(ForUm) - For the last four years the number of drug addicts in Ukraine has increased more than 1.4 times, as chief of counter drug department of Interior Ministry of Ukraine Mykola Andreyev told a press conference. About 26-29 thousand drug addicts get registered annually, he said.
According to Andreyev, active work has been conducted recently to estimate drug situation in the country and prevent this phenomenon. As a result, 43.7 thousand people participating in illegal drug traffic were detained by police officials in 2006, he said.
According to Andreyev, effectiveness of the Presidents task of reducing illicit drug is not measured by a number of arrests of addicts but in reduction in the volume of drugs entering in Ukraine illegally, reports Trend.
The most important thing is to find international channels of drug traffic through which drugs are brought in Ukraine, Andreyev noted. Additionally, the chief of the department pointed out that illegal migrants cause great problem for Ukraine and countries of Western Europe. Being couriers and drug dealers at one time, they make a basis of drug structure, he underscored.