Director of the Federal Drugs Control Service Viktor Cherkesov: Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin], I think that one of the main results of our agency’s and of the entire Russian law enforcement system’s work is the major international operations that we have held just recently. Such operations have been taking place regularly in the Central Asian region. Over the last two years we have been organising them within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO).
President Vladimir Putin: Conducting operations is a good thing. But how many criminal proceedings have been instituted on the basis of your evidence, and how many people have been sent to prison as a result, and not drug addicts, but the organisers of these criminal activities?
Viktor Cherkesov: This year more than 80,000 criminal proceedings have been instituted. Of this total, more than 60,000 suites have been filed against drug dealers. For the most part these are people who are involved in organised crime. It is they who are largely responsible for forming these large drug dealing networks and organising the drug trafficking that takes place in this country. It is they who have been in control of this business of late.
Vladimir Putin: How many cases have not just been brought before the courts but have resulted in a guilty verdict? Do you have this information?
Viktor Cherkesov: Yes, of course. Of all the cases brought before the courts, not guilty verdicts were delivered in only 80 cases. In other words, fewer than 100 people were declared not guilty by the courts out of the tens of thousands of accused brought before the courts for drug trafficking.
Vladimir Putin: How is cooperation with our partners developing? You mentioned the operations you have conducted together, ‘Channel 2005’ and other joint operations. How do you assess the state of cooperation with our partners, especially within the Collective Security Treaty Organisation?
Viktor Cherkesov: I think that our cooperation is developing very reliably. This is not just my view as director of the Coordinating Council. We have set up a special structure within the CSTO that enables us to coordinate the activities of all the different agencies involved in fighting drug trafficking.
But there is also another very important factor that increases our potential. Two years ago when we began holding these kinds of operations, only six CSTO countries were involved, but the effectiveness of these operations has incited another six countries to take part too. This autumn, we carried out an operation that involved 12 countries. Now that we have the participation of Iran, Pakistan, China, Uzbekistan and a number of other countries, we have been able to put in place elements of a security zone right around Afghanistan’s borders. In between carrying out large-scale joint operations with these countries, this new cooperation also makes it possible to work on a useful bilateral basis, exchanging operational information and carrying out joint operations to cut off drug supply channels. This all serves to reinforce the possibilities for us and for our partners.
Vladimir Putin: What is the staffing situation in your service at the moment?
Viktor Cherkesov: At the moment we meet our staffing requirements by about 90–92 percent. This means that we have the personnel reserve we need to be able to train young people and take into account the staff rotation necessary as people come to the end of their service.
Vladimir Putin: How many people do you currently employ?
Viktor Cherkesov: Currently we have around 35,000 people.
Vladimir Putin: Viktor Vasilyevich, 35,000 people – this is a huge staff. I don’t even know if any other countries have committed such means to combating drug trafficking as we have. We have set up an entire separate federal service to work in this area. Over these last years you have indeed managed to achieve a lot in terms of setting up the organisation and focusing it on resolving its primary tasks. But at the same time, I think you will agree that we still have a great deal to do to convince the people of Russia that this step was not in vain and that these 35,000 people are working effectively to combat drug trafficking, which remains a very serious threat for our country.