Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TASHKENT1225
2006-06-27 06:43:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Tashkent
Cable title:  

UZBEKISTAN BURNS 700 KGS OF NARCOTICS

Tags:  PGOV SNAR UZ 
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VZCZCXRO1211
PP RUEHDBU
DE RUEHNT #1225 1780643
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 270643Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5989
INFO RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ALMATY 8037
RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 2077
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 2616
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 2513
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1534
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 6712
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
UNCLAS TASHKENT 001225 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN AND INL/AEE
ALMATY FOR SCOTT WALDO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SNAR UZ
SUBJECT: UZBEKISTAN BURNS 700 KGS OF NARCOTICS

Sensitive but Unclassified. Please protect accordingly.

UNCLAS TASHKENT 001225

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN AND INL/AEE
ALMATY FOR SCOTT WALDO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SNAR UZ
SUBJECT: UZBEKISTAN BURNS 700 KGS OF NARCOTICS

Sensitive but Unclassified. Please protect accordingly.


1. (U) Uzbekistan marked the International Day Against Drug
Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking by burning 700 kilograms
of seized narcotics on June 26. The narcotics burned
included 430 kg of heroin, 182 kg of opium, 73 kg of
marijuana, 8 kg of hashish, and an unspecified amount of
other phychotropic substances, according to information
provided by the GOU. The National Security Service (NSS)
organized the drug burning. NSS has responsibility for
securely storing seized narcotics, and for their destruction
once they are no longer needed as evidence in criminal cases.
In addition to emboffs, representatives from the United
Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Kyrgyz, Tajik, and
Russian Embassies also observed the burn.


2. (SBU) Comment: Intended to demonstrate Uzbekistan's
commitment to fighting the illicit narcotics trade, this burn
was in many respects made for show. It was a carefully
stage-managed affair complete with heavily armed NSS troops
guarding the drugs and an Uzbek NSS official who just
happened to have a drug identification test kit in his pocket
so he could test the material being tossed into the fire in
front of the assembled media. Emboffs observed large numbers
of white plastic bags being burned; exactly what they
contained only the GOU knows for sure.
PURNELL