Counternarcotics update: Heroin shipments on

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001652

SIPDIS

FOR SA/INS AND INL, NEW DELHI FOR DEA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09-06-2002
TAGS: SNAR PGOV PTER CE MV
SUBJECT: Counternarcotics update: Heroin shipments on
the downswing; GSL to provide assistance to the Maldives

Refs: (A) Chennai 710

- (B) Colombo 1082

(U) Classified by W. Lewis Amselem, Charge d'Affaires.
Reasons 1.5 (b,d).


1. (C) Summary: This Counternarcotics update reviews:
Sri Lanka's Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) reports that
heroin shipments to Sri Lanka have been dramatically
reduced of late. The PNB attributes this positive trend
to three factors: (1) The recent success of Indian
authorities in interdiction; (2) indications that the
Tamil Tigers may be acting to prevent such shipments;
and (3) increased cooperation between the PNB and other
police bureaus. In other news indicative of an
increased focus on regional approaches on how to deal
with the drug problem, the GSL has announced that it is
providing the Maldivian government drug interdiction
training. End Summary.

Decline in Heroin Shipments
--------------

2. (SBU) The first item in this Counternarcotics update
involves reports that heroin shipments to Sri Lanka are
on the downswing. Elaborating on this positive news,
the Director of the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) Senior
Superintendent Pujith Jayasundara told us that the PNB
has evidence that heroin shipments into Sri Lanka have
been dramatically reduced in the past few months. He
sited a number of reasons for the decline, including the
recent success of Indian authorities in interdiction.
Recent seizures by Indian authorities have included that
of 27KG and 32KG heroin shipments -- see Ref A. Based
on this record of seizures, the PNB believes that Indian
police are taking drug trafficking using Sri Lanka as a
nexus with increased seriousness.


3. (C) Another apparent factor in the downswing in
heroin shipments is the reported crackdown by the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on drug
trafficking. Jayasundara told us that the PNB is
receiving credible information that the LTTE is
intercepting narcotics traffickers and incarcerating
them. This information contradicted previous reports
that the LTTE gained some of its income via narcotics
smuggling, he noted. Jayasundara added that press
reports stating that the LTTE recently seized 40KG of
heroin could not be confirmed, but there were
indications that the reports were accurate.


4. (SBU) Commenting on another possible factor in the
downswing, Jayasundara was very complimentary of what
appeared to an increase in cooperation by local police
offices in hampering narcotic sales. Although there had
not been large seizures of narcotics in the operations
carried out with local offices of late, he noted that a
large number of dealers have been arrested and remain in
custody thanks to increased GSL coordination. Those in
custody included some suspected of being major suppliers
of narcotics. The PNB also believes that it is becoming
increasingly difficult for traffickers to travel to Sri
Lanka by sea because the navy is now able to focus more
on such activities than in the recent past because of
the ceasefire with the LTTE.

Program with Maldives
--------------

5. (SBU) In other news, the PNB has announced an
upcoming training program with the Maldives meant to
assist narcotics interdiction at the international
airport serving the Maldivian capital city, Male. On
September 23, the PNB will begin training 12 Maldivian
officers to do narcotics screening at the Male
International Airport. As part of the program, the PNB
will also be providing training using sniffer dogs. The
GSL will provide two dogs for the Maldivians to use at
the end of the training.

Comment
--------------

6. (C) The news concerning heroin shipments is certainly
positive. During the last two months, the PNB has
appeared to be very active, with regular reports of
arrests and seizures. Despite the overall seizure rate
being down from this year compared to last year (from
January through July 61KG of heroin have been seized in
2002 compared to 102KG in 2001),all indications are
that heroin supplies in Sri Lanka have been dramatically
reduced. The PNB believes the same holds true for
narcotics being transshipped through Sri Lanka, which is
also good news, as is the apparent crackdown by the
LTTE. Finally, the fact that Sri Lanka and the Maldives
are cooperating on counternarcotics training is a
constructive development, indicative of an increased
focus on regional approaches on how to deal with the
drug problem. End Comment.

AMSELEM