INL MONTHLY REPORT - NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KINGSTON 000363

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR INL/LP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR KCRM JM
SUBJECT: INL MONTHLY REPORT - NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER
2004

November Activities and Achievements


1. The following is a combined report for the period
November and December 2004. It reflects activities in
all INL supported programs and an assessment of progress
in achieving mutual goals established in the current
Letters of Agreement (LOA).


2. Drug Eradication and Interdiction Program - The
Jamaica Defense Force and the Jamaica Constabulary Force
Narcotics Division continue to aggressively combine
their strengths to fight the illicit drug trade.
Intelligence provided by the JDF Headquarters
Intelligence unit resulted in the seizure of 1,714.65
kilograms of compressed marijuana in the parish of
Clarendon, Westmoreland and St Elizabeth as well as the
destruction of 10.53 hectares, 100,000 seedlings, and 12
nurseries in the Parish of St Ann. The marijuana fields
were planted in rugged terrain and sheltered by thick
vegetation. Further aerial reconnaissance was done in
five locations in the parishes of Manchester, Clarendon
and St. Ann and approximately 1.8 hectares of marijuana
was identified. This small area has been earmarked for
eradication.


3. Statistics to date show a percentage increase in most
of the activities except a -4.85% change in the number
of hectares destroyed and -100% in the discovery of
clandestine laboratories. There has been a significant
increase of 43.06% and 57.14% in the number of seedlings
and nurseries destroyed. The security forces destroyed
4,045.97 Kilograms of cured marijuana, 239.35 kilograms
of seeds year to date. There is no data for 2003 with
which to in compare these activities. .

Statistics
Seizures and Eradication for the month of November 2004
Marijuana HC 10.53
Seedlings Units 100,000
Cured Marijuana Kg 1,714.65
Nurseries Each 12
Cocaine Kg .23

Seizures and Eradication Year-To-Date November 2004
2004 2003 %Change
Marijuana HC 404.96 425.6 -4.85
Seedlings Units 4,909,930 3,431,975 43.06
Cured Marijuana Kg 4,045.97 no data
Nurseries Ea 396 252 57.14
Seeds Kg 239.35 no data
Cocaine Kg .23 no data
Clandestine Lab Unit nil 1 -100


4. The Government of Jamaica (GOJ) "new" initiative
"Operation Kingfish" is a collaborative effort of local
police, military with American, Canadian and British
counterparts was launched in the presence of the US
Ambassador and United Kingdom High Commissioner to
Jamaica who spoke and endorsed the operation. This
operation, in addition to seizing several go-fast boats
suspected of being used for illicit traffic, has
targeted a number of persons resulting in arrests in the
United Kingdom. One well-known trafficker Norman
Ramcharam and Everton Dennis were arrested on money
laundering charges in the UK. They were both convicted
and sentenced to seven and thirteen years respectively.


5. Through a USD 50,000 blanket Purchase Agreement
approved by the Narcotics Affairs Section the Jamaica
Defense Force Coast Guard (JDFCG) was able to repair 2
Sea Arks, One point Class, and 2 go fast vessels.
During the month of November the JDF CG conducted 140
routine and operational patrols along the North and
South Coast of Jamaica amounting to 442 hours underway
and utilizing 4440 and 8775 liters of petrol and diesel
respectively. The Coast Guard seized a sailboat with 1
pound of compressed marijuana but the courts later
released the occupants and the vessel. Ten routine
dives for contraband was conducted on the bauxite
carriers in Clarendon and St. Ann with negative results.


6. The Contraband Enforcement Team (CET) processed 151
passengers during November. A male passenger who arrived
at the Sangster's International Airport in Montego Bay
from Curacao had ingested 33 pellets of cocaine. He was
subsequently arrested. Marijuana weighing 2.84
kilograms was concealed in a coffee maker and another
quantity was found in eight fuel injectors. The
shipments were destined for the United States and London
respectively. The number of containers examined in
November increased except for the number of export
containers, which had a significant reduction of -69%.
The number of break bulk containers was 168 in
comparison to 118 for the same period in 2003, an
increase of 42%. The number of transshipment containers
examined was 54 in comparison to 15 in November 2003.
One .45 caliber para ordnance firearm was found in the
office of a Customs Officer at Berth #7 at Kingston
Wharves. The matter is being investigated by the JCF
Organized Crime Bureau.

7. The United States Marshall Services Jamaica Field
Office works in collaboration with the National
Intelligence Bureau (NIB),international law enforcement
agencies from the UK and other US agencies. On November
25,the Jamaica Constabulary Force Fugitive Team (JFAT)
arrested Karl Powell in the Parish of Manchester. Powell
was wanted in South Carolina for narcotics charges.
Dean Hanniford a 17-year-old Jamaican wanted for murder
in Jamaica is presently being held in the West Palm
Beach County jail on misdemeanor and immigration
charges. Hanniford faces deportation to Jamaica upon
resolution of his local charges.


8. The National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) has a new
Deputy Director. Although he comes with an intelligence
background and the necessary skills to fulfill the
mandate of the unit, there are no guarantees that he
will be given the authority and latitude required to
move this agency forward. One of his first challenges
is to put the officers through a vetting process,
including polygraph testing. The NIB Advisor had
favorable discussion with the Commissioner of Police
concerning increased support from the JCF for the NIB
but little action to date.

December Achievements and Activities


9. The Narcotics Eradication Teams focused their
energies in the parishes of St Elizabeth and
Westmoreland. The Jamaica Constabulary Force had the
benefit of air and land transportation while the second
battalion the Jamaica Regiment depended on
transportation by road. A team consisting of fourteen
soldiers and three policemen camped out for two days in
the hilly and thickly vegetated terrain in the districts
of Arlington and New Forest in the Parish of St.
Elizabeth where they destroyed marijuana and seedlings.
They observed the growing of domestic crops among the
marijuana cultivation. The table below shows the
statistics of the joint eradication operation for the
month of December 2004.

STATISTICS
Seizures and Eradication for the month of December 2004
Cocaine kg not available
Marijuana HC 21.12
Cured Marijuana Kg 224
Seeds Kg 0.6
Seedlings Units 261,500
Nurseries Ea 43

Seizures and Eradication Year-To-Date December 2004
2004 2003 %Change
Cocaine/kgs 1735.51 1619.21 6.70
Marijuana/HC 426.07 444.64 -4.18
Cured Marijuana/Kg 2,648.59 no data
Seeds/Kg 2,246.87 no data
Seedlings/Units 5,201,430 3,711,975 40.13
Nurseries/Ea 444 279 59.14
Mash 105.85 no data

The year to date statistics for grown marijuana plants
shows a decrease of 4.18%. With the donation of the two
new trucks to the JCF it is anticipated that there will
be a significant increase in the eradication statistics
for 2005. The destruction of seedlings and seeds
continue to show a significant increase.


10. Military and Narcotics police intelligence under
"Operation Kingfish" resulted in the seizure of
approximately 217.92 kilograms of cured marijuana in the
Parish of Westmoreland. The JDF AW spent approximately
2.6 hours of airtime, with members of the Headquarters
Defense Force Intelligence Unit and the JCF Narcotics
team searching for a vessel suspected of transporting
narcotics. The vessel was later intercepted by the
Marine Police in the mangrove North of the Great Goat
Island, south of Jamaica however, no contraband was
found. In addition, the JDF Engineering unit blasted the
600-meter Greenwood airstrip located in St. James.
Evidence shows that this is a drop off and pick up point
for illicit drugs. The GOJ plans to destroy other
unmonitored airstrips as well during 2005.


11. JDF/CG conducted 165 patrols in the north and south
coast and 9 routine dives at Port Rhoades St Ann, Rocky
Point Clarendon and Port security patrols Montego Bay,
Discovery Bay, Ocho Rios Port Antonio and Kingston.
Three abandoned go-fast boats were confiscated in
Kingston Harbor. No contraband was found on the vessels
and the owners have not yet been identified. The
vessels were examined for traces of narcotics. The
month's JDFCG activities utilized approximately 23263.7
liters of petrol and 11486 liters of diesel.


12. In anticipation of an increase in import and export
of cargo over the Christmas period the Contraband
Enforcement Team temporarily increased their manpower
with the help of soldiers from the Jamaica Defense
Force. They were able to perform a 100 percent check on
all imports. CET focused on container examination and
maintained an increase in four out of five categories of
container examination. For example, the examination of
break bulk containers increased from 396 in December
2003 to 8528 in December 2004, an increase of 2054%.
Break bulk containers examined at the airport increased
slightly, from 141 to 162. There was also a 277 percent
increase, from 13 to 49, in the number of transshipment
containers examined. One hundred and forty (140)
passengers were processed in comparison to four hundred
and sixty four, (464) in the previous year, a reduction
of 70%.

Statistics
Comparison of Contraband Enforcement Team (CET)
Activities for December 2003 and 2004
Dec -04 Dec 03 % Change
Cocaine seizure 3 no data
Marijuana seizure 2 2 none
Passenger Processed 140 464 -70
Import Containers Examined 7 3 133
Export Containers Examined 9 25 -64
Transshipment Containers 49 13 277
Examined
Break Bulk Containers 162 141 15
Examined Airport
Break Bulk Containers 8528 396 2054
Examined seaport

The year to date statistics shows a similar trend with
the monthly activities. There was a percentage increase
in the container activities and a negative percentage
change of 67% with the processing of passengers. This
may be attributed to the lack of use of the Ion Scan
machines and other domestic factors. The ION scanners
are being serviced and should be returned to the Kinston
airport by mid-March.

Contraband Enforcement Team Year To Date Activities for
Jan-December 2004
Jan-Dec -04 Jan-Dec -03 % change
Pass.Processed 633 1940 -67
Import Containers 148 113 31
Examined
Export Containers 357 321 11
Examined
Transshipment Containers 265 115 130
Examined
Break Bulk Containers 890 551 62
Examined airport
Break Bulk Containers 9277 811 1044
Examined seaport


13. The National Intelligence Bureau's (NIB) new deputy
director is well respected in the intelligence community
and it is hoped that he have a positive impact in
managing personnel and dealing with internal issues
within that division. His first task is to implement
the vetting process, including polygraph and drug
testing approved by the Commissioner, to all the
officers.


14. Comment: Jamaican law enforcement activities
tapered off during the holiday season but should pick up
with renewed energy shortly. Initiatives on the part of
NAS, such as setting up Blanket Purchase Agreements
(BPA),have given the JDF/CG in particular, autonomy
never before experienced. As a result, more JDFCG
vessels are operational and more missions are being
executed. Because of the size of the vessels in
question, Jamaican waters are less likely to be violated
as traffickers are using routes farther from shore.
Incorporating the JDF Air Wing more into the offshore
interdiction efforts should reap further dividends in
the form of increased seizures of drugs and property.
End Comment.

TIGHE