BELPOL received a report on the state of the «fight» against drug trafficking in the Vitebsk region for 2025, where the scale of the operations carried out immediately catches the eye — thousands of square meters of destroyed crops,hundreds of registered crimes, dozens of minors detained. However, a detailed examination of the document reveals a contradictory picture: despite the allegedly active enforcement measures, there has been no sustained improvement in the situation.
Statistical growth
The main worrying point is the growing number of crimes related to drug trafficking, despite «large-scale operations», regular preventive raids and hundreds of involved officers.
During the reporting period, the following was identified 352 crimes (+3.9%). Of which. 153 cases of possession and sale of drugs by minors.
Compared to last year in 30 times increased the amount of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their analogs seized from illicit trafficking - from 21.6 kg to 615.8 kg (600 kg were transiting the Republic of Belarus). Psychotropic substances are the most popular, in particular «alpha-PVP», «mephedrone», «4-CMS.».
Number of minors registered as users of psychoactive substances, - 393 people. At the same time, the so-called law enforcement agencies emphasize the «fairly stable» level of the drug situation, a statement that is difficult to reconcile with the figures they cite.
Minors are the most vulnerable group
The paper captures several disturbing trends:
sharp increase in the number of juvenile offenders (up to +44% in some periods);
students of special educational institutions commit serious crimes related to drug sales - at the age of 16-17;
the number of adolescents on the preventive register is growing, but the effectiveness of prevention is questioned because behavior does not change. In other words, everything is done for a check mark, not for real results.
Despite the public active work of schools, CDCs and medical services, the document records: the level of first-time detected underage users remains the same - 2 persons. This may indicate either insufficient detection or irrelevant control methods combined with ineffective performance of the responsible structures.
Internet drug trafficking: the fight is stalled
A separate chapter is devoted to the fight against online stores. A figure is given: in 10 months, the activities of the following were stopped 11 sites.
However, a logical question remains open: how much does this correspond to the actual number of channels in operation?
According to cybercrime market experts, the closure of 11 stores in the face of actively growing demand and widespread messenger commerce looks like a minimal rather than systemic victory.
Imbalance between enforcement and prevention measures
The document captures:
dozens of prevention raids,
quarterly operations of the entire MIA system,
the so-called «interaction» with the KGB, the State Border Committee, the TKP and other agencies.
However, the bottom line states:
«There has been no decrease in the number of reported IUU crimes.». In other words: despite the scale, drug crime is not decreasing. The efficiency is practically zero. This calls into question the effectiveness of the purely force model, which, judging by the documents, continues to be the main focus.
Problems with the medical component
The reference notes:
are registered with the health authorities include 801 people,
of which 408 are related to non-medical use.
At the same time, 18.4% consume psychostimulants, 25.5% consume cannabinoids, and 14.1% consume opioid-group substances. However, there are virtually no conclusions in the document about the reasons for the increase or changing consumption patterns. It gives the impression that public health care performs a purely registration function, without full-fledged analytics and systemic prevention.
22 child pornography offenses - and silence on the details
The most closed part of the document is the statistics on crimes related to child pornography. They include 22 cases, Some of the episodes include distribution of materials by minors on the Internet.
In other words, teenagers are not just victims - they are increasingly acting as intermediaries, often without realizing the criminal consequences. This shows one thing: prevention on the Internet is either absent or does not work at all.
A sharp rise in poisonings
In the 10 months recorded:
24 cases of poisoning with narcotics,
among them minors in Liozno, Vitebsk and Orsha.
This figure is particularly alarming given the proliferation of synthetic substances that are dangerous even in small doses.
Strengthening interagency operations: effect or accountability?
The operations described in the document («Canal», «Western Dvina», «Mak») look large-scale:
destroyed 5508.688 kg poppies,
liquidated 29.825 kg. cannabis,
destroyed 106 820 м² crops.
But rates of use and crime remain the same or are on the rise.
A legitimate question arises: doesn't such a gap indicate that the main focus is on police indicators rather than on making a real difference?
You can read the document below:
Long Live Belarus!
