Viktor Ivanov


Viktor Petrovich Ivanov is a Russian politician and businessman, former KGB officer, who served in the KGB Directorate of Leningrad and its successors in 1977–1994. He was the director of The Federal Narcotics Service of Russia from 2008 until 2016.
In 1987–1988 as a KGB officer he took part in the Soviet–Afghan War.
In December 1990 together with Boris Gryzlov and Valentin Chuykin he founded the small-scale enterprise Blok engaged in various businesses and became its director.
In October 1994 he resigned from FSK and was appointed Chief of the Administrative Staff of the Saint Petersburg Mayor Office. In 1999 he succeeded Nikolai Patrushev as the head of the Internal Security Department of Russia's FSB. Since January 5, 2000, he has been a Deputy Head of the Presidential Staff for personnel appointed by Vladimir Putin. Viktor Ivanov is considered one of Putin's closest allies.
In September 2001 Russia's prime minister appointed Ivanov representative of the state in the boards of directors of the Antei Corporation and Almaz Scientific Industrial Corporation, developing and producing air defence systems, including S-300. On November 22, 2001, he was elected chairman of the board of directors of Almaz and initiated the merger of Almaz and Antei. Since June 2002 Ivanov has been the chairman of the board of directors of the result of the merger, OJSC Almaz-Antei Air Defense Concern.
Since November 4, 2004, he has also been the chairman of the board of directors of JSC Aeroflot airline.

Head of Federal Narcotics Control Service

Since May 15, 2008, he has been a director of Russia's Federal Service for the Control of Narcotics and a chairman of State Anti-Narcotics Committee, which includes 29 heads of Russian ministries.
In 2010, when the State of California in the United States had a ballot initiative asking voters about the legalization of marijuana, Ivanov public spoke out against it. He flew to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., to lobby against drug legalization, meeting with the Los Angeles mayor, Los Angeles county sheriff, and U.S. drug czar.
In 2015 Ivanov pointed out that Islamic State, like Boko Haram, is supported significantly through money made by trafficking Afghan heroin. He called out for a global alliance to liquidate drug production and develop alternative sources of income in drug-producing areas. Ivanov who was blacklisted by the United States in the aftermath of the 2014 Crimean Crisis also accused the United States of deliberately undermining international efforts of anti-drug cooperation.

Sanctions

March 20th 2014, the Office of Foreign Assets Control published that Victor Ivanov and 19 other men have been added to the Specially Designated Nationals List.