PRT/BAMYAN: LARGE OPIUM SEIZURE HIGHLIGHT PLUSES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 000025

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SA/FO, SA/A, S/CR, EUR/RPM
NSC FOR AMEND AND HARRIMAN
OSD FOR BREZEZINSKI
REL NATO/AUST/NZ/ISAF
CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958 N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM SOCI AF
SUBJECT: PRT/BAMYAN: LARGE OPIUM SEIZURE HIGHLIGHT PLUSES
AND MINUSES OF BAMYAN LAW ENFORCEMENT


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Bamyan police found a 1.9 ton opium cache
stashed away in caves near Bamyan City, and arrested three
suspects. Counter-narcotics officials from Kabul and a
gaggle of press witnessed the PRT weigh, transport, and burn
the opium on December 28. Behind the scenes, however, the
government released the suspected opium owners prior to
incarceration. It is unclear whether the opium burned
represents the entire cache found. Law enforcement's messy
handling of the event outside of the public's view
underscores the need for a more credible, ethical, competent
law enforcement community in Bamyan. A recent drug bust
underlines the disparity between form and substance of
Bamyan law enforcement. END SUMMARY.

BUSTED!
--------------


2. (SBU) Bamyan Chief of Police Ghulam Ali Wahadat outlined
details of a successful drug bust to PRToff on December 21
when he requested the PRT's help to destroy the confiscated
opium. Wahadat explained that police had pursued a large
truck on December 11 containing three individuals when the
truck refused to stop at a vehicle checkpoint, but explained
that, "we did not have enough fuel to keep up the chase."
Police were surprised to find the same three individuals
again at a cave complex just outside of Bamyan City on
December 16. The three were caught in the process of
loading their truck with a large amount of opium, which they
had apparently stashed in the cave. Police immediately
arrested the three men, seized the opium, and sealed it in a
container at ANP headquarters.


3. (SBU) Police learned through routine questioning that
the three individuals, one from Helmand and two from Herat,
were attempting to smuggle their opium from Ghor Province
through Yakawlang District in Bamyan. Wahadat speculated
that the opium would travel north through Samangan and Balkh
Provinces into Tajikistan and to points beyond. "We were
lucky to catch them when we did," Wahadat admitted.

Burn, Baby Burn (Eventually)
--------------


4. (SBU) Upon hearing Wahadat's story, the PRT immediately
prepared a burn site inside the PRT's outer perimeter
(concertina wire) but in public view. (NOTE: The PRT
learned the hard way the need for better control of the
site. When a previous PRT contingent burned confiscated
opium, the burn lasted well through the night. Much of the
unburned opium was missing the following morning. END
NOTE.) A week later, on December 28, officials from the
Ministry of Counter Narcotics (MCN) and MOI arrived to
witness the burn.


5. (SBU) The event had a circus-like atmosphere. Children
hung around police HQ all day, eating fruit and sweets for
sale from small vendors. Local and Kabul press milled
through the crowd, interviewing anyone willing to comment.
General Wahadat was happy to accommodate: "This is your ANP
at work, protecting you," he told reporters. Chief
Prosecutor Azizullah Hadafmand likewise told the MCN
officials that they could "stop drugs in Bamyan" with better
support from Kabul.


6. (SBU) Digital and phone cameras flashed constantly as
PRToff (with significant help from the PRT's motorpool crew)
numbered, weighed, and recorded the weight of each
individual opium bag (minus the 5 samples we saw taken by
ANP officers) for the next 90 minutes. Hadafmand made a
point to write additional, superfluous notation on each bag
in Dari, stopping frequently to pose for pictures. In all,
the PRT weighed and collected 1,746.5 kg (approx. 3842.3
lbs.) of opium. (NOTE: An additional 23 kg of hashish was
left and re-locked into the container, as officials said the
paperwork to approve the hashish burn was not yet finished.
END NOTE.) The PRT escorted the measured opium back to the
burn site, prepped the fuel, and gave Hadafmand the
incendiary grenade to start the burn, which he brandished in
front of onlookers before tossing it into the pit.

After Smoke Clears, Corruption Looms
--------------


7. (SBU) The chaotic, but largely successful event has been
marred by subsequent revelations. MCN officer Mohibullah
Loodin regretfully told PRToff on December 29 that the three
suspects were no longer in custody. Loodin could not
provide details (promising to do so after reporting to the
Minister),but he explained that the suspects disappeared
sometime after their arrest but before they reached the
Bamyan prison. Further, according to Loodin's own sources,
the opium cache originally contained over 3 tons (more than
6000 lbs.) of opium when the ANP found it. Loodin promised
that MOI would send investigators from Kabul to delve into
the missing drugs and disappearing suspects. "It is
embarrassing," admitted Loodin.

Comment: Need to Clean House
--------------


8. (SBU) The ANP Police Chief and the Chief Prosecutors'
cynical manipulation of their good luck in coming across the
drugs cache is expected, to some degree. Even in relatively
stable and secure Bamyan, officials cannot expect to
maintain public support without at least appearing to make
an effort to uphold the law. The publicity from the drug
bust should generate goodwill among the people for some
time.


9. (SBU) The reality of Bamyan law enforcement, however, is
a sordid combination of corruption and ineptitude. Justice
is far from blind; it appears more likely to be available to
the highest bidder. While Governor Habiba Sarabi is trying
to expose and limit this corruption, her influence is
limited by both the scope of her office and by the political
influence of the Chief of Police's allies, including Second
Vice President Khalili. Law enforcement, justice, and rule
of law will remain hollow concepts unless the ANP and Chief
Prosecutor's office clean house. We must encourage MOI and
MOJ to have zero tolerance for such corrupt activity at the
highest level. At the base, we need to continue training
ground level police officers to serve as credible and
trustworthy agents of the law. The permanent Police
Training Center would be a vital tool in these training
efforts.

NEUMANN