MINSK, 19 April (BelTA) – Close attention should be paid to the fight against illegal trade in narcotics. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the statement at the government conference held on 19 April to discuss the enforcement of law and order, BelTA has learned.
Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “The situation around illegal trade in drugs gives reasons for concern. Once again we see an increase in imported narcotics and psychotropic substances, low effectiveness of detection of major distributors and primarily drug trafficking masterminds.”
In his words, the number of people, who died due to overdosing, increased considerably in 2021. The number of the underage involved in criminal activities is growing. The organization of educational processes and the occupation of children outside school hours need to be reviewed, Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed out.
The loss of life due to external causes is another problem. The number of people who died in fires or drowned increased in 2021. Meanwhile, the number of deaths due to these reasons exceeds the number of deaths caused by crimes by a third – 1,155 vs. 824. Three fourths of those who drowned and more than half of those who died in fires were drunk at the time of death.
The Belarusian leader noted: “When I see these figures, I think how we stress about possible deaths of our soldiers in defense of the motherland, god forbid. Meanwhile, nearly 1,200 people died because they were drunk and drowned, because they burned down their homes while drunk and smoking in bed (those are the main reasons for the loss of life). Nobody stresses about that since it is allegedly a normal thing. 1,200! Fewer people died per year during the war in Afghanistan.”
“It is obvious that municipal government agencies, other entities involved in crime prevention need to work harder,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed. “I expect the prosecutor general to not only analyze the crime situation but make sure that government agencies, organizations in the most sensitive spheres for the society observe the law.”
