BISHKEK. May 18 (Interfax) - Nearly 300 extremist crimes have been committed in Kyrgyzstan in 2018, Kyrgyz Deputy Interior Minister Kursan Asanov told reporters on Friday.
"A total of 284 cases of extremism were recorded over the first four months of this year, which was 11.3% more than in the same period last year. A total of 159 criminal cases were opened. The Service for Combating Extremism and Illegal Migration exposed 571 crimes, which led to the opening of 334 criminal cases," Asanov said.
Kyrgyzstan saw 36 cases of terrorism in the reporting period. Materials related to those cases were submitted to the National Security Committee, he said.
"Thirty extremist websites were closed," Asanov said.
"As many as 458 drug trafficking crimes were committed, and 159 criminal cases were opened. About 1.3 tonnes of narcotic and psychotropic substances and precursors were seized. A total of 627 kilograms of drugs were seized in the same period last year," he said.
Some 365 violations were uncovered in law enforcement agencies, 27 criminal cases were opened, and 30 employees of the Interior Ministry were put under investigation, Asanov said. "A hundred employees were discharged from law enforcement agencies over the period, 82 of them with dishonorable discharges," Asanov said.