2006-2007 BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA INSCR REPORT (PART 1)

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SARAJEVO 002744 SIPDIS SIPDIS INL FOR LYLE AND EUR/SCE FOR FOOKS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR BK SUBJECT: 2006-2007 BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA INSCR REPORT (PART 1) REF: STATE 154928 SARAJEVO 00002744 001.2 OF 003 ¶1. (U) BELOW FOLLOWS THE 2006-2007 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY REPORT (INSCR) PART ONE FOR BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA: ¶I. Summary Narcotics control capabilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina remain in a formative period and have not kept pace with developments in other areas of law enforcement. Although the political will to improve narcotics control performace exists among the Bosnian government, faced with ongoing post-war reconstruction issues, it has to date focused limited law enforcement resources on war crimes, terrorism and trafficking in persons and has not developed comprehensive anti-narcotics intelligence and enforcement capabilities. As a result, USG understanding of the magnitude of narcotics-related issues in Bosnia is hindered by a lack of reliable statistics on the levels of narcotics transiting the country and on domestic drug consumption. We believe, based on sporadic information from law enforcement authorities and anecdotal information, that Bosnia and Herzegovina remains a small but growing market for drugs and one of several regional hubs for narcotics transshipment. Despite increasing law enforcement cooperation, gradual improvements in the oversight of the financial sector, and substantial legal reform, local authorities are politically divided and enforcement efforts are poorly coordinated. Narcotics trade remains an integral part of the activities of foreign and domestic organized crime figures who operate with the tacit acceptance (and sometimes active collusion) of some corrupt public officials. Border controls have improved, but flaws in the regulatory structure and justice system, lack of coordination among police agencies, and a lack of attention by Bosnia's political leadership mean that measures against narcotics trafficking and related crimes are often substandard. Bosnia is still considered primarily a transit country for drug trafficking due to its strategic location along the historic Balkan smuggling routes, weak state institutions, lack of personnel in counternarcotics units, and poor cooperation among the responsible authorities. In 2006, Bosnia did not create the state-level body to coordinate the fight against drugs or develop the national counternarcotics strategy mandated by legislation passed in �00A;late 2005. In 2006, the Bosnia government, in cooperation with the European Union Police Mission, launched a public information campaign to raise awareness about the dangers and effects of drugs. Bosnia is attempting to forge ties with regional and international law enforcement agencies. Bosnia is party to the 1988 UN Convention on Drugs and is attempting to meet the goals of the Convention. II. Status of Country Bosnia is not a significant narcotics producer, consumer, or producer of precursor chemicals. Bosnia does occupy a strategic position along the historic Balkan smuggling routes between drug production and processing centers in South Asia and markets in Western Europe. Bosnian authorities at the state, entity, cantonal and municipal levels have been unable to stem the transit of illegal aliens, black market commodities, and narcotics since the conclusion of the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords. Traffickers have capitalized in particular on an ineffective justice system, public sector corruption, and the lack of specialized equipment and training. Bosnia is increasingly becoming a storehouse for drugs, mainly marijuana and heroin. One of the main routes for drug trafficking starts in Albania, continues through Montenegro, passes through Bosnia to Croatia and Slovenia and then on to Central Europe. Cocaine for domestic consumption arrives mainly from the Netherlands through the postal system. Information on domestic consumption is not systematically gathered, but authorities estimate Bosnia is home to 100,000 drug addicts. Anecdotal evidence and law enforcement officials indicate that demand is steadily increasing. No national drug information system focal point exists, and the collection, processing, and dissemination of drug-related data is neither regulated nor vetted by a state-level regulatory body. III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2006 Policy Initiatives. On November 8, 2005, the Bosnia House of Representatives passed legislation designed to address the problem of narcotics trafficking and abuse. However, the state-level counternarcotics coordination body and national counternarcotics strategy mandated by the legislation were not created as of October 2006 due to staffing and resource constraints. It is hoped that the work of the counternarcotics coordination body will get under way upon the formation of a new government in the wake of October 2006 national elections. Bosnia is a state with limited financial resources but, with USG and EU assistance, it is attempting to build state-level law enforcement institutions to combat SARAJEVO 00002744 002.6 OF 003 narcotics trafficking and organized crime and to achieve compliance with relevant UN conventions. The full deployment of the State Border Service (SBS) and the establishment of the State Investigative and Protection Agency (SIPA) have improved counternarcotics efforts. Telephone hotlines, local press coverage, and public relations efforts have focused public attention on smuggling and black-marketeering. Law Enforcement Efforts. Counternarcotics efforts have improved but remain inadequate given suspected trafficking levels. Cooperation among law enforcement agencies and prosecutors is primarily informal and ad hoc, and serious legal and bureaucratic obstacles to the effective prosecution of criminals remain. Through June 2006 (latest available statistics),law enforcement agencies in Bosnia-Herzegovina (including the State Investigation and Protection Agency, the State Border Service, Federation Ministry of Interior, Republika Srpska (RS) Ministry of Interior and Brcko Police) have filed 750 criminal reports against 916 persons for drug related offenses. The aforementioned law enforcement agencies also report having seized 3399 grams of heroin, 650 grams of cocaine, 1.9 kg of amphetamines, 11.6kg of marijuana, 4327 cannabis plants, 1825 cannabis seeds, 4,761 ecstasy tablets, 242 grams of "speed", 117 grams of hashish, and 70 LSD stamps. These official statistics only reflect illegal drugs seized between January-June 2006 and do not reflect several significant September drug interdictions that reportedly recovered over 90kg of marijuana. The State Border Service, founded in 2000, is now fully operational with 2,199 officers and is responsible for controlling the country's four international airports as well as Bosnia's 55 international border crossings covering 1,551 kilometers. The SBS is considered one of the better border services in Southeast Europe and is one of the few truly multi-ethnic institutions in Bosnia. However, there are still a large number of illegal crossing points that the SBS is unable to control, including dirt paths and river fords. Moreover, many official checkpoints are minimally staffed and many crossings remain understaffed. The SIPA, once fully operational, will be a conduit for information and evidence among local and international law enforcement agencies, and will have a leading role in counternarcotics efforts. As of November 2006, SIPA had hired 911 of its proposed 1,700 staff. Cultivation/Production. Bosnia is not a major narcotics cultivator. Officials believe that domestic cultivation is limited to small-scale marijuana crops grown in southern and western Bosnia. Bosnia is also not a major synthetics narcotics producer and refinement and production are negligible. Corruption. Bosnia does not have laws that specifically target narcotics-related public sector corruption and has not pursued charges against public officials on narcotics-related offenses. Organized crime, a few corrupt government officials, and all use the narcotics trade to generate personal revenue. There is no evidence linking senior government officials to the illicit narcotics trade. As a matter of government policy Bosnia does not encourage or facilitate illicit production or distribution of narcotic or psychotropic drugs or other controlled substances, or the laundering of proceeds from illegal drug transactions. Bosnia has signed, but has not yet ratified, the UN Convention Against Corruption. Agreements and Treaties. Bosnia is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention and is developing bilateral law enforcement ties with neighboring states to combat narcotics trafficking. A 1902 extradition treaty between the U.S. and The Kingdom of Serbia applies to Bosnia as a successor state. Bosnia is a party to the UN Convention against Transnational Crime and its protocols against migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons. Drug Flow/Transit. While most drugs entering Bosnia are in trafficked to destinations in third countries, indigenous organized crime groups are involved in local distribution to the estimated 100,000 drug users in the country. Major heroin and marijuana shipments are believed to transit Bosnia by several well-established overland routes, often in commercial vehicles. Local officials believe that Western Europe is the primary destination for this traffic. Officials believe that the market for designer drugs, especially ecstasy, in urban areas is rising rapidly. Law enforcement authorities posit that elements from each ethnic group and all major crime "families" are involved in the narcotics trade, often collaborating across ethnic lines. Sale of narcotics is also considered a significant source of revenue used by organized crime groups to finance both legitimate and illegitimate activities. There is mounting evidence of links between, and conflict among, Bosnian criminal elements and organized crime operations in Russia, Albania, Serbia and Montenegro, Croatia, Austria, Germany, and Italy. Domestic Programs. In Bosnia there are only two methadone therapy centers with a combined capacity to handle about 160 SARAJEVO 00002744 003.4 OF 003 patients. The limited capacity of the country's psychiatric clinics, also charged with treating drug addicts, is problematic, as the number of addicts and drug-related deaths in the country rises steadily. It is estimated that between 70 to 80 per cent of drug addicts who undergo basic medical treatment are recidivists. The Bosnian government currently pays for the basic medical treatment of drug addicts, but there are no known government programs for reintegrating former addicts into society. During 2006 an anti-drug campaign "Choose Life, not Drugs" was implemented by the police of Bosnia and Herzegovina in conjunction with the European Union Police Mission. This public awareness campaign, targeting drug prevention messages to youth, provided promotional materials to students and delivered anti-drug abuse messages from former drug addicts to help youth choose a drug-free lifestyle. In September, the campaign kicked off a "School without Drugs" program to be carried out in 65 elementary and 37 secondary schools in the Sarajevo region. The "Viktorija" Association raised funds and helped 25 drug addicts complete a rehabilitation and reintegration program. The PROI Association helped 10 former drug addicts reintegrate into society. An anti-drug public awareness campaign in Mostar utilized the wall of a centrally located prison for anti-drug messages painted by youth volunteers. IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs Policy Initiatives. USG policy objectives in Bosnia include reforming the criminal justice system, strengthening state-level law enforcement and judicial institutions, improving the rule of law, de-politicizing the police, improving local governance, and introducing free-market economic initiatives. The USG will continue to work closely with Bosnian authorities and the international community to combat narcotics trafficking and money laundering. Bilateral Cooperation. The USG's bilateral law enforcement assistance program continues to emphasize task force training and other measures against organized crime, including narcotics trafficking. The Department of Justice's International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) and U.S. Customs programs provided specific counternarcotics training to entity Interior Ministries and the SBS. The Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance Training (OPDAT) provides training to judges and prosecutors on organized crime-related matters. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Regional Office in Rome maintains liaison with its counterparts in Bosnian state and entity level law enforcement organizations. The DEA has also sponsored specific narcotics interdiction training in Bosnia. The Road Ahead. Strengthening the rule of law, combating organized crime and terrorism, and reforming the judiciary and police in Bosnia remain top USG priorities. The USG will continue to focus its bilateral programs on related subjects such as public sector corruption and border controls. The USG will assist Bosnia with the full implementation of the planned national counternarcotics strategy and continue to support police reform. The international community is also working to increase local capacity and to encourage interagency cooperation by mentoring and advising the local law enforcement community. MCELHANEY