Aleksandr Zelichenko | Biography

Aleksandr Zelichenko, born in 1957 in Kyrgyzstan, Police Colonel (retired), PhD, member of Journalists Association of Kyrgyzstan and National Writers Association of Kyrgyzstan.

One of the founders and first leader of the Special Drug Control Service under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, The State Commission on Drug Control under the Government of Kyrgyz Republic, Director of The Central Asian Drug Policy Center.

More than 35 years of experience as an Officer in the Kyrgyz State Police at operational, supervisory levels, command level and in police training (1978 – 2011), in a wide range of Police services as Police Drug Control Service, Criminal Police, Community Police and Police Reforming as well as extensive experience in multi-cultural and post conflict environments during Cross-Boarder Cooperation Projects in Central Asian region and Missions in Kosovo, Macedonia and Serbia/Montenegro. In 2000–2004 – member of UN, OSCE Missions to the Balkan countries – Kosovo and Macedonia. Team Leader of the International Police Instructors for the post-conflict area in south Serbia. Trained more than 700 police officers from Kosovo and Serbia in crime prevention, general policing, anti-drug activities and community policing Issues.

2004 – 2007 – International drug-policy expert for IHRD/OSI (New York).

Retired since February 2011.

In 2010 – 2013 – Coordinator of EU Central Asian Drug Action Program – CADAP-5.
2015 – 2018 – Coordinator of EU Central Asian Drug Action Program – CADAP-6.

Starting from January 2023 – Expert for EU Central Asian Drug Action Program – CADAP-7.

Author of hundreds articles, essays and stories on subjects of law-enforcement activity against criminal offences, drug-business and terrorism, translated into English, Kyrgyz, Kazakh, Dungan, Serbian, and Polish. Author of the monograph «History of Afghan narco-expansion of 1990th» (Bishkek, 2003), books «Narco-expansion» (Bishkek, 1997), «Kosovo diary» (Bishkek, 2003), “Saboteur from Murghab”, (Bishkek, 2010), “Our peace- keepers on the Balkans”, (Moscow, 2007, Belgrade, 2007), “Heroin: Formula 1” (Bishkek 2009), number of analytical reviews for some popular magazines, e.g. «International Police Review» (London, UK), «The Central Asia and Caucasus» (Sweden), collections of articles, published in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Great Britain, Israel, Poland, Serbia, Sweden, USA, Ukraine and Russia.

PhD – Completed a research, focused on the roots and history of Afghan narco-expansion.

Awarded with 32 medals, including two UN Medals for peacekeeping service, Kyrgyz State Governmental Medal “Erdik”, Medal from Drug Enforcement Agency of The Kyrgyz Republic for Outstanding Contribution in the Field of Drug Law Enforcement.