DOZENS ARRESTED IN MILITARY DEPOT WEAPONS THEFT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARAMARIBO 000223 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA/CAR - LLUFTIG SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KCRM SNAR MARR PARM PREL PGOV SUBJECT: DOZENS ARRESTED IN MILITARY DEPOT WEAPONS THEFT PARAMARIBO 00000223 001.2 OF 002 REFTELS: (A) PARAMARIBO 155 ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Surinamese law enforcement officials have made 29 arrests thus far in connection with a February military depot weapons theft and recovered the majority of weapons stolen. The theft was an inside job that turned out to be one in a string of robberies. Twenty-two civilians, six soldiers and one police officer, all Surinamers except a Peruvian man, were arrested over the course of a few weeks in Paramaribo, the interior district of Brokopondo, and the western district of Nickerie. During an April 7 press conference announcing the arrests, Attorney General Subhas Punwasi also described a long-standing illegal arms-for- drugs trade between criminal groups in Suriname and Guyana uncovered during the investigation. It is an encouraging sign that Surinamese authorities were able to locate most of the stolen weapons and break up the criminal ring surrounding the theft. However, it is worrisome that the military's internal controls failed to stop the theft earlier. End Summary. -------------- SIGHTSEEING TOURS IN THE ARMY DEPOT -------------- ¶2. (SBU) During the weapons theft of February 14, six crates containing 181 grenades, roughly 500 rounds of carbine ammunition and 240 rounds of Bren ammunition were stolen from the Ayoko military barracks, located in the central district of Para near Suriname's international airport. Authorities were able to recover 140 of the stolen grenades and the majority of the ammunition, leaving 41 unaccounted for. Police seized the grenades in a raid of a Paramaribo residence. Police remain unsure about the remaining grenades' whereabouts, with speculation ranging from Suriname's interior to having been sold and delivered abroad. ¶3. (U) During the press conference, Punwasi said that one of the soldiers implicated in the theft, organized `sightseeing tours' in the military base for potential buyers. At least two separate criminal gangs went `shopping' for weapons. One group allegedly went back at least 7 times to steal weapons, but it was only after the second group left with a large weapons cache that the weapons theft came to light. It remains unclear how many weapons and how much ammunition and other military materiel were stolen from the depot over time. -------------- ARMS FOR DRUGS -------------- ¶4. (U) During his press conference, the Attorney General described an ongoing investigation into an arms-for-drugs trade between criminals in Guyana and Suriname's border district of Nickerie. Police investigations related to the theft of a handful of weapons from a police weapons depot in December 2005 helped police uncover the trade that has apparently been happening for at least two years. Police found that criminal groups in Suriname trade automatic weapons, grenades and handguns for cocaine, which is then transported via Nickerie to Paramaribo. ¶5. (U) The Attorney General voiced his concern over the rise in crime in Nickerie and said that a thorough investigation has to be conducted to diminish transborder crime in the district. According to Punwasi, it is apparent that officials from law enforcement and other government agencies facilitated the arms-for-drugs trade between the criminal organizations and that future arrests can be expected as the investigation continues. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Punwasi's announcement was encouraging in that Suriname's law enforcement apparatus was able to aggressively pursue the theft and disrupt a large criminal operation. Discouraging was the length of time the corrupt military officers and civilians were able to operate without getting caught. The poorly controlled Guyanese-Surinamese border area remains a weak link in the regional fight against transnational crime. Recognizing the problem, Surinamese authorities have stepped up boat patrols along the Corantijn River and have had increased success in seizing drugs on the road from Nickerie to Paramaribo. (See reftel). However, with GOS resources limited and Surinamese PARAMARIBO 00000223 002.2 OF 002 contacts complaining of a lack of trustworthy counterparts on the Guyanese side, the problem can not be expected to diminish anytime soon. BARNES