U.S. names transit corridors for drug trafficking in S.Caucasus

Georgia is a transit corridor for drug shipment from Asia to Europe, a report of the U.S. Department of State on international drug control strategy in 2012 says. It says that this is due to location of Georgia.

"Many observers believe that Georgia's separatist regions are main corridor for drug smuggling. Georgia's legislation is not again executed in the separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. There are concerns that the drugs pass through this territory. It is impossible to re-verify this information, as the Russian occupation forces or de facto government of the regions do not exchange information on movement of drugs with the Georgian side," the report says.

The document's authors also note that the trucks moving on long-distance routes, sometimes carry drugs, and these goods must be checked at the points of departure and prior to shipment must be sealed.

The report's items on Georgia say that the country does not produce drugs, except a small volume of amphetamine-type stimulants.

The so called "crocodile", which is an alternative to morphine and is becoming popular, is mentioned as internal drug problems in Georgia. It also says that heroin, subutex, methadone and marijuana are available on the domestic market.

The document contains information of local researchers, according to whom 40,000-80,000 people in Georgia use drugs. Although the report says that the government strengthened the program of drug addicts' treatment and prevention.


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