Anatoly VYBORNY: “Extradite or prosecute. Russia has agreed upon joint actions against terrorists and drug traffickers with CSTO Member States” .

Anatoly VYBORNY, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Defence and Security of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization and Chairman of the Expert and Advisory Council at the CSTO PA Council, took part in the discussion of the draft 2021–2025 CSTO PA Action Plan on Approximation and Harmonization of National Legislation of the CSTO Member States.
Mr VYBORNY said in an interview with Sputnik Tajikistan, “As far as terrorism or drug trafficking are concerned, their representatives always try to be half a step ahead of legal regulation in any state. Today, criminal gangs enjoy not only illegal sponsorship of stakeholders, but also quite legitimate ways to earn money: stock exchanges, investments, business. They are also finding new sources of financing, including cryptocurrencies. That is why Afghanistan restricts the use of cryptocurrency, but in many countries such currency is neither legal nor prohibited.”
“We have agreed with CSTO Member States to conduct joint and coordinated actions on international platforms, including the UN. So now, drug traffickers and terrorists won’t be able to ‘lay low’ and sit it out in a neighbouring CSTO Member State. The ‘extradite or prosecute’ principle should apply to such criminals.”
In addition, the approximation of the anti-terrorism and anti-drug legislation of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Tajikistan will make it possible to confiscate financial assets and property not only from terrorists but also from drug dealers and their relatives.
A comprehensive strategy, which includes combating the laundering of drug proceeds through cryptocurrency cashing-out schemes, will help stop any attempts to provide financial backing to terrorists through drug trafficking,” Mr VYBORNY said.​