BURMA'S COUNTERNARCOTICS PROGRAM: MORE DATA, MORE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 RANGOON 001473 SIPDIS STATE FOR INL AND EAP TREASURY FOR OASIA DEA FOR OF, OFF NSC FOR RAND BEERS USCINCPAC FOR FPA BANGKOK FOR NAS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR KCRM BM SUBJECT: BURMA'S COUNTERNARCOTICS PROGRAM: MORE DATA, MORE RESULTS REF: A. (A) RANGOON 1355 ¶B. (B) STATE 157297 ¶C. (C) RANGOON 1415 ¶D. (D) STATE 215837 ¶1. In response to our request (ref D),the Government of Burma has provided a third package of information on its counternarcotics program. The latest package includes an outline of measures that the GOB has taken to implement its new money laundering law, a list of members of the United Wa State Army who have been arrested on narcotics during 2002 and the names and case histories of police officers who have been prosecuted for narcotics-related corruption during 2002. Copies of this information have been forwarded to INL/AAE and EAP/BCLTV. The main points are as follows. Money Laundering ¶2. Burma enacted its new money laundering law on June 17. On July 4, it established an eleven member Central Control Board chaired by the Minister of Home Affairs to oversee implementation of the new law. Draft regulations for the new law were developed in workshops conducted by the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control and the Attorney General's office in workshops in Rangoon and Mandalay in August and September. In July, 35 financial investigators were trained with assistance from the Australian Federal Police and others, before being formed up into two financial investigation teams. Those teams have since begun investigations of several specific cases on which indictments on money laundering charges are expected within the next thirty days. DEA officers in Rangoon have been involved in developing one of these cases and can corroborate Burmese statements regarding the investigations and the GOB's plans for prosecutions. UWSA Cases ¶3. The GOB has provided a list of 18 members of the United Wa State Army who have been arrested in 2002 on narcotics-related charges. The list includes the name and address of each culprit, a summary of the case and an indication of the sentence that was dished out. Amounts seized in the cases range from the very large (33 kilograms of heroin) to the very small (190 methamphetamine tablets). None of the arrestees appears particularly high ranking, though recent cases included the son of a UWSA township commander, and members of the UWSA's 418th and 468th divisions. The full list is as follows: -- On 10/19/02, NYI MI of Nam Kham Township, Burma was arrested for possession of .002 kilograms of heroin. The drugs were located and seized following a routine vehicle inspection near the village of Kon Naung in Thit Naung Pin Township. NYI MI is currently pending trial. -- On 10/4/02, .002 kilograms of heroin were seized from the personal belongings of AIK SAY of Lashio Township. The seizure was made after AIK SAY was stopped and question by the police. AIK SAY is currently awaiting trial. -- On 9/4/02, AIK SAN, son of a UWSA Township Commander, was arrested at the Asia World Checkpoint in Kutkai Township. AIK SAN was arrested for possession of 190 methamphetamine tablets and currently awaits trial. -- On 8/12/02, UWSA Division 468 member KYA LAW was arrested by police authorities after two (2) kilograms of opium were seized from a false compartment inside the vehicle occupied by KYA LAW. KYA LAW is awaiting trial. -- On 8/10/02 UWSA member TUN AG of Muse, Burma was arrested while in possession of 930 methamphetamine tablets in Man Wane Ward, Muse. TUN AG awaits trial. -- On 8/2/02, .00015 kilograms of opium were seized from AIK AUNG of Tan Yang Township, Burma. AIK AUNG was stopped and questioned by the police after acting suspiciously. AIK AUNG is currently pending trial. -- On 7/31/02, Burmese authorities arrested AIK KWAT of Lashio Township for possession .001 kilograms of heroin. Authorities arrested the defendant following the seizure of the heroin on the defendant's person. AIK KWAT was sentenced to twelve (12) years imprisonment. -- On 7/2/02, 33 kilograms of heroin was seized from within a vehicle containing a false compartment. Defendant AIK YI was identified as the driver for the UWSA Division 418. AIK YI currently awaits trial. -- On 6/7/02, 10,000 methamphetamine tablets were seized from UWSA member AIK KET. Authorities also arrested O PHAT PA MOK and two unnamed Thai nationals in connection with the seizure. All four defendants are awaiting trial. -- On 5/9/02, three defendants were arrested following the execution of a search warrant in Hopan Township, Burma. Burmese authorities located and seized 26 methamphetamine tablets and .001 kilograms of heroin. Defendants NYI MYAT, MA EI NWE and MA EI PA LOT are pending trial. -- On 5/7/02, AIK GWAN of Hopan Township, Burma was arrested following the execution of a search warrant at his residence. AIK GWAN was arrested for possession of .0023 kilograms of heroin and 10 methamphetamine tablets. On 9/18/02, AIK GWAN was sentenced to twelve (12) years imprisonment. -- On 4/22/02, SANG NAM of Hopan Township was arrested while in possession of 44,000 methamphetamine tablets at the Yebu Checkpoint, Lashio, Burma. SANG NAM is currently awaiting trial. -- On 4/20/02, .002 kilograms of heroin were seized from the personal belongings of AIK SAM of Nam Kham Township, Burma. On 8/2/02, AIK SAM was sentenced to seven (7) years imprisonment. -- On 4/20/02, NYOKA (LNU) of Hopan Township, Burma was arrested while in possession of 30,100 methamphetamine tablets while onboard a bus at the Tang Yang Junction. On 7/23/02, NYOKA was sentenced to twenty (20) years imprisonment. -- On 4/9/02, .05 kilograms of raw opium were seized from NYI KA YIN of Lashio Township, Burma. The drugs were located following a luggage inspection at the Tang Yang Junction in Lashio Township. NYI KA YIN was sentenced to twelve (12) years imprisonment on 6/12/02. -- On 4/2/02, 37,000 methamphetamine tablets were seized from an individual riding as a passenger in Lashio Township, Burma. Defendants AIK HKAM and driver AIK KAW were arrested charged in violation of Burma's Psychotropic Substances Laws. Both defendants are currently pending trial. -- On 3/16/02, .00001 kilograms of heroin were seized from SAI KHWET KHUN, Lashio, Burma. The defendant was arrested following a police inquiry of the subject's activities. On 6/20/02, the offender was sentenced to seven (7) years imprisonment. -- On 1/16/02, AR CHAN, driver from the UWSA Special Region and MA LI LI were arrested in Mong Hphine, while in possession of 31,500 methamphetamine tablets and 0.511 kilograms of raw opium. Both defendants are awaiting trial. Corruption ¶4. In September (see ref A),the GOB advised us that 200 police officials and 48 army personnel had been disciplined for narcotics-related corruption or drug abuse between January 1995 and May 2002. It has now provided the names and case details of twelve police officers who were disciplined for narcotics related corruption in 2001 and 2002. Those cases are as follows: -- On 4/9/02, Police Inspector AUNG WIN was dismissed from the Myanmar Police Force following a complaint filed by a victim that the officer received a bribe for selling opium and concealing evidence in gambling, assault, disorderly conduct, and sexual assault investigations. -- On 3/24/02, Police Inspectors WIN NAING, WAI LWIN TUN, AUNG ZAW MIN, and Police Corporal ZAW WIN were demoted to the next rank and a two years time limit imposed for promotion eligibility following the execution of a unwarranted search of a residence. A formal complaint was filed after no narcotics were located at the residence and the officers demanded and received Kyats 50,000 (approximately $50.00) for transportation charges of the suspect to police headquarters. -- On 11/14/01, Police Inspector MYO MYINT and Sergeants AUNG THAN HTAY and NYUNT WIN were formally reprimanded after giving false testimony during the trial of two drug suspects. The drug suspects were acquitted on all charges. -- On 2/9/2001, Police Inspectors MOE SWE, KHIN HTUN and Police Corporal THAUNG TUN WIN were arrested by the Yangon Division for substituting an arrested narcotics violator with another individual for an undisclosed quantity of currency. All three defendants were dismissed from the Myanmar Police Force on 1/12/02 and sentenced to ten (10) years for accepting the bribe and ten (10) years in violation of Anti-Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Laws. The sentences will be served consecutively. -- On 10/9/00, Police Inspector TIN MAUNG OO of the Pabetan Township Police Station was dismissed from the Myanmar Police Force and sentenced on 8/28/00 to three (3) months of rigorous imprisonment after demanding money from a drug suspect. Comment ¶5. The GOB has responded promptly to all of our requests for information on on its counternarcotics program. If there is other specific information that the Department requires for its decision on certification of Burma's program, or other issues connected with the criteria for certification, please advise ASAP so that post can make an immediate approach to the GOB or other sources and obtain the required data. Martinez