ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed legislative amendments on Jan. 2, introducing stricter regulations on the illegal trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their analogs, precursors, and potent substances.
The amendments aim to strengthen accountability for the production and distribution of drugs while applying more lenient penalties to individuals acting as couriers.
The law is a part of the initiatives proposed at the National Kurultai in March 2024 in Atyrau, where Tokayev reiterated his vision to build a Just Kazakhstan.
The President’s policy of a Just and Fair Kazakhstan has emphasized five core principles: different opinions but one nation, a listening state, law and order, a strong President with an influential Parliament and an accountable Government, and the concept of Adal Azamat (an honest citizen in Kazakh).
Key provisions of the new law
The law introduces stricter criminal liability for drug production, particularly by officials involved in manufacturing and distribution. Convicted individuals now face 15 to 20 years of imprisonment or life imprisonment with property confiscation.
For first-time offenders acting as couriers, the law reduces penalties in cases without aggravating circumstances. Sentences now range from five to eight years of imprisonment with property confiscation, down from the previous five to 10 years. This change recognizes that couriers, often youth, neither directly produce nor process drugs and are frequently exploited by criminal organizations.
Repeat offenders, however, face stricter penalties, including imprisonment for seven to 12 years and property confiscation.
Individuals distributing drugs within criminal groups, in educational institutions, or to minors will face sentences of 15 to 20 years in prison with property confiscation. Officials involved in drug distribution now face 15 to 20 years in prison, up from the previous 10 to 15 years, with property confiscation.
The law also introduces new provisions to combat illegal drug trafficking, including criminal liability for the unlawful cultivation of plants containing narcotic substances, particularly when grown by criminal groups or on a large scale; penalties for the illegal circulation of precursors, potent substances, and equipment used in drug or toxic substance production; and sanctions for violations of rules governing narcotic analogs, psychotropic substances, and precursors.
These amendments follow recent legislative measures addressing gambling and lottery regulation, vape sales, penalties for violence against women and children, human trafficking, vandalism, and property damage.
