JUSTICE MINISTER CLAIMS FARC PRESENCE IN SURINAME

S E C R E T PARAMARIBO 000300 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA/CAR LLUFTIG, INL/LP NBOZZOLO, KBROWN SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/22/2016 TAGS: SNAR KCRM PREL PGOV NS CO SUBJECT: JUSTICE MINISTER CLAIMS FARC PRESENCE IN SURINAME REFTEL: USDAO BOGOTA CO IIR 6 819 922 06, P R 051855Z MAY 06 CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR MARSHA E. BARNES, REASONS 1.4 (b) & (d). ¶1. (U) Suriname's Minister of Justice and Police Chandrikapersad Santokhi told journalists on May 17 that transnational criminal organizations involved in the weapons-for-drugs trade are working closely together in Suriname and that the FARC is one of these organizations. He made the statement upon leaving a Council of Ministers meeting when he was speaking to media about his recent trip to Canada for the 2006 International Drug Enforcement Conference. He emphasized that Suriname remains a transit country for drugs, but that international criminal organizations from Colombia and other Latin American countries operating in Suriname have moved the bulk of their activities to Guyana due to lax control and Suriname's recent success in combating trafficking. ¶2. (S) Rumors of FARC presence in Suriname continue. Recent reporting in other channels also suggests FARC presence. (See reftel). Equally plausible is that criminals operating here have some business association with FARC, rather than themselves being FARC members. BARNES