Belarusian Teenagers Can Face Up to 20 Years for Drugs

Emergencies and Crime
BB.LV
Publiation data: 19.01.2026 18:00

Типичный "наркотический" процесс в Минске.

Experts question the effectiveness of the enforcement model that the authorities are focusing on.

In Belarus, the number of teenagers convicted for drug trafficking has tripled. Most of them received actual prison sentences. Children are often detained just weeks after starting their illegal activities. Drug crime, in general, is not decreasing. Experts note that this raises doubts about the effectiveness of the enforcement model that the authorities are focusing on.

According to the Supreme Court, in the first half of 2025, the number of convictions under anti-drug articles increased by almost 3%, with over a thousand citizens convicted. The rise in crime among minors is particularly alarming - the number of convicted minors increased 3.3 times in a year: 40 teenagers were convicted. Criminal liability for drug offenses in Belarus begins at the age of 14.

How Are Teenagers Detained for Drugs?

The Ministry of Internal Affairs notes that teenagers are often detained after working in illegal online stores for just a few days or weeks. For instance, at the end of 2025, two schoolgirls aged 13 and 14 were detained in Bobruisk. "The younger accomplice was caught in the act while performing another task, and particularly dangerous psychotropic substance clefedron was found with her and in hiding places," the police stated.

The eighth-grader found an offer to earn money online, after which she underwent training and became a wholesale and retail courier: she picked up large batches of goods, packaged them, and distributed them through hidden spots around the city. The girl's phone contained correspondence with a ninth-grader, who was soon also detained. The schoolgirls managed to work for less than two weeks.

A criminal case has been initiated against the 14-year-old detainee for illegal drug distribution. Her friend will be under individual preventive supervision for a year, and her parents will be held accountable for failing to fulfill their duties in raising their daughter.

Such cases are not isolated. In April 2025, three minor couriers were detained in Minsk, with 3 kg of psychotropics found at their homes and in hiding places. In July, two 14- and 16-year-old dealers were apprehended in the Pinsk district. In August, a 15-year-old schoolgirl was detained in Mogilev for drug distribution, and in November, a 14-year-old schoolboy was detained in Grodno. All of them face up to 20 years in prison.

Former political prisoner Larisa Shchiryakova noted in a conversation with DW that in the women's colony in Gomel, every fifth convict is for drugs. "They have huge sentences - from 10 years, mostly very young girls, some even minors," the interlocutor explained. "Police officers do not hide that the number of drug crimes is increasing. During preventive talks, they refer to Article 328 of the Criminal Code (illegal drug distribution - Ed.) as a popular one."

Indicators Are Rising, but the Real Situation Remains Unchanged

In the association of former security officials BELPOL, they confirm that drug crime is on the rise. A police memo they received describes the situation in the Vitebsk region. In 2025, the amount of seized drugs increased 30 times, and drug crime rose by 4%. The document notes several alarming trends: a sharp increase in the number of minors among offenders - up by 44%. "The number of teenagers on preventive supervision is increasing, but the effectiveness of prevention is in doubt, as behavior does not change. In other words, everything is done for show, not for real results," BELPOL believes.

Experts note a disparity between enforcement and preventive measures: "Formally, dozens of preventive raids are conducted, quarterly operations by the entire Ministry of Internal Affairs system, but at the end of the year, law enforcement admits that 'there is no reduction in the number of drug crimes.' This raises doubts about the effectiveness of the enforcement model, which, judging by the documents, is still the main focus."

Using the example of the Vitebsk region, BELPOL specialists note that last year several large-scale operations were conducted - over 5.5 tons of poppy were destroyed, and 10.7 hectares of narcotic plant crops were eliminated. However, consumption and crime rates are rising, emphasize the association of former security officials. This may indicate that the focus is on statistics rather than real change in the situation.

How Do Authorities Address the Problem?

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the General Prosecutor's Office hope to reduce crime among children through preventive talks. Children and parents are invited to mandatory meetings with law enforcement, where they discuss the dangers of drugs and harsh penalties.

After each detention of a teenager, an investigation is conducted at the school or college, a source from the education sector told DW.

"This is an emergency for the whole city," the interlocutor said. "In every school and college, explanatory work is carried out. And in the institution where the detainee studied, a detailed check is conducted: how the class teacher and social educator allowed such a situation. Then they are called to court. If it turns out that insufficient explanatory work was conducted, the school will receive a directive to rectify the situation.