Due to the access to Internet – this miraculous invention – I could present this material with details about drug trafficking and abuse in Romania. I hope it could be my invitation to discuss facts, express opinions and act together if possible. I strongly believe that PROBLEMS HAVE SOLUTIONS, NOT EXCUSES!

Let’s find the solutions together!

Drug Trafficking and Urban Criminality in Romania

Since 1990 Romania, a former communist country, has passed through deep political, economic and social changes. Those changes are also found in the increase in criminality. Due to its geographical position and its population (about 23 millions), Romania is targeted by international networks specialized in drug trafficking.

The criminals in Romania are becoming more and more specialized; Mafia-like structures have merged and typical cases of organized crime have increased in number. One of the most serious crimes Romania faces is the illicit trafficking of narcotics and Psychotropic substances, drug addiction being connected to this phenomenon.

Efforts have been made to develop an effective drugs control policy, including the strengthening of cooperation and the coordination of coherent activities according to the existing provisions of the European Agreements with the aim of counteracting the continual escalation of the drugs problem in Europe.

Favourable internal and external factors and conditions for illegal trafficking and drug addiction:

  • Romania’s position on the route linking the Orient and the Occident for commercial transport and tourism;
  • The war in ex-Yugoslavia which shifted the classical Balkan route northwards, mainly through Bulgaria-Romania-Hungary in the direction of Western European countries;
  • Romania’s geographical position, located next to countries and regions renowned for drugs production and consumption;
  • The important networks’ need to create new routes for transporting drugs, as well as a market for drugs;
  • The rights and liberties won by Romanian nationals following the 1989 Revolution, such as the free traffic and the opening of the borders as well as the legal and illegal arrival of a number of foreigners in Romania;
  • The lack of legislation and the lack of the technical means needed to detect narcotics, the lack of specialists within the Police force, the Customs Administration and the Ministry of Health;
  • The lack of state structures and persons within institutions who can find out, know about and fight against the phenomena of drug trafficking and drug addiction. The above mentioned tasks should be carried out by nominated persons in institutions such as the church, institutions for educational and social protection and members or organizations of the civilian society;
  • Social and economic problems generated by deep changes in the society;
  • Group demonstrations among the youth: curiosity and overreaction;
  • The gradual transformation of Romania’s role: a transit country at the beginning and a deposit country later;
  • The establishment of connections between criminals inside and outside Romania;
  • Ignorance or the lack of knowledge amongst Romanian nationals concerning the danger of drug abuse and existence of prevention programs in the field;
  • Corruption amongst the members of State institutions whose task is to discover and fight against the phenomenon (they are pursuing their interests instead of those of the institutions they represent)

STAGES in Drug Abuse and Trafficking :

Historically:

  • Before 1989the involved persons were:
  • foreigners
  • medical stuff (in Romania)who could handle medicines with narcotic content
  • sick people who became addicted as a result of a treatment with such medicines for a long period of time (in Romania)
  • alcohol addicts who were combining the alcohol effects to the effect of some medicines
  • After 1989the persons involved:
  • foreigners who settled in Romania legally or illegally (they had experienced such habits in their native countries);
  • tourists or businessmen from abroad;
  • Romanian criminal who got into contact with narcotics while abroad (they got connected to persons of the same categories there);
  • Ex-Romanians nationals who emigrated before 1989 and came back as tourists or took back Romanian citizenship and were involved in drug consumption and trafficking in the countries they come from;
  • Foreigners who study in Romania;
  • Youth in schools, high schools or universities;
  • Different categories of artists;
  • Romanian nationals (mostly women)married to foreigners or having business relations with foreigners
  • Romanians working abroad

- forming groups to consume and distribute drugs on ethnic grounds

- setting distribution and consumption centers on zone criteria

(neighbourhood, streets)

  • Concentrating such activities in the vicinity of University campuses, schools and high schools;
  • The appearing of leaders specialized in drugs distribution and the creation of their own networks;
  • The Involvement of Mafia-like groups composed of gypsies in the activities of distribution and consumption (connection with criminal organization from abroad);
  • Focusing foreign drug traffickers’ attention on our country and running activities meant to create, develop and conquer the Romanian market;
  • The increase in drug addiction amongst youth and adults (13-40 years old);
  • The pyramidal structure based drug distribution and consumption within small communities;
  • Poly-addiction due to the variation of prices and of the existence of some drugs
  • Considering the three forms of consumption (occasional, recreational and drug addicts) the number of those who have already got in contact with drugs is extremely large

TYPES OF NARCOTIC DRUGS TRAFFICKED AND ABUSE in Romania:

  • There are different types of drugs being abused in relation to various geographic regions
  • There are different types of drugs being abused to in relation to different ethnic groups
  • Youth prefer to use light drugs
  • The type of drugs trafficked varies according to the geographical areas in the world where production is known
  • The most popular drugs are: heroin, opium, hashish, cannabis, medical drugs, cocaine, amphetamines, volatile substances

The highest percentage of drugs are produced outside Romania.

Still cannabis – light drugs for personal use –is produce inside Romania by classical methods (natural growing and by sophisticated ones).

Worth mentioning is the decrease in purchasing power of abusers that leads some of them to abuse alcohol mixed with the use of medical drugs

METHODS OF ABUSE, CONCEALMENT AND BRINGING IN OF DRUGS

  1. Drugs are brought and concealed:

in luggage, on the body, swallowed, in cars/buses, TIR trucks, electric and electronic equipment, in food

  1. Drugs are shipped:

by plane/ by sea/ railroad

  1. Methods of abuse:

by inhaling/ by smoking/ by injection (it can spread AIDS, hepatitis, etc)

PERSONS INVOLVED IN TRAFFICKING AND ABUSE OF DRUGS

  • ethnic groups
  • groups distinguish by

-musical criteria (Rockers, Hardiest, Metallists)

-fashion criteria (Punks)

-religious criteria (Satanists)

  • criminal elements (gypsies)
  • students, pupils
  • artists
  • businessmen

TRAFFICKING DRUGS AND URBAN CRIME – Favourable conditions:

  • great number of inhabitants (easy recruitment of future potential clients)
  • concentration in urban areas (university campus, schools, high schools)
  • increased possibilities of hiding offenders and reduced chances of discovery
  • existence of numerous places and means favourable to the conduction of such criminal activities
  • concentration in the urban area of persons and places for depositing goods and valuables
  • increased opportunities of association for committing crimes
  • easier find hiding places for goods and valuables obtained bycommitting antisocial acts and trade them later on
  • easy mobility and diversity of means of communication

There are three mainly forms that connect the illicit drugs trafficking to other criminal activities:

1.)the committing of antisocial acts for the purpose of procuring drugs

2.)the committing of antisocial acts as a following of drug abuse

3.)the committing of antisocial acts during the trafficking of large quantities of drugs

Drug trafficking is supplemented also by criminal acts that cross borders of Romania:

-the trafficking of stolen cars/ vehicles

-white slavery

-illegal immigration

-weapons trafficking

-money counterfeiting

-money laundering

-economic crimes

-illegal border crossing

Inside Romania:

-thefts of vehicles

-prostitution

-robberies

-pick pocketing

-etc

In Romania:

  • changes in respect of the bio-psycho-social coordinates of the personality of citizens (especially in the urban area)
  • elements that have been profoundly affected and have determined or favoured the criminal phenomenon, including illicit drug trafficking and abuse:

-family

-school

-place of work

-organizing the free time

-alcoholism

-the economic factor and civilization

-legislation and punishments

  • Before 1989 the persons involved in the drug trafficking and abuse were mostly foreigners.
  • After 1989 there was a larger involvement of Romanian citizens (teenagers and young people, members of ethnic groups, mostly men but also women) in the drug trafficking and abuse.
  • Official statistics suggest the number of drug users has doubled in Romania over the past four years (2001-2005), while the average age of those taking drugs has steadily decreased over that time.
  • There are some 20,000 registered users of all ages in the capital Bucharest alone, though actual numbers are believed to be far higher.
  • Officials and youth workers are particularly concerned over a darker and less publicised problem that has emerged as a result - the rising number of young drug users sharing syringes, because they are too poor to buy their own.
  • More prosperous drug addicts who want to avoid detection take advantage of the economic difficulties of the young addicts, using them to fetch their drug fixes in exchange for payment in kind.
  • “Many inject themselves with heroin several times ... depending on the rewards or favours from the wealthy addicts,” said Cosmin Gane, a health educator in Bucharest.
  • The rise in drug use is one of the many results of the severe economic and social decline that accompanied Romania’s post-communist transition.
  • Nearly one third of all Romanians live below the poverty line, and the average monthly salary is less than 200 euro.
  • The economic crisis also meant severe cutbacks in government funded social programmes, like sports and cultural centres, which had previously provided a gathering place for the country's youth. Many young people suddenly found themselves alone on the street, with no jobs and few prospects at the same time the Romanian drug market was exploding.
  • There are programmes to help the addicts, but many have so far reported only limited success.
  • Average Romanians don’t have much sympathy for drug users, viewing addiction as a condition that strikes only those who deserve it. A report released recently by the National Anti Drug Agency, ANA, found that less than 20 per cent of Romanians believe that the drug users should be tolerated.
  • “Many Romanians do not want anything to do with people different from themselves,” said Maria Georgescu, president of the Romanian Association Against AIDS, ARAS. “Some resent the time and money spent trying to help stem the tide of the drug addiction phenomenon.”
  • Law enforcement officers are also reluctant to comment on the issue.
  • “Research about this kind of group should be conducted by doctors and not by police officers involved in preventing or fighting drugs,” said Petre Craciun, spokesman for the Romanian police.
  • People working in the drugs-prevention field accuse the government of failing to support anti-addiction programmes and mistakenly viewing the problem of drug abuse as primarily a criminal issue
  • “Even health officials prefer to treat the physical symptoms of drug addiction without addressing the patient's deeper social and psychological needs. There aren't enough programmes focusing on understanding the problem in general and what should be done to solve it in particular,” said Lucian Vasilescu, a doctor at a drug treatment hospital in Bucharest.
  • We should begin by educating children and their parents in schools or by helping families with problems. And only after that we should think about the law enforcement issue of selling drugs.

Prevention and fight against crime (Government of Romania: Chapter 27 - National Security Policy)

The Romanian Government will cooperate with the Romanian Presidency within the Supreme Council of National Defense in order to implement a National Strategy of Crime Prevention. The strategy will establish the objectives and the role of authorities, schools, family and civil society in preventing crime.
The objectives of the strategy:

  • Protection of local communities and schools;
  • Implementation of special programsfor those youngsters and their families who are living within an environment with high criminal risk that generate domestic violence, sexual abuse, drugs consumption, or promote a criminal culture, such as the poor areas, the outskirts within the urban localities;
  • Implementation of some special programs addressed to marginalized persons that are living within the declining industrial areas. These programs will integrate within local and regional development programs;
  • Fight against drug consumption and trafficking;
  • Special problems for youngsters with a violent conduct or who joined gangs to commit criminal activities;
  • Special programs addressing the Roma community;

The measures to prevent and fight the crimes will be implemented at community level, on the basis of evaluations and solutions proposed by the representatives of local communities and by the territorial authorities in charge with assuring the public order in accordance with Law no. 218/ 2002, taking into account the mechanisms of institutional organization that refer to:

  • Implementation of the mechanisms of communication and partnership between police and the representatives of local community in order to identify the best solutions to prevent and fight the crime, assure the protection/ patrolling on streets, in parks and schools;
  • Informing the public upon the mechanisms of preventing the crime

Fight against the organized crime includes the following measures:

  • Implementation of the national strategy of fighting the organized crime, especially the drug, human trafficking, the trafficking with stolen cars, faked currency, traveler’s checks, and credit cards, with strategic and nuclear materials;
  • Organizing in a clear manner within this strategy of the integrated management between the structures of the Ministry that manage the policies upon internal affairs and of the cooperation mechanisms with other Ministries, or with international organizations such as INTERPOL and EUROPOL or with national police within other countries;

The organizational and legislative framework for carrying out the activities to combat illicit drug trafficking and abuse

  • Organizational framework:

-Police through its authorized unit, the Anti Drug Service of the a Squad for Countering Organized Crime and Corruption, conducts specific activities in cooperation with other police units,with other institutions and authorized bodies,governmental or non governmental.

-Romanian Police is in permanent contact with police forces from all over the world and other international bodies.

-The National Anti-Drug Agency has a difficult mission:

  • up-dating of the Romanian Anti-drug Strategy
  • harmonizing the national legislation with the international conventions and laws on drugs
  • coordinating the co-operation between the agencies involved in drugs supply reduction
  • supporting the drugs demand reduction
  • setting up of new international connections dedicated to the strengthening of the fight against drugs.
  • Legislative frame work:

-The Article 312 of the Criminal Code, modified with new amendments (the punishments provided for illicit drug trafficking being life imprisonment or 3 to 25 years imprisonment – being intended to discourage this crime)

-A special law regarding illicit drug trafficking and abuse has been drawn up and has been submitted to the Parliament for passing and is soon to be approved

-All the activities conducted are in full accordance with the provisions of the conventions of which Romania is a signatory:

  • The Single Convention on Drugs (1961)
  • The Convention on Psychotropic Substances (1971)
  • The Convention Against Illicit Drugs Trafficking and Psychotropic Substances of 1988
  • Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of party since 11 November 1990.
  • Convention against Transnational Organized Crime party since December 2000.