SRI LANKA: TEXT FOR 2006 INCSR

UNCLAS COLOMBO 001822 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR PGOV CE SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: TEXT FOR 2006 INCSR ¶1. Please find below the text for the 2006 INCSR. The format is keyed to the instructions in reftel. ¶2. I. Summary Sri Lanka has a relatively small-scale drug problem. The Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) remains committed to targeting drug traffickers and implementing nation-wide demand reduction programs. In early 2005, the U.S. government strengthened its relationship with Sri Lanka on counter-narcotics issues by offering training and seminars for the Sri Lanka Police. Sri Lanka signed the 1988 UN Drug Convention, but as of 2006, Parliament had not enacted implementing legislation for the convention. In November 2006 the Attorney General's office submitted the legislation to the Cabinet of Ministers, and the bill is expected to be passed by parliament in the first quarter of 2007. In the meantime, amendments to the current laws, including some covering chemicals control, have been enacted as intermediate steps. II. Status of Country Sri Lanka is not a significant producer of narcotics or precursor chemicals. GSL officials continue to raise internal awareness of and vigilance against efforts by drug traffickers attempting to use Sri Lanka as a transit point for illicit drug smuggling. Domestically, officials are addressing a modest drug problem, consisting of heroin, cannabis, and, increasingly, Ecstasy. III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2005 Policy Initiatives: In 2005, Sri Lanka made progress in further implementing its counter-narcotics strategy, developed in 1994. The lead agency for counter-narcotics efforts, the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB),is headquartered in the capital city of Colombo. The government elected in April 2004 has not yet initiated any policy changes with respect to counter-narcotics activities. The GSL remains committed to ongoing efforts to curb illicit drug use and trafficking. In 2005 the PNB recruited more officers, resulting in increased investigations and interdictions. In early 2006, a special court was established so drug cases could be tried with minimal delays. Accomplishments: The PNB and Excise Department worked closely to target cannabis producers and dealers, resulting in several successful arrests. The PNB warmly welcomed and was an active partner in taking full advantage of U.S.-sponsored training for criminal investigative techniques and management practices. Sri Lanka continued to work with South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on regional narcotics issues. SAARC countries met in Maldives in early 2004 and agreed to establish an interactive website for the SAARC Drug Offense Monitoring Desk, located in Colombo, for all countries to input, share, and review regional narcotics statistics. GSL officials maintain continuous contact with counterparts in India and Pakistan, origin countries for the majority of drugs in Sri Lanka. The SAARC Drug Offences Monitoring Desk (SDOMD) is co-located within Colombo's PNB. The SDOMD collects, analyzes, and disseminates drug-related data among SAARC member countries. Anti-drug officials based in India and Pakistan regularly send information to the SDOMD, though other SAARC countries reportedly do not maintain such regular contact with the SDOMD desk. Law Enforcement Efforts: The PNB continued close inter-agency cooperation with the Customs Service, the Department of Excise, and the Sri Lankan Police to curtail the illicit drug supply lines and local drug dealers and users. As a result of these efforts, in 2005 GSL officials arrested nearly 11,700 persons on charges of using or dealing heroin and over 11,000 persons on cannabis charges. Police seized a total of 51.6 kilograms of heroin, with one major haul yielding 11.7 kilograms. Also in 2005, police seized 29,490 kilograms of cannabis. In addition, in response to the slowly increasing Ecstasy usage in upscale venues in Colombo, the PNB made their first ever Ecstasy-related drug arrests in 2004. There was one Ecstasy-related arrest in 2006 Apart from its Colombo headquarters, the PNB has one sub-unit at the Bandaranaike International Airport near Colombo, complete with operational personnel and a team of narcotics-detecting dogs. Greater vigilance by PNB officers assigned to the airport sub-station led to increased arrests and narcotics seizures from alleged drug smugglers. During the year, the PNB began the process of establishing additional sub-stations. The next substation is due to open at the port of Colombo by the end of 2006. Corruption: A government commission, established to investigate bribery and corruption charges against public officials, temporarily resumed operations in 2004. In May 2004, the Judicial Services Commission suspended a Colombo high court judge for granting bail to alleged drug traffickers. Police arrested a leading alleged drug kingpin in connection with the November 2004 murder of a widely respected judge. At the time of this alleged dealer's arrest and questioning, subsequent information revealed that numerous police officers allegedly helped facilitate this individual's illegal activities. In response, the Inspector General of Police, the most senior ranking police official, ordered a complete investigation into any involvement by police officers. The investigation was on-going at year's end. In December 2005, six police personnel were arrested for collusion with a high-profile drug dealer, but the police were released without charges in March 2006. On June 14, 2006, a Major in the army was found trafficking 15.3 Kg of heroin in Pesalai in Mannar. He was arrested and remains in remand for the duration of his trial. Agreements and Treaties: Sri Lanka is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention and the 1990 SAARC Convention on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. Implementing legislation for both conventions had not reached Parliament by year's end. The Attorney General's office has reviewed both pieces of legislation and anticipates submitting implementing legislation to Parliament in early 2005. Sri Lanka is also a party to the 1961 UN Single Convention, as amended by the 1972 Protocol, and the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Sri Lanka has signed, but has not yet ratified, the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and is a party to the UN Convention Against Corruption. An extradition treaty is in force between the U.S. and Sri Lanka. Cultivation/Production: Small quantities of cannabis are cultivated and used locally. There is little indication that this illicit drug is exported. The majority of the production occurs in the southeast jungles of Sri Lanka. PNB and Excise Department officials work together to locate and eradicate cannabis crops. Drug Flow/Transit: Some of the heroin entering Sri Lanka is transshipped elsewhere. With the 2003 opening of the northwestern coastal waters in the advent of the ceasefire between the GSL and the LTTE, narcotics traffickers began to take advantage of the short distance across the Palk Strait to transit drugs from India to Sri Lanka. According to police officials, drugs are transported across the strait and then overland to the south. The PNB sought to open a sub-station in the region but was unable to do so because of the prevailing security situation in the north-western coastal waters resulting from Sri Lanka's long-running ethnic conflict. With no coast guard, Sri Lanka's coast remains highly vulnerable to transshipment of heroin moving from India. Police officials state that the international airport is the second major entry point for the transshipment of illegal narcotics through Sri Lanka. There is no evidence to date that synthetic drugs are manufactured in Sri Lanka. Police note that the Ecstasy found in Colombo social venues is likely trafficked from Thailand. Domestic Programs (Demand Reduction): The National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB) began establishing task forces in each regional province to focus on the issue of drug awareness and rehabilitation at the community level. Each task force works with the existing municipal structure, bringing together officials from the police, prisons, social services, health, education and NGO sectors. For the first time in 2004, NDDCB officials visited the war-affected north and east provinces to assess the local situation and investigate the possibility of establishing treatment centers in those regions. The NDDCB officials held discussions with District Secretaries to conduct awareness programs, open counseling centers, SIPDIS and build medical centers in the war-affected areas. The NDDCB is awaiting approval from the Treasury for the necessary funding to implement the initiatives. The GSL continued its support, including financial, of local NGOs conducting demand reduction and drug awareness campaigns. The Sri Lanka Anti Narcotics Association, in collaboration with PNB, Colombo City Traffic Police, and Sri Lanka Telecom, organized an anti-drug bicycle parade on a 100 kilometer route from Galle to Colombo in June 2005. The Colombo Plan Drug Advisory Program, a regional organization, pledged its assistance to the government and non-government agencies in their efforts to combat illicit drugs. IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs Policy Initiatives: The USG remained committed to helping GSL officials develop increased capacity and cooperation for counter-narcotics issues. The USG also continued its support of the regional Colombo Plan Drug Advisory Program, which conducts regional and country-specific training seminars, fostering communication and cooperation throughout Asia. Bilateral Cooperation: In 2004, the USG began implementing, primarily with the PNB, a law enforcement development program. Over 200 officers throughout the police force participated in training seminars. Pursuant to bilateral letters of agreement between the USG and the GSL, the Sri Lanka police are fulfilling their obligations. USG-trained Sri Lanka police are replicating the seminars and scheduling training for colleagues of the original police trainees at the training academies and stations throughout the island. Regional U.S. government officials, primarily DEA, conducted narcotics officer training for their local counterparts in a seminar organized by the Colombo Plan. Road Ahead: The U.S. government intends to maintain its commitment to aiding the Sri Lanka police to transition from a paramilitary force to a community-focused one. This will be accomplished with additional assistance for training and continued dialogue between U.S. counter-narcotics related agencies and their Sri Lankan counterparts. The U.S. also expects to continue it support of the Colombo Plan.