell , Svante E. and Regine A. Spector.2002. ‘ Central Asia: More than Islamic Extremists ’, Washington Quarterly, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 193–206 .
13.
Curtis, Glenn E.2002. Involvement of Russian Organized Crime Syndicates, Criminal Elements in the Russian Military, and Regional Terrorist Groups in Narcotics Trafficking in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Chechnya. Washington DC: Library of Congress Federal Research Division .
14.
Dash, P.L.2003. ‘The Heroin Highway to Hell’, in Mahavir Singh and Victor Krassilchtchikov , eds, Eurasian Vision, pp. 307–18. New Delhi: Anamika .
15.
Dupont, Alan . 1999. ‘ Transnational Crime, Drugs, and Security in East Asia ’, Asian Survey, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 433–55 .
16.
Dziedzic, Michael . 1989. ‘ The Transnational Drug Trade and Regional Security ’, Survival, vol. 31, no. 6, pp. 533–55 .
17.
Engvall, John.2006. ‘ The State Under Siege: The Drug Trade and Organised Crime in Tajikistan ’, Europe-Asia Studies, vol. 58, no. 6, pp. 827–54 .
18.
Esfandiari, Golnaz . ‘ Central Asia: Drug Trafficking Has Devastating Social, Economic Impact ’, http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2004/06/0761f337-a1de-4b7c-a5d0-bbdaeb20d5f1.html.
19.
Eurasia Insight. 2004. ‘ Kyrgyztan Confronted by Narcotics Nightmare as Drug Trade Booms ’, 19 March. Available at: http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav031904.html. Accessed 24 December 2005.
20.
Griffith, Ivelaw L.1993–94. ‘ From Cold War Geopolitics to Post-Cold War Narcotics ’, International Journal, vol. 49, pp. 1–36 .
21.
Hindustan Times. 2006. ‘ China Arrests 27 Foreigners for Heroin Trade ’, 14 November.
22.
International Crisis Group. 2001. Central Asia: Drug and Conflict, ICG Report No. 25, 26 November.
23.
International Narcotics Control Board Annual Report. 2004. http://www.incb.org/e/index.htm.
24.
IRIN News. 2004. ‘Tajikistan: Stemming the Heroin Trade’, 2 August, at http://www.irinnews.org/worldpeials/Opium/regTaj.asp. Accessed on 19 May 2006.
25.
Jackson Nicole, J.2006. ‘ International Organisations, Security Dichotomies and Trafficking of Persons and Narcotics in Post-Soviet Central Asia: A Critique of Securitisation ’, Security Dialogue, vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 299–317 .
26.
Kaushik Devendra . 2000. ‘ Regional Cooperation: The Central Asian Experience ’, Contemporary Central Asia, vol. IV, nos 1–2, pp. 32–42 .
27.
Lubin, Nancy . 2003. ‘ Who's Watching the Watchdogs? ’, Journal of International Affairs, vol. 56, no. 2 (Spring), pp. 45–36 .
28.
Makarenko, Tamara . 2002. ‘ Crime, Terror and the Central Asian Drug Trade ’, Caspian Brief, no. 25, http://cornellcaspian.com/publications/pdf125.0207CA_drugs.pdf. Accessed on 24 December 2005.
29.
Makarenko, Tamara . 2004. ‘ The Crime–Terror Continuum: Tracing the Interplay between Transnational Organised Crime and Terrorism ’, Global Crime, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 129–45 .
30.
Mamadshovev, Marat . 2000. ‘ Tajik Drugs in Kazakh Capital: A Victory for the Special Services or for Diplomatic Intrigue? ’, Eurasia Insight, 15 June. Available at http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav061500.shtml.
31.
Manwaring, Max G.2002. ‘ The New Global Security Landscape: The Road Ahead ’, Low Intensity Conflict & Law Enforcement, vol. 11, nos 2 & 3, pp. 55–76 .
32.
Matveeva, Anna . 2005. ‘Tajikistan: Evolution of the Security Sector and the War on Terror’, in Phillip H. Fluri , ed., Facing the Terrorist Challenge: Central Asia's Role in Regional and International Cooperation, pp. 133–55. Geneva: Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces .
33.
McConnell, Artie . 2002. ‘ Islamic Radicals Regroup in Central Asia ’, Eurasia Insight, 15 May. Available at http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav051502.shtml. Accessed 24 December 2005.
34.
Mc Dermott, Roger . 2005. ‘ Russia Offers Help Combating Drugs in Central Asia ’, vol. 2, no. 226, 6 December. Available at http://www.jamestown.org/edm/article.php?article_id=2370553. Accessed 24 december 2005.
35.
Mili, Hayder . 2005. ‘ Xinjiang: An Emerging Narco-Islamist Corridor ,’ vol. 3, no. 8, 21 April, available at http://jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2369633. Accessed on 23 December 2005.
36.
Olcott, Martha B.1994. ‘ The Asian Interior: The Myth of Tsentral naia Aziia ’, Orbis, Fall, pp. 549–65 .
37.
Moscow News. 2006. ‘Russia to Establish Anti-drug Buffer Zones arond Afghanistan—Official’, 31 May, http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/05/31/afghandrugs.html, Accessed on 15 October 2006.
38.
Moscow News. 2005. Central Asia's Second Chance. Washington DC: Carnegie Endownment for International Peace .
39.
Olcott, Martha Brill and Natalia Udalova . 2000. Drug Trafficking on the Great Silk Road: The Security Environment in Central Asia, No. 11. Washington DC: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace , http://www.ceip.org/files/publications/pdf/drugs.pdf.
40.
Patnaik, Ajay . 2002. ‘ Central Asia and CIS Integration ’, Contemporary Central Asia, vol. VI, no. 3, pp. 1–13 .
41.
Perl, Raphael F.2001. ‘Taliban and the Drug Trade’, CRS Report for Congress, October, RS21041, http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/6210.pdf, accessed on 19 October 2005.
42.
Pravda . 2001. ‘Muslim Fundamentalists in Central Asia are to Establish the New Joint Organization’, 30 May. Available at http://english.pravda.ru/cis/2001/05/30/6301.htmls. Accessed 24 December 2005.
43.
Rabbimov, Komliddin . 2004. ‘ Hizb Ut Tahrir—Leader of the Islamist anti-Democratic Campaign ’, Central Asia and the Caucasus, vol. 3, no. 27, pp. 15–21 .
44.
Rashid, Ahmed . 2001. Taliban, Islam Oil and the New Great Game in Central Asia. London: I .B. Tauris.
45.
Rashid, Ahmed . 2002. ‘Separatist Group in Uzbekistan Selling Drugs for Purchase of Arms’, http://www.eurasianet.org/resources/Uzbekistan/hypermail/200109/0009.html.
46.
RIA-Novosti . 2006. ‘Tajik Leader Lacks Defenses against Trafficking’, 12 January. Available at http://en.riam.ru/world/20060112/42971518.html. Accessed 12 May 2006.
47.
Shambaugh, G. and R. Matthew.1998. ‘ Sex, Drugs and Heavy Metal: Transnational Threats and National Vulnerability ’, Security Dialogue, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 163–75 .
48.
Sharma, R.R.2003. ‘Central Asian Security and Changing Dimension’, in Mahavir Singh and Victor Krassilchtchikov , eds, Eurasian Vision, pp. 235–53. New Delhi: Anamika .
49.
Shelly, L.I.1995. ‘ Transnational Organised Crime: An Imminent Threat to Nation-State ’, Journal of International Affairs, vol. 48, no. 2, pp. 463–89 .
50.
Swanstrom, Niklas . 2003. ‘ The South East Asian and Chinese Connection to Drug Trade in Central Asia ’, Central Asia and Caucasus Analyst, 27 August, http://www.cacianalyst.org/viewarticle.php?articleid=1676.
51.
Swanstrom, Niklas . 2005. ‘ Multilateralism and Narcotics Control in Central Asia ’, CFE Quarterly, February, pp. 5–11 .
52.
SWB/SU/3451/G/3. 1999a. 5 February.
53.
SWB/SU/3665/G/2. 1996b. 14 October.
54.
Szayna, Thomas S. and Olga Oliker , eds. 2003. Faultlines of Conflict in Central Asia and South Caucasus, pp. 71–107. Santa Monica: Rand .
55.
Townsend, Jacob . 2005. China and Afghan Opiates: Assessing the Risk, Trends in Opiate Production. Washington DC: Central Asia-Caucasus Institute, SAIS-Johns Hopkins University .
56.
UNDP. 2002. Second Regional Level Early Warning Report, Batken Province (KYR/01/1001). Batken: Political and Administrative Local Governance Programme .
57.
UNDP. 2005. Bringing Down Barriers (Central Asian Human Development Report), Bratislva .
58.
UNODC. 2006. Milestones, Newsletter , no. 3, April, pp. 1–8 .
59.
Williams, Phil . 2003. ‘Criminalization and Stability in Central Asia and South Caucasus’, in Szayna Thomas S. and Olga Oliker , eds, Faultlines of Conflict in Central Asia and South Caucasus, pp. 71–107. Santa Monica: Rand .
60.
World Bank. 2005. ‘HIV/AIDS and TB in Central Asia’, Central Asia Issue Brief, February. Available at http://www.worldbank.org.
61.
Yegorov, Yury . 2002. ‘ How Heroin Enters Russia ’, New Time, pp. 48–51 .
62.
Zviagelskaya, Irina D.1999. ‘The Tajik Conflict’, Sipri Year Book. Oxford: Oxford University Press .
63.
Zviagelskaya, Irina D. and Vitali V. Naumkin . 1999. ‘Non-Traditional Threats, Chellenges, and Risks and the Former Soviet South’, in Rajan Menon , Yuri E. Federov and Ghia Nodia , eds, Russia, the Caucasus and Central Asia, Russia: The 21st Century Security Environment, pp. 226–48. London: M.E. Sharpe .
