MOSCOW, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Russian authorities announced Tuesday a significant decline in drug-related crimes during the first quarter of 2026, with registered offenses falling by 40.1 percent compared with the same period last year.
According to the executive office of the Russian Federation Security Council, the share of drug crimes in the overall crime structure also decreased, dropping from 12.8 percent to 9.2 percent.
Despite the overall decline, the number of suspects charged with drug sales rose by 3 percent, while detected major-amount drug offenses increased slightly by 1.5 percent. Officials indicated this reflects a concentration of law enforcement efforts on eliminating the most significant drug distribution channels.
In the first quarter, over 6.5 tonnes of narcotic and psychotropic substances were seized from illegal circulation. Heroin seizures have continued to decline since 2021, attributed to a global reduction in opium trafficking.
The underground drug market in Russia during January-March 2026 remained fueled by domestic production, contraband imports of controlled substances from abroad, and illegal cultivation and collection of drug-containing plants, primarily hemp.
More than 80 percent of direct drug sales were conducted online. Roskomnadzor (Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia continue to restrict access to such online resources. ■
