NARCOTIC DRUGS COMMISSION HEARS CALLS FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN WAR AGAINST ILLICIT DRUG TRAFFIC AND SUPPLY
Press Release
SOC/NAR/735
NARCOTIC DRUGS COMMISSION HEARS CALLS FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN WAR AGAINST ILLICIT DRUG TRAFFIC AND SUPPLY
19960424 Also Discusses Crop Reduction Strategies, Maritime Cooperation(Reproduced as received from the UN Information Service.)
VIENNA, 23 April -- Despite positive developments in national, regional and international efforts to control illicit drug traffic and supply, there was little cause for satisfaction, speakers told the Commission on Narcotic Drugs this morning. Participants stressed the importance of international cooperation, without which there was little chance for success in the war against drug production, trafficking and abuse.
Several speakers expressed concern that while their countries were not traditional drug producers, or had little or no incidence of individual drug use, their territories were becoming transit areas. The representative of Iran said that drugs from Afghanistan were being stored and transited through his country by criminal drug organizations. Ukraine was becoming a transit country for deliveries of heroin and cocaine from Turkey to Western Europe, the representative of that country stated. In addition, his country was also threatened by the prospect of becoming a future market of drug consumption. To combat illegal drug traffic and supply, the representative of Japan was among those delegations calling for close cooperation among jurisdictions with different social conditions and regulations.
Also taking part in the discussion on illicit drug traffic and supply were the representatives of Poland, Cuba, Senegal, Republic of Korea, Egypt, Slovenia, Turkey, Colombia, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Bahamas, Bolivia and Germany. Representatives from the International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO/Interpol) and the World Customs Organization also participated.
For its consideration of the agenda item, the Commission had before it a secretariat report, which was introduced by Jeffrey Hart, Officer-in-Charge of the Supply Reduction Section of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP). He also introduced a secretariat note on reports of subsidiary bodies.
During the discussion on crops from which drugs are extracted and appropriate strategies for their reduction, also introduced by Mr. Hart, the representative of the United States expressed concern at the lack of a proposed plan of action in the report, noting that it only contained a compendium of case studies of successes and failures in reducing the illicit cultivation of narcotic plants. She believed the document would have benefited from a sharper focus on the method and resources applied.
The representative of Colombia said his Government had taken dramatic strides to reduce the growth of illicit narcotic plants, and that between January 1995 and February 1996 the authorities had eradicated 35,000 hectares of illicit cocaine cultivation. He warned, however, that those 35,000 hectares of narcotic plants were being grown elsewhere. Other statements on the item were made by the representatives of Poland and Germany.
Also this morning, the Commission considered the item on maritime cooperation. The representative of Japan supported the holding of regional or subregional seminars or workshops as essential to cooperating and sharing techniques in maritime interdiction. He proposed the convening of an Asia-Pacific training seminar on maritime drug law enforcement in Tokyo, and expressed his Government's intention to contribute funds towards the meeting. Catherine Volz, Chief of the Legal Affairs Section of the UNDCP, introduced the report on maritime cooperation and reported on the activities of the Committee of the Whole.
Maritime Cooperation
CATHERINE VOLZ, Chief of the Legal Affairs Section of the UNDCP, reported to the Commission that the Committee of the Whole had considered the item titled Other matters arising under the international drug control Conventions. The Committee recognized the importance of maritime cooperation and supported the activities of the UNDCP, she said. The Working Group on Maritime Cooperation and the expert group on maritime law enforcement were considered to have played significant roles. The Committee had also discussed the usefulness of concluding memoranda of understanding with the shipping industry.
YUUJI SATO (Japan) said that holding regional or subregional seminars or workshops was essential to facilitating cooperation and sharing techniques. Such gatherings required financial resources and relied on contributions from States. He proposed the holding of an Asia Pacific training seminar on maritime drug law enforcement, adding that his Government would contribute funds to such a seminar. His Government was also ready, provided that the seminar was held in Tokyo, to allow the use of its patrol vessels, facilities, devices and other materials to the fullest extent possible. He requested the unanimous support of the Commission for his proposal.
- 3 - Press Release SOC/NAR/735 24 April 1996
Illicit Drug Traffic and Supply
JEFFREY HART, Officer-in-Charge of the Supply Reduction Section of the UNDCP, introduced the report on illicit drug trafficking and a note by the secretariat on the activities and reports of its subsidiary bodies. The annual statistics appearing in the report related mainly to 1994, with information for 1995 given where available. In general terms, the information available on illicit drug trafficking remained fragmentary, and analyses of illicit drug production or manufacturing and trafficking relied only on estimates, he said. Nevertheless, the report was being presented on the basis that in most cases, the inferences or information derived would not be greatly altered by a change in a specific data.
The report contained available data on opiates, cocaine and cannabis, noting that even estimates of cannabis production and trafficking were less available than for heroin and cocaine. It concluded that the global interdiction rate for cocaine was significantly above that for heroin, which reversed the pattern of the early 1980s, and argued that the impact of the higher global interdiction rate for cocaine upon the amount of cocaine reaching consumers was less significant. The report suggested that further exploration of these issues might assist the Commission in monitoring the implementation of the international drug control treaties as they relate to illicit trafficking.
According to the report, the available evidence showed that trafficking in cannabis resin had increased in recent years compared with trafficking in cannabis herb, and suggested that international trafficking in cannabis might decline if indoor hydroponic cultivation of cannabis for domestic consumption continued to increase in many developed countries. While cannabis was the most widely used drug, there was less available information relating to its production and trafficking. The available information on psychotropic substances pointed to a dramatic increase in seizures of methaqualone and other depressants, the report stated. Trafficking in precursors may have declined as a result of improved drug control efforts. It was equally possible that the decline reflected a shift towards the use of substitute products or other manufacturing techniques.
RYSZARD RYCHLIK (Poland) outlined the actions taken by his country to address illicit trafficking. The law provided penal penalties for a range of offences, such as growing, producing, importing, trading and dealing in drugs. However, it did not punish people for the possession of drugs, nor did it satisfactorily address precursors.
Since ratifying the 1988 Convention, Poland had been adapting domestic laws and now had a law on the protection of economic traffic which provided penalties for money laundering and illicit traffic in narcotic drugs. The
- 4 - Press Release SOC/NAR/735 24 April 1996
police had been granted appropriate powers to operate efficiently in this field, and customs and border guards had the power of search and seizure. In 1994, an interministerial task force for coordination of the control of narcotic and psychotropic substances was established, and Poland had participated in regional and subregional efforts along with neighbouring countries to fight illicit trafficking. He suggested that further efforts at the international level should include improvement in the exchange of information, and the creation of an international operational and investigative unit.
ZENAIDA OSORIO VIZCAINO (Cuba) said that although her country did not have a drug problem, it lay in a geographical area favourable to traffickers dealing in illicit drugs. Cuban laws were adequate to sanction illegal production and trafficking. Control measures prohibited commercial messages referring to medicines or drugs. All the relevant authorities worked in close cooperation with each other. Cuba had devoted efforts to contain the effects of illicit drug trafficking, with the aim of detecting and eliminating associated crime. Because of the modus operandi of the traffickers, narcotics were landed on the coast in the north and south of the island.
The authorities also had detected traffickers transiting through Cuba. In addition, there were links between foreigners and nationals. Considerable efforts were needed to deal with such activities. In 1995, border guards had uncovered large quantities of cocaine and cannabis. In January and February this year, new lots of those narcotics were discovered. Thanks to increased knowledge and better equipment, drugs being transported across the borders were being detected with greater success. At the same time, the incidence of drugs transiting through the country had increased in the second half of the year.
IAN BAIN, Head of the Drugs Sub-Division of the International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO/Interpol), provided an account of the global drug situation during 1995. Higher amounts in all drug categories, except cocaine, were seized in 1995 than in the previous year, he said. Although the total quantities seized had increased, there was an overall decrease in the number of seizure incidents compared to 1994, indicating that, on average, the criminal organizations smuggled more contraband on each occasion. There was hardly any change regarding the source and destination of the traffic although the variations in the trends and patterns were significant. Cannabis continued to be the most widely abused drug, followed closely by cocaine; however, the major problems were caused by heroin and psychotropic substances.
DIOP ABABACAR (Senegal) urged the international community to act in concert action to deal with the problem of drug abuse and illicit trafficking in terms of prevention, treatment and law enforcement. Senegal had taken legislative and enforcement measures to deal with illicit drug trafficking and
- 5 - Press Release SOC/NAR/735 24 April 1996
supply. Legislative action included a new draft law and drug code that would ensure that national laws were in accordance with the 1988 United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. The establishment of a genuine control and customs administration had resulted in seizures and the dismantling of organized networks of traffickers.
SEUNG-KON LEE (Republic of Korea) said the global illicit drug-trafficking trend was far from positive and had proliferated everywhere, making it difficult to distinguish between producer, transit and consumer countries. Drug traffickers constantly sought new markets and were too often successful in penetrating national boundaries. His Government had enacted and enforced special laws, and had implemented strict control policies against illicit traffic and supply. Because most illegal drugs were smuggled from abroad, the focus had been placed on the suppression of drug-smuggling practices.
Unilateral efforts had often proved ineffective in containing drug-related problems, he said, emphasizing the importance of joint cross-border efforts between law enforcement agencies. In this connection, he praised the UNDCP for its work as an "honest broker" for cross-border cooperation. Because synthetic narcotics like methamphetamines were the most widely abused in North-east Asia, the UNDCP should consider positively the establishment of a drug control arrangement among neighbouring countries in that subregion.
ERCAN SALKA, of the World Customs Organization, said its ongoing programmes with respect to drugs included close cooperation with trade sectors through memoranda of understanding, the establishment of regional and national customs intelligence offices worldwide, updating of information on drug-detection equipment, continuous cooperation with relevant international organizations, bilateral agreements for training and technical assistance, and training of customs administration officials.
The seizure of illegal drugs at the border was one of the most effective methods of keeping drugs off the streets. However, it was the least sophisticated way to hurt the drug barons. Only a small proportion of all drugs was in fact seized. The increase in international trade, as well as the greater availability, frequency and scope of commercial transport and more rapid communications, had compounded the law enforcement problems of identifying the illegal movement of illicit drugs.
Custom services had developed intelligence based on targeting as an effective and non-disruptive enforcement in the field of drugs. The result had been the emergence of the Regional Intelligence Liaison Offices network, supporting regional and international databases through faster, direct and
- 6 - Press Release SOC/NAR/735 24 April 1996
double password protected electronic communications. At present, those intelligence liaison offices were operating in different regions of the world.
FAROUK HELMY ABOU ELATA (Egypt) thanked Interpol for its report and its work with the Governments in northern Africa, particularly for its efforts in information coordination within the region. He welcomed the representatives of African States who would be attending the Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies (HONLEA) meeting in Cairo in June.
MASATO KAJI (Japan) stressed again the importance of international cooperation among law enforcement agencies. To regulate and prevent transactions of illegal drugs, law enforcement agencies should deepen their understanding of each other and build closer relationships. Each jurisdiction should submit reports on the current status in implementation of recommendations, and all jurisdictions should make it a rule to exchange reports at the HONLEA forum on how they had implemented recommendations. Concurrently, it was important to exchange technologies and personnel concerning law enforcement. Close cooperation among jurisdictions with different social conditions and regulations would not be easy to achieve, but sincere efforts in that direction would bear much fruit.
DARKO MAVER (Slovenia) said that the traditional "Balkan Route" was again becoming attractive to traffickers and more heroin was being smuggled through his country to Western Europe. In addition, there was an increase in cocaine and "ecstasy" abuse. Slovenia was becoming, more and more, a crossroad for drug trafficking and also a country of consumption of illegal drugs. Trafficking and abuse were especially on the increase in Ljubljana, the capital, as well as along the coastal area because of Koper harbour and the tourist resorts. Many foreigners were engaged in trafficking. There was a danger that some of the people involved in the Bosnia war would join or form criminal organizations which could be involved in drug trafficking. The Slovenian police were cooperating with neighbouring countries and the international community. At home, special units with training for undercover investigation were being formed to help suppress illegal drug trafficking and abuse.
HALDUN KOC (Turkey) thanked the Subcommission on Illicit Drug Traffic and Related Matters in the Near and Middle East for its efforts and requested that it should continue to provide guidance to the work of the Commission. He welcomed the enlargement of the membership of the Subcommission, remarking that its efficiency and effectiveness would increase with new members.
CARLOS BULA CAMACHO (Colombia) read out figures of the different illicit narcotics and associated equipment, arms and property that had been seized and destroyed in his country. They included products coming into the
- 7 - Press Release SOC/NAR/735 24 April 1996
country. Apprehending the head of the criminal Cali cartel had added to the data his delegation had presented to the Commission.
FOUAD ISMAILOV (Azerbaijan) expressed his Government's appreciation for the results produced at the March meeting of the Subcommission, and said its work represented another step in finding a solution to the trafficking problem in the region. He said the Subcommission had taken note of Azerbaijan's offer to host its next session, tentatively scheduled for February 1997. He invited members of the Subcommission to participate in the meeting, and members of the Commission to attend as observers.
MUHAMMAD AFZAL KAHUT (Pakistan) reported on two critical initiatives that had been put into effect in his country: the establishment of an anti-narcotic force as the focal agency for coordination of anti-narcotic efforts; and a committee established to review, quarterly, the record of interdiction of all agencies and resolve issues of interagency coordination. Those measures had resulted in an increase in the quantities of seizures of all types of drugs and incoming precursors. Pakistan expected increased successes in its interdiction efforts when arrangements for improved coordination between its border militia and Afghanistan were in place.
SALIM SLIM (Lebanon) said that in the campaign to eradicate drug crops in Lebanon, 20,000 hectares of cannabis and 500 hectares of opium plants had been destroyed. Last year, some 1,000 more hectares had been detected from the air and were immediately destroyed. The Government had promised to provide farmers with alternative crops.
Chemical precursors had been subjected to strict control and there were no reports from any other country about precursors coming from Lebanon. This year, cocaine from Brazil and heroin from Turkey were seized. The authorities had stopped about a thousand traffickers. They had also seized a substantial amount of arms. He recommended that the root causes be treated rather than the symptoms. Concentrating only on the symptoms increase the problem. Lebanon had taken steps to regulate the banks with regard to money laundering. It had also established treatment facilities.
GHOLAMHOSSEIN SADEGHI GHAHAREH (Iran) said that neighbouring Afghanistan continued to be the main source of morphine, heroin and opium, although the production yield was difficult to assess. The UNDCP's figures were lower than the actual amounts. Some 100 to 150 tones of heroin were being maintained for transit to Europe. Morphine, which was not consumed in Iran, was taken through its territory to Turkey for refinement. The movement of morphine from drug-producing countries to Europe was cleverly coordinated by the drug organizations. The transit areas were in the east of Iran. Drug offences were serious crimes in Iran and carried strict penalties. Nevertheless, the
- 8 - Press Release SOC/NAR/735 24 April 1996
territory remained a serious conduit to Europe because it was the shortest route for the drug barons.
To support the border officials in their efforts at interdiction, the Revolutionary Guard had been deployed. The campaign against illicit drugs had turned into a full-scale war. Every year a substantial amount of drug trafficking discovered and a number of traffickers were killed in the process. In 1994, more than 12,000 foreign nationals were arrested in Iran on drug charges.
PETER DEVEAUX-ISAACS (Bahamas) said the successful interdiction action in his country had led traffickers to shift the focus of their illegal activities to other areas in the region. The success of its joint drug enforcement programmes with the United States had reduced the transit traffic in cocaine and marijuana to minimum levels. There had also been a dramatic reduction in the domestic traffic, availability and abuse of cocaine and marijuana. Even so, there would be no respite in the human and material resources assigned to prevent the Bahamas being used for smuggling. Because of its choice geographical position, lying midway between major supply and demand centres, there was no doubt that until the illicit production of drugs was terminated, the threat of drug smuggling through the Bahamas would remain.
MARY CARRASCO (Bolivia) reported that her Government had made progress in the interdiction of trafficking networks, the capture of criminals, the seizure and destruction of drugs and precursors, and the seizure of property. Between January and March of this year, more than 810 operations had been carried out, she said. Those operations seized drugs and precursors, destroyed 527 maceration pits and laboratories, detained approximately 1,100 people and seized more than 120 pieces of equipment, including weapons and light aircraft. Bolivia had worked in close cooperation with neighbouring countries and with the United States, European countries and the UNDCP, which had greatly facilitated the fight against illegal trafficking and production.
A. UDOD (Ukraine), reading out statistics on drug control efforts in his country, said that last year, some 30,000 crimes were associated with illegal drugs and 26,000 people were prosecuted. Forty-two tones of narcotics were seized. Ukraine was a transit country for the delivery of heroin and cocaine to Western Europe. The threat was not only that Ukraine might develop as a transport artery but also as a future market.
The authorities had carried out a successful campaign against heroin from Thailand. Ukraine was determined to combat the threat and had adopted laws to regulate licit drugs and to counter illicit distribution and crime. Such legislation made it possible to carry out controlled deliveries and operation purchases, thereby increasing the arrests of drug pushers. He welcomed the secretariat's proposal to expand information at the subregional
- 9 - Press Release SOC/NAR/735 24 April 1996
level. Much work needed to be done because contacts between Ukraine and Western Europe showed that without cooperation there could be no success.
REINHARD THEILIG (Germany) said 1,846 kilograms of cocaine had been seized in 1995, a sharp increase over 1994. That could be attributed to the fact that there had been a decline in the amount seized in 1994. The amount of smuggling by sea was larger in 1995. Due to the huge number of containers in transit and the countless possibilities, the risk was greater that larger amounts would not be discovered. Cocaine totalling over 700 kilograms was apprehended at German airports. In some cases the cocaine was sent by air freight, concealed in luggage or carried internally. In addition, 138 kilograms of amphetamines were seized. The largest increase was in the amphetamine derivative "ecstasy". Large quantities of hashish and marijuana were also seized. Germany had promoted cooperation by sending drug officers to producer countries. In Germany itself, there were new laws to help in the control of illicit drugs, including one on money laundering.
Commenting on the discussion, Mr. HART noted that the relationship between consumption, abuse and trafficking trends highlighted the interrelatedness of the trafficking issue. Although there were some positive developments, there was generally little cause for satisfaction at the international level. He agreed that it was increasingly difficult to make a distinction between trafficking, production and consumer countries, which again illustrated how interrelatedness the problem was. There was a growing trend for greater coordination among agencies at the national level and among countries at the subregional and regional levels, especially in the area of cross-border cooperation.
Crop Reduction
Mr. HART next introduced the item on crops from which drugs are extracted and the appropriate strategies for their reduction. In general, he said, it was argued that alternative development served to facilitate a transition from illicit to licit cultivation within targeted areas. The three prerequisites for success appeared to be the following: the effective control of an area by a central government and the absence, or weakening, of insurgent groups; the existence of market forces that made cultivation financially less attractive; and consistently applied disincentives through law enforcement and eradication.
At the same time, there appeared to be five core constraints on alternative development as an effective technique for reducing illicit cultivation. They were: the failure to effectively implement the programme due to logistical or other complexities; the failure to achieve a drug control objective; the problem of reverse conditionality where development work may have catalysed illicit cultivation; a lack of sustainability of the economic
- 10 - Press Release SOC/NAR/735 24 April 1996
viability of substitute crops and activities; and the replacement or displacement of illicit crops to which alternative development was prone because of its lengthy duration.
MICHAL HELBIN (Poland) said that for a number of years drug abusers in his country were using extracts from poppy plant of domestic origin. While that practice had changed to some extent, there were still several thousand people who used such preparations. Poland had developed a new poppy plant and expected to maintain poppy seed production, the extract of which was now non-addictive. The new seed seemed to be genetically stable. The use of poppy extract appeared to be gaining favour with consumers in other countries. His Government was willing to share its expertise gained from experience with poppy extract users and with regard to the development of the new seed.
ALFRED PROTZ (Germany) was critical of some strategies aimed at reducing hectarage. Such responses from producers as anticipatory planting of larger areas of illicit crops could lead to even larger areas of illicit cultivation. Another consequence of eradication measures undertaken without developing licit alternative sources of income was the so-called "balloon effect", namely, the displacement and replacement of illicit crops to new areas.
While acknowledging that the coca boom in Peru and Bolivia in the 1980s coincided with the economic depression in the licit sector, and that Thailand's economic development had resulted in a considerable reduction of poppy cultivation, he was convinced that economic growth alone was not a sufficient prerequisite for the success of drug control measures.
ALBERTO RUEDA-MONTENEGRO (Colombia) said his delegation had already described the dramatic efforts his Government was undertaking to combat illicit trafficking and production. As a result, 35,000 hectares of illicit cocaine cultivation had been eradicated between January 1995 and March 1996. Some $11 million had been invested into alternative development. The investment of additional funds in 1995 had shown specific results, including a balanced and integral plan to overcome drug abuse and to control trafficking, production and consumption of narcotic drugs. He warned, however, that the 35,000 hectares of coca bush eradicated in Colombia were being grown elsewhere. A sectoral analysis of the problem could lead to not seeing the forest for the trees. It was essential to have an integrated approach.
On the topic of maritime cooperation, some of the measures recommended had already been applied in his country. His Government had signed a memorandum of understanding with the United States since 1987, which included inspection of Colombian vessels. Colombia would share its experiences with others to strengthen maritime cooperation under article 17 of the 1988 Convention. (That article provides for cooperation among States in
- 11 - Press Release SOC/NAR/735 24 April 1996
identifying, boarding and searching suspicious ships, as well as conducting any arrests and seizures required.)
JANE E. BECKER (United States) expressed concern at the lack of a proposed plan of action in the report on crop substitution. While the title suggested that an appropriate strategy would be set forth, the report only contained a compendium of case studies of successes and failures in reducing the illicit cultivation of opium poppy, coca and marijuana. While these were constructive examples, the report would have benefited from a sharper focus on the methods and resources applied.
Law enforcement was an integral part of reduction efforts, she said. The reality was that drug-producing communities would not have a substantial incentive to embrace alternative development, with its income-reducing implications, unless the effort was enforced by legal measures that banned new cultivation and established a timetable for reducing existing illegal drug cultivation. While alternative development was an essential component of a drug cultivation strategy, it required a much larger investment of resources over time than what was required for an effective law enforcement programme. Implementation of a drug cultivation reduction and alternative development strategy required countries experiencing illicit drug cultivation to develop detailed alternative development proposals for submission to the international donor community.
* *** *