In the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, its not hard to find an offer of a high-paying job in Russia.
Ads posted around the city promise job-seekers a chance to earn $1,000 a week -- double what most Bishkek residents earn in a month. The ads say the job requires just three to four hours of work each day, and the workers travel costs to Russia and housing will both be paid for.
When RFE/RL contacted the Telegram account listed on the ads, a reply came back confirming that the work would involve transporting illegal drugs.
Its an offer that many Kyrgyz citizens have taken, despite the serious risks. Drug-trafficking charges in Russia can result in prison terms of 20 years to life.
The career of a drug courier is very short -- at best, they last two weeks, Mirlan Toktobekov, an immigration lawyer, told RFE/RL. Of all the crimes committed by Kyrgyz citizens in the Russian Federation, the majority are drug-related. I recently took part in a court case where a Kyrgyz citizen, born in 1998, was sentenced to 15 years for simply transporting a package, Toktobekov said.
