The extended Board meeting devoted to the work carried out for review and receipt of communications from citizens and combating illicit trafficking in drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors in city and regional police authorities was held in the Ministry of Internal Affairs on the 20th November.
Opening the meeting, the Minister of Internal Affairs Colonel General Ramil Usubov noted that both matters under discussion are relevant and take on great importance in operational and service activities. He also recalled that review of citizens’ appeals was always in the focus of attention of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, and  emphasized that recently heads of the central executive authorities hold regular receptions of citizens and deal with every issue personally based on the President’s instructions.
It was noted that focused organization of this important work and at the same time strengthening of citizens’ trust and confidence in the police, and ensuring citizens' satisfaction are the key priorities.
It was also stressed that it is important to discuss the state of works done in combating illegal trafficking of drugs which creates serious threats to the life and health of people, makes great blows to the moral values of the society, being one of the major reasons for commission of many grave crimes and to define the duties set forth.

The chief of the Secretariat of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, police major-general Safar Aliyev delivered a speech with the report on the first issue of the agenda. He stated that execution of the related provisions of the Decree dated November 24, 2003 “on the measures on acceleration of socio-economic growth in Azerbaijan Republic" and the National Action Plan “on open government promotion” are successfully continued.
As such, during the period of about 3 years, the management of the Ministry has received 6.569 citizens, as well as 2.812 citizens in the regions of the Republic by prior notification in the mass media, also over 178.000 citizens in the territorial police authorities. By the measures taken, in the 9 months of the current year, the number of complaints received from the Administration of the President of Azerbaijan Republic was decreased by 23,7 %, the number of complaints received by the Ministry was decreased by 17,7 %,  as well as the number of repeated complaints was decreased by 25,7 %. In general, considerable decrease was observed in the number of the complaints received from the residents of 55 cities and regions about the police officers. During the same period, about 2.000 individual and collective letters of appreciation  were received by the Ministry.

The chief of the Head Office for Combating Drugs, the police major-general Hazi Aslanov made a report on the second issue on the agenda. He stated that the ministry gives great importance to expedient organization of measures for combating drugs in the Republic and expansion of the international cooperation in this field and takes continuous measures. Only in 9 months of the current year, 695 meetings were held in 78 cities and regions in the subject of prevention of use of drugs and legal publicity among the teenagers and youth and the police chiefs took part in more than half of these measures together with the representatives of other law enforcement and health authorities. During the same period, 28 criminal groups consisting of 67 persons who committed crimes connected with the drugs were neutralized, transportation of 117,5 kg drugs into the country through smuggling was prevented. About 960 kg of various drugs and as well as over 3 kg synthetic content psychotropic substances were removed from the illegal turnover. By the measures taken in the field of prophylaxis of illegal cultivation and wild spread of plants with drug content, 132 tons of hemp and poppy bushes were detected and destroyed.

The persons delivering speech around the issues of the agenda stated that efficient measures would be taken in the direction of prevention of some shortcomings and mistakes in the activities along with noting the works done and the results obtained.
Concluding the meeting, the minister of internal affairs, the colonel-general Ramil Usubov stressed that the activities on both issues discussed were satisfactory in whole, at the same time, they require prevention of above mentioned shortcomings and mistakes, he assigned concrete tasks and gave recommendations.

The minister also required to take necessary measures in the direction of execution of the Order of the President of Azerbaijan Republic dated November 15, 2018 “on establishment of the Organization Committee in respect to holding the 36th International Conference on combating drugs in Baku city on April 16-18, 2019”, also delivered to the attention the importance of increasing efficiency of detection of drugs having strong effect prior to entering into illegal turnover, the criminal-investigation measures directed to identification of the identity of the persons bringing them into the country through smuggling, as well as anti-drug propaganda among the teenagers and youth.
At the end, the minister of internal affairs assured the President of the country Mr. Ilham Aliyev that the personnel would duly perform the requirements of the laws of the country, the decrees and orders of the head of the state, would decently serve to the people and the state, would not refuse its force and skills for reliable protection of order, tranquility, as well as the legal interests of the state and citizens against unlawful actions and finish the current year with good results as ever.