About narcotic drugs…

September 16, 2024

The legal and organizational framework for state policy in the sphere of circulation and counteraction to illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their precursors and analogues is defined in the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances, Their Precursors and Analogues".

The aforementioned Law contains definitions of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their precursors and analogues.

In accordance with Article 1 of the Law, narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances are substances of natural or synthetic origin included in the Republican List of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Their Precursors Subject to State Control in the Republic of Belarus.

The aforementioned Republican List is approved by the Resolution of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus dated February 11, 2015 No. 19 (last amended on April 7, 2021 No. 32). It can be freely accessed on the Internet in the reference database of legal information of the Republic of Belarus, the legal reference system "ConsultantPlus" and other legal databases.

The legislator has established a blanket ban on the non-medical use of all narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. Any intentional actions with the listed substances and drugs for non-medical purposes entail criminal or administrative liability – this is what involvement in the illegal trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances means.

It should be understood that criminal liability for the illegal trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, or their precursors or analogues, for their production, processing, acquisition, storage, transportation, or dispatch may arise from the age of 16, and for their trafficking with the intent to sell, or for the sale itself – from the age of 14.

Unfortunately, such instances of illegal activity continue to occur in the Gluboksky district, which are promptly and effectively detected by drug control officers.

An example of this is the story of a resident of the Gluboksky district who, living in a village quite remote and secluded from the district center, at the end of 2021, collected wild-growing Cannabis plants, dried them, removed the leaves from the stems, and stored them in various boxes and bags. Subsequently, he illegally stored them in outbuildings at his place of residence, periodically using them by smoking.

However, his "amusement" did not last long, and its result was ultimately 2 years of imprisonment with a 2-year suspended sentence, imposed by the verdict of the court of Glubokoe district. The evidence collected and presented in court by the state prosecution did not allow the "thrill-seeker" to evade responsibility and gave the court sufficient grounds for his conviction under Part 1 of Article 328 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus for the illegal acquisition and possession of narcotic drugs without the intent to sell.

 

Deputy Prosecutor

of Glubokoe District                                                             Ya.I. Sosnovsky