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Life imprisonment could be introduced for drug dealing - Russian official

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MOSCOW, October 5 (RIA Novosti) - Life imprisonment could be introduced for drug distribution in Russia, a senior narcotics police official said Thursday.

According to the Federal Drug Control Service, there are about 400,000 drug addicts officially registered in Russia, but experts put their number at about six million people.

The distribution of narcotic substances is currently punished by up to 20 years in prison, and Colonel General Vladimir Zubrin, deputy head of the service, does not rule out that life imprisonment could be imposed in the future for the sale of large quantities.

Saying that 27 countries handed out death penalties for drug distribution, he said: "Russia will not do that, of course. However, as a Russian who knows what harm drugs do, I personally advocate capital punishment for drug crimes."

Zubrin said about 60% of drug-trafficking cases end in prison terms, and that overdoses had claimed 100,000 lives in 2005, and 70,000 in 2004.

"Besides, the average age of drug addicts is gradually declining. Earlier, we said teenagers started using drugs at 14-15 years of age, whereas now they do at 11-12," he said.

He said Russian police had busted 2,500 drug dens over the first eight months of the year. A total of 64,132 drug-related crimes were registered, which is 19% more than in 2005. More than 24,000 people were prosecuted for the storage, transportation and sale of drugs.

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