Two weeks ago, the Mongolian public was shocked by a video showing the violent assault of a civilian by four men who were believed to be under the influence of illegal drugs. The case is now being investigated by police. The incident touches on larger issues in Mongolian society today, including inequality, corruption, and the fight against nontraditional threats including drug trafficking and usage. 
On the night of July 18, a fight broke out outside of a night club. The fight involved men with ties to executives at three Mongolian firms: Gobi Cashmere, Tavan Bogd Group, and Erel Group. The assault was so severe that the victim was sent abroad for emergency care. The altercation was caught on video and quickly went viral on social media, stoking anger over the perception that business elites were taking advantage of their wealth.
Three of the four alleged perpetrators were arrested and are being held for 30 days, pending formal charges. The fourth suspect – Amarsaikhan Baatarsaikhan, the CEO of Gobi Cashmere and the son of the CEO of Tavan Bogd – fled Mongolia, most likely to avoid drug tests and charges relating to the incident. 
It’s been reported that Amarsaikhan returned to Mongolia on July 27, but the father of the victim announced that Amarsaikhan had not returned and demanded that he be held responsible for his actions. 
Drug trafficking (with the intent to sell or consume) and usage is illegal in Mongolia. Current law stipulates a five- to 12-year prison sentence. In 2024, the Mongolian police registered 254 cases relating to substance abuse and illicit drugs, involving 197 males and 27 females, ages ranging in age from 13 to 56 years old.
Mongolia is facing a new challenge for its young population. The country is a party to the 1988 U.N. Drug Convention and has implemented a national program to combat drug addiction and related crimes, as well as raise public awareness. Mongolia is actively engaged in combating narcotics trafficking and use through legislation, national programs, and international cooperation. However, challenges remain, especially regarding enforcement, border control, and a need for a more comprehensive approach to drug trafficking and usage. 
Given Mongolia’s landlocked position between Russia and China, it doesn’t require Sherlock Holmes to locate the transit hubs. While Russia and China remain world’s largest drug markets, the original sources of these trafficked drugs are as diverse as Thailand, South Korea, Turkiye, Malaysia, Malawi, and Czechia.
The usage of illicit drugs and especially synthetic drugs has consistently grown in Mongolia. According to the Global Initiative Against Organized Crime, methamphetamine, primarily coming in from China, poses the most significant drug-related challenge in Mongolia. In recent years, meth labs have also been dismantled in Mongolia itself.
In the last several years, more people have been arrested at the Mongolian border for drug smuggling. In June, a Mongolian airline passenger was caught with 181.8 grams of an unspecified illegal substance hidden in her body. She had been on a direct flight from Istanbul to Ulaanbaatar. Multiple cases have evidenced Turkiye as a one source of methamphetamine and cocaine coming into Mongolia.
While combating drug related crimes at home, Mongolia is seeking international cooperation in its efforts. In May 2024, Mongolia and the U.N. Office for Drug and Crimes launched an initiative to combat transnational organized crime, including drug trafficking. South Korea has also cooperated with Mongolia’s capacity building in forensics and drug crime.
As for border security and screening, as comprehensive strategic partners, China and Russia will need to step up their cooperation. Following the recent cases, Mongolia’s Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Altangerel paid a working visit to Russia and met with Russian Minister of Internal Affairs Vladimir Kolokoltsev. One of the topics under discussion was the possibility of having Moscow oversee and train the police force in its effort in drug law enforcement.
In 2017, Mongolia and China agreed to cooperate in combating drug trafficking. But given the current escalation of drug-related cases, Beijing and Ulaanbaatar need to implement new policies. In June of this year, the Mongolian Embassy to China announced that more and more Mongolian citizens are being arrested in China due to attempted drug trafficking. 
Drug trafficking cases have even impacted the Mongolian diplomatic community. In 2019, two Mongolian diplomats were arrested in Germany after a routine check resulted in the discovery of 70 kilograms of heroin in a vehicle with diplomatic plates. The Foreign Ministry and Mongolia’s General Intelligence Agency quickly acted, but ultimately no legal actions were taken against the accused, other than losing diplomatic privilege and being barred from serving in the government.
Moreover, there are indications that some drug traffickers are involved in larger networks in Asia. China lists the Golden Triangle – which spans over Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar – as a primary source of drug trafficking, from which drugs make their way to China and then on to Mongolia. 
Whatever the source of the drug shipments, Mongolia’s border security and screenings are its first line of defense. Cities along the border with China and Russia are vulnerable, as thousands of Mongolians and foreigner travel through. 
Over the last decade, the number of cases involving both drug smuggling and drug use have skyrocketed, from just 62 in 2014 to 405 in 2024. These numbers are expected to rise another 47 percent by 2030.
Worryingly, 86.6 percent of drug-related arrests involve young people between the ages of 13 and 35. Government officials have previously warned that Mongolia has moved from a drug transit hub to a consumer hub. 
In Mongolia’s larger effort to combat drug trafficking, introducing modern technologies, screenings, and K9 support will be imperative. Allocation of such financial and law enforcement resources will also be crucial. 
On July 24, Mongolia’s new prime minister, Zandanshatar Gombojav, urged the authorities to regularly patrol streets for safety and public order, and called on the legislature to finalize and present the revised draft laws on trafficking illicit drugs.  The Mongolian government is planning to establish an independent agency to combat drug trafficking. Parliament member Amgalanbaatar Ochirbat also presented a proposed revision to the Law on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, which will likely included strict penalties.
Minister of Internal Affairs Monkhbaatar Lkhagva also instructed police authorities to conduct anti-drug raids. 
On the weekend of July 25-27, multiple night club and bars were raided. In the span of those two days, 1,043 people tested positive for having taken some sort of an illicit drug. 
As Mongolia seeks to boost its tourism industry, the recent raids also serve as a clear warning for foreign tourists. If caught carrying or using recreational drugs in the country, foreigners could face up to 12 years in prison.
Mongolia’s increasing exposure to drugs and illicit activities carries its own socioeconomic risk. However, it also intersects with persistent questions about inequality, the lavish wealth of Mongolia’s elites, and the potential to use corrupt means to shield themselves from legal accountability. High profile cases have involved former President Khaltmaa Battulga’s son, a former health minister, and the son of a supreme justice, s well as the children of CEOs implicated in the latest assault. To the Mongolia public, the preferential treatment given to these elites is a clear sign of corruption.
These issues raise a major warning for lawmakers and decisionmakers. Despite the government’s effort to establish a drug enforcement agency, with corruption upending judicial procedures, cynicism among the public remain high.
By Bolor Lkhaajav

Published Date:2025-07-29