2004-2005 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 VILNIUS 001578 SIPDIS STATE FOR INL, EUR/NB, AND EUR/SCE JUSTICE FOR OIA, AFMLS AND NDDS TREASURY FOR FINCEN DEA FOR OILS AND OFFICE OF DIVERSION CONTROL MILAN FOR DEA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR EFIN KSEP LH SUBJECT: 2004-2005 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY REPORT (INCSR) FOR LITHUANIA, PART I REF: SECSTATE 249035 -------------- ¶I. Summary -------------- ¶1. In 2004, Lithuania strengthened its counter-narcotics efforts, rolling out a National Drug Addiction Prevention and Drug Control Strategy for 2004-2008. The use and sale of narcotics, however, continues to increase in Lithuania. Lithuania remains a transit route for heroin from Asia to Western Europe and produces synthetic narcotics for both domestic use and export. Law enforcement authorities estimate that the domestic drug trade is 500 million Litas (USD 200 million) per annum and growing. The most popular drugs include synthetic narcotics, poppy straw extract, heroin, and cannabis. Industrially produced psychotropic drugs are also popular. Though public awareness campaigns have grown, the number of registered drug addicts and drug-related crimes increased in 2004. USG and GOL law enforcement cooperation is very good. End Summary. -------------- II. Status of Country -------------- ¶2. Synthetic narcotics, poppy straw extract, heroin, and cannabis are the most popular drugs in Lithuania. Poppy straw and cannabis are popular because they are inexpensive, while synthetic narcotics are most popular on the black market. The price of a dose of heroin, 20 Litas (USD 5.7),remained unchanged from 2003. Heroin is smuggled into Lithuania from Central Asia and the Balkans. Cocaine imports from South America travel through Western Europe into Lithuania. Poppy straw is especially popular in the countryside, and is smuggled to the Kaliningrad district of Russia. Industrially produced psychotropic drugs (e.g., GHB),liquid heroin, and new psychotropic substances are increasingly popular. Hashish is not popular. Law enforcement authorities estimate that the domestic drug trade is 500 million Litas (USD 200 million) per annum and growing. Lithuanian organized crime groups have begun to penetrate the German narcotics market. ¶3. There were 4,689 registered drug addicts in January 2004, an increase of 284 individuals from 2002. In 2003, 356 persons approached health care institutions for the first time (653 in 2001). Nearly 75 percent of all drug addicts are younger than 35 years old, while more than 90 percent live in cities, and one-fifth are women. Over 90 percent of drug dependency cases are intravenous drug users. Lithuania had 943 registered cases of HIV in October 2004, an increase from 735 cases at the beginning of 2002. 80 percent of those registered with HIV contracted the disease through intravenous drug use. In 2003, rates of Hepatitis B and C infection among intravenous drug users decreased by 26 percent and 35 percent, respectively. ¶4. The number of 15-16 year-old students who have tried drugs at least once remained stable at approximately 15 percent (15.6 percent in 2003, 15 percent in 2002). Health education programs have been integrated into school curricula, resulting in an increased awareness about the dangers of drug use. Lithuania is a member of the international European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD 95, ESPAD 99, ESPAD 03) and monitors the fluctuations of data on substance abuse among children aged 15-16. A 2003 survey showed that the consumption of cannabis, hashish, amphetamines, alcohol and tobacco is increasing, while the consumption of heroin and ecstasy is decreasing among Lithuania's student population. According to an international survey published in 2004, 81 percent of children in foster care abuse alcohol, drugs, or glue. -------------- III. Country actions against drugs in 2004 -------------- ¶5. Policy Initiatives. In order to improve preventive measures, combat addiction, and bring Lithuanian law in line with the European Union's 1999 anti-drug strategy, the Government of Lithuania (GOL) enacted the National Drug Addiction Prevention and Drug Control Strategy for 2004-2008. The Strategy, initiated in April 2004, increases cooperation between national authorities and drug control organizations, promotes local government initiatives to prevent and control drug use, and increases the role of society in dealing with drug problems. In 2004, the GOL provided 10.2 million Litas (USD 4.08 million) to the Strategy. In 2004, more resources were allocated for initiatives that focused on prevention and rehabilitation than were allocated for fighting the trafficking and sale of narcotics. EU structural funds, however, augmented GOL expenditures in support of strengthened national borders. ¶6. The GOL's Narcotics Control Department, which implements the Strategy and coordinates the efforts of the national and local governments, began operation in January 2004. In December 2004, parliament created a Drug Addiction Prevention Commission. The GOL continued to implement its National HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Program for 2003-2008. The program seeks to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS within high-risk groups (intravenous users, prostitutes, sailors, long-distance drivers, and prisoners). In the summer of 2004, the Parliament annulled a provision in the Criminal Code that established alternative punishments (15 to 90 days of incarceration) for those convicted of drug distribution. Those convicted now face prison terms of between five to eight years. ¶7. Accomplishments. Experts note that public awareness concerning the hazards of drug use is rapidly increasing. In 2004, the GOL allocated approximately 4 million Litas (USD 1.6 millions) for public awareness programs, primarily conducted by the Ministry of Education and Science and NGOs. Police conducted separate awareness programs. ¶8. Lithuania joined the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) in May 2004. Police continued to participate in a joint counter-narcotics operation with Sweden and Poland ("Trap") and in a multilateral operation "542" (against Rohypnol producers). Under the PHARE "Synthetic Drugs and Precursors Project," police continued to receive training on how to strengthen controls over legally produced precursors and synthetic drugs and how to prevent the introduction of these substances into the illegal market. Another PHARE project helped the Customs Department to complete a technical assessment of equipment needed to better detect drugs moving across Lithuania's borders. All PHARE projects ended in 2004. In May 2004, Lithuanian Customs joined Europol's "Case" expert group and began exchanging information on synthetic narcotics. ¶9. Law Enforcement Efforts. The number of drug-related crimes increased in 2004. By December 2004, Lithuanian law enforcement authorities registered 1,121 crimes (up from 886 in 2003). In 2004, the police shut down a laboratory producing high-quality amphetamines. The Customs Criminal Service initiated six narcotics related criminal cases in 2004 (13 in 2003, 14 in 2002, 8 in 2001, 0 in 2000). In December 2004, a Kaunas court sentenced three Lithuanian citizens to 10.5 years, 8 years, and 2 years of imprisonment, respectively, for producing amphetamines. In the largest seizure of 2004, police seized 18,000 doses of LSD, 71,000 ecstasy tablets, 3 kilograms of marijuana, and 2 liters of precursors in November from a 19-year-old student who police believed to be a member of an organized trafficking group. On December 31, 2003, in the largest seizure of the year, Customs officials confiscated 300,000 Rohypnol pills (26 kilograms) at a Latvian border checkpoint. ¶10. Corruption. In December 2004, a parliamentary ombudsman, Kestutis Virbickas, resigned following findings that he had illegally intervened on behalf of a Lithuanian national standing trial for drug trafficking in Norway. ¶11. Cultivation/Production. An intravenous opium extract produced from locally grown poppies and the drug "Ephedrone," made from medications containing ephedrine, remain popular in Lithuania. Police, in cooperation with Customs agents, destroyed 52,141 square meters of poppy plots (up from 31,426 in 2003 and 22,676 in 2002) and 196 square meters of cannabis plots between June and September 2004 (down from 687 in 2003 and 1,884 in 2002). Underground laboratories produce amphetamines for local use and export. ¶12. Drug Flow/Transit. Drug transit channels remain unchanged. ¶13. Each year, more Lithuanian citizens become involved in the international narcotics business. 53 Lithuanian citizens (down from 118 in 2003) were detained in 2004 for trafficking amphetamines, heroin, cocaine, marijuana, Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol) and other pills, mostly in Norway (14),Germany (11),and Sweden (11). There were no reports of Lithuanians being detained in Latin America (3 were detained in 2003 and 15 in 2002). In a joint operation in May 2004, the Police Drug Control Office, Lithuanian Customs Criminal Service, and authorities in Sweden cracked an international drug distribution network. Three Swedish citizens and eight Lithuanians were arrested and police seized 20 kilograms of amphetamines produced in Lithuania. In the spring of 2004, Lithuanian, Swedish, and Norwegian cooperation stopped a drug smuggling and production ring that included five Lithuanians, two Belarusians, and two Norwegians. Approximately ten kilograms of amphetamines, six liters of liquid amphetamines, and several forged passports were seized. ¶14. Domestic Programs (Demand Reduction). Lithuania operates five national dependence disorder centers. Ten regional Public Health Centers with local outlets work to prevent the use of drugs, especially in schools. In 2004, 20 rehabilitation centers (which together can service around 200 people annually) and 17 addict rehabilitation communities operated in Lithuania. Methadone treatment programs have operated in major cities since 1995, with 315 people receiving treatment in 2003 (133 in 2002). ¶15. According to the Ministry of Justice's Prisons Department, in January 2004, 1,148 persons, or 14.4 percent of all prisoners, are registered drug users. In September 2004, 219 inmates were infected with HIV. After the HIV outbreak in the Alytus prison in 2002, the GOL allocated 2 million Litas (USD 800,000) for equipment and activities designed to prevent the trafficking of drugs, train officials, and educate inmates at the Alytus facility. In May 2003, a reconstructed building capable of housing 300 HIV-infected prisoners opened in Alytus. In November 2003, a prevention and rehabilitation center for drug addicts and HIV-infected prisoners opened at the Pravieniskes correctional center. ¶16. In 2002, cases of drug use were discovered among military conscripts. 433 conscripts were tested for drug use; 2.3 percent tested positive. The most popular substances among conscripts are heroin and synthetic drugs. ¶17. Treaties and Agreements. In October 2003, the GOL signed cooperative law enforcement agreements with Europol and the Belgium Royal Government. -------------- IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs -------------- ¶18. Bilateral Cooperation. USG and GOL law enforcement cooperation is very good. In 2004, the U.S. continued to support GOL efforts to strengthen its law enforcement bodies and improve border security. To strengthen regional cooperation in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the Baltic States and Russia, the U.S. funded "The Network of Excellence" project. In June 2004, a U.S. court in Florida acquitted 11 Lithuanian sailors apprehended in June 2003 of drug trafficking charges following the seizure of 3.5 tons of cocaine aboard the merchant vessel Yalta. In December 2003, Lithuania extradited an American citizen wanted for narcotics trafficking. In 2003, the Lithuanian State Security Department discovered a package suspected of containing counterfeit U.S. currency that was being sent to Minneapolis, Minnesota. The package also contained 100 tablets of Ecstasy. A joint investigation by the State Security Department and U.S. Secret Service resulted in arrests in both countries, including that of a major organized crime figure in the city of Kaunas. His trial is ongoing. ¶19. The Road Ahead. The USG looks forward to continuing its close cooperative relationship with Lithuania's law enforcement agencies. Although Lithuania has made some progress in improving regulations and procedures and developing an export control infrastructure, it still lacks the professional skills to detect narcotics and clandestine labs. In 2005, the USG will continue to promote increased GOL attention to the drug problem, and support activities aimed at preventing the production and trafficking of illicit narcotics. In 2005, the DEA will provide training to Lithuanian law enforcement agencies on the investigation and seizure of drug laboratories. ¶20. Table 1. Narcotics seized by the Lithuanian Police in 2004 (January-November) and in 2003 Per Calendar Year 2003 2004 (11 months) Poppy straw (kg) 269 349 Poppy straw extract (l)53 45 Cannabis Straw (kg) -- -- Marijuana (kg) 30.1 4.7 30.1 4.7 Heroin (kg) 0.8 1.85 Ecstasy (tablets) 98,458 31,152 Amphetamine (kg) 6.96 3.27 Metamphetamine (kg) 24.72.19 Cocaine (kg) 0.183 12.87 Hashish (kg) 262.7 4 Safrol (l) 20.2 20 BMK (l) 34.6 14.5 Police also seized small amounts of LSD, hallucinogenic mushrooms, various psychotropic drugs, and precursors. Table 2. Narcotics seized by Lithuanian Customs in 2004 (January-November) and in 2003 Per Calendar Year 2003 2004 (11 months) Heroin (g) -- -- Cocaine (kg) 0.162 12.57 Poppy straw (g) -- -- Poppy straw extract (ml) 0.60 -- Opium (ml) -- -- Marijuana (g) 8,190 0.4 Hashish (g)--2.2 Hallucinogenic Mushrooms (g) -------------- Metamphetamine (g) -- 300 Amphetamine (g) 1.5 0.4 Ecstasy (tablets) 21,000 30,720 Customs also seized 20 kilograms of the First Category Precursor BMK and 150,000 units of various psychotropic drugs. KELLY