Drug dealing should be punished as stringently as terrorism - head of Duma committee Piskaryov
MOSCOW. Nov 29 (Interfax) - Vasily Piskaryov, chairman of the State Duma Security and Anti-corruption Committee, has called for placing drug dealing and terrorism on the same footing.
"Our task now is to unite all forces in fighting drug dealing because it should be compared to the consequences of terrorist attacks, there is virtually no difference between them, the only difference is the time when consequences occur: if a terrorist blows up a bomb, consequences occur immediately, but the consequences of drug dealing do not occur immediately. The same approaches are needed here," Piskaryov said.
Other countries should adopt laws that are as tough as ones adopted in Russia, he said.
"It's very important to us that there should be very tough, transnational prosecution of drug dealers in any country, no matter where they are, that there should be clear understanding that property obtained by drug dealing should be seized and forfeited to the state," Piskaryov said.
"Such approaches should exist in any country and, if a drug dealer legalizes funds obtained by drug dealing in any country, he should realize that he will be caught, arrested, convicted, and his property will be forfeited to the state, no matter what. It is important that everyone understand this, so that no one is tempted to hide from prosecution in some other country," he said.