TURKMENISTAN REPORTS 2006 NARCOTICS SEIZURE STATISTICS

UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000901 SIPDIS SENSITIVE, SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN (PERRY),INL/AAE (CARROLL) ALMATY FOR WALDO TASHKENT FOR CORTINOVIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR PREL PINR PGOV PBTS TX SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN REPORTS 2006 NARCOTICS SEIZURE STATISTICS REF: 05 ASHGABAT 00826 SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (U) Government of Turkmenistan narcotics seizure statistics report 1,551 kilograms of narcotics seized during the first six months of 2006. Associated government information mainly focuses on Turkmenistan being a transit, and not a destination, country. End Summary. NARCOTICS STATISTICS -------------- ¶2. (U) Turkmenistan's statistics on narcotics, as forwarded by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, report that law enforcement agencies seized a total of 1,551 kilograms of narcotics during the January - June 2006 timeframe, including: -- 140 kg 536 grams of heroin, -- 1145 kg 865 grams of opium, -- 45 kg 502 grams of marijuana, -- 13 kg 106 grams of poppy straw, -- 206 kg 158 grams of hashish. ¶3. (U) In comparison with narcotics statistics from the first six months of 2005, the quantity of heroin has increased by 29 percent and the quantity of opium by 306.6 percent. At the same time the quantities of marijuana and poppy straw decreased by 29.6 percent and 86 percent, respectively. There were no recorded precursor seizures. TURKMENISTAN DETAINS CITIZENS OF IRAN AND AFGHANISTAN -------------- -------------- ¶4. (U) The Government of Turkmenistan provided limited information about several seizures along the border with Iran and Afghanistan. According to this information, smugglers sought to "transit narcotics from Afghanistan to Iran through the border of Turkmenistan." In one instance, the text describes an attempt to smuggle "narcotics from Afghanistan to Turkmenistan." The document identified four Afghan nationals by name - two from Bagdis province, one from Bardak and one from an undisclosed province. Three Iranian nationals were also identified and hailed from the city of Sarahs. COMMENT -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Given the unreliability of official statistics and the assumption that at least some authorities are involved in the narcotics trade here, post cautions against taking these statistics at face value. Indeed, the increase in seizures may reflect a shift of power among narcotics traffickers as a result of the purging this spring of the long-time Prosecutor-General, Gurbanbibi Atajanova. That said, post believes it is important for the Government of Turkmenistan to account for narcotics seizures, and we will continue to request semi-annual seizure reports. BRUSH