Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ADDISABABA1000
2007-04-04 13:39:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Addis Ababa
Cable title:
GHANAIAN DRUG COURIER ARRESTED IN ETHIOPIA WITH
how-toVZCZCXYZ0003 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHDS #1000 0941339 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 041339Z APR 07 FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5420 INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 0187 RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 0363 RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0661 RUEHPC/AMEMBASSY LOME 0482 RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 0204 RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RHMFISS/CJTF HOA RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS ADDIS ABABA 001000
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E AND INL/ENT
CAIRO FOR DEA
LAGOS FOR LEGATT
CJTF-HOA FOR POLAD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR KCRM PTER ET GH EG AE TO IR
SUBJECT: GHANAIAN DRUG COURIER ARRESTED IN ETHIOPIA WITH
HEROIN ALLEGEDLY FROM IRAN
REF: A. 06 ADDIS ABABA 3006 (NOTAL)
B. 06 ADDIS ABABA 41 (NOTAL)
UNCLAS ADDIS ABABA 001000
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E AND INL/ENT
CAIRO FOR DEA
LAGOS FOR LEGATT
CJTF-HOA FOR POLAD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR KCRM PTER ET GH EG AE TO IR
SUBJECT: GHANAIAN DRUG COURIER ARRESTED IN ETHIOPIA WITH
HEROIN ALLEGEDLY FROM IRAN
REF: A. 06 ADDIS ABABA 3006 (NOTAL)
B. 06 ADDIS ABABA 41 (NOTAL)
1. (SBU) On March 17, Ethiopian Federal Police arrested
Ghanaian national Abubakari Yakubu (DPOB: 23 January 1972,
Accra) for possession of heroin at Bole International Airport
in Addis Ababa. Mr. Yakubu, age 35, was transiting Bole
International Airport en route to Lome, and had concealed the
heroin in his body cavities via swallowing. Mr. Yakubu
allegedly obtained nearly one kilogram of heroin in Iran,
where he swallowed the heroin for concealment and boarded a
flight to Dubai. According to Addis Ababa Deputy Commander
of Ethiopian Federal Police Illicit Drug Control Service
Tsehayu Kinfu, authorities in Dubai knew that Mr. Yakubu had
SIPDIS
drugs in his system but chose to allow him to board his
flight to Addis Ababa. According to Tsehayu, Dubai
authorities reported his actions to the Drug Enforcement
Agency (DEA) in Cairo, who, in turn, alerted the Ethiopian
Federal Police to this suspected narcotics smuggler.
--------------
EXPULSION OF OVER ONE POUND OF HEROIN
--------------
2. (SBU) Ethiopian police took custody of Mr. Yakubu on March
23, after his release from an Addis Ababa hospital, where he
had expelled a total of 27 pellets of heroin (following a
diet of spaghetti, oranges, and laxatives). As of March 26,
Mr. Yakubu expelled five additional pellets, bringing the
total of expelled pellets to 31, equaling 586.74 grams (or
1.25 pounds) of heroin. As of April 2, Mr. Yakubu remained
in the custody of Ethiopian police.
-------------- --------------
ETHIOPIA NOT LIKELY A HUB FOR EXCESSIVE DRUG TRAFFICKING
-------------- --------------
3. (SBU) COMMENT: It was unclear whether the Ethiopian
police had made contact with the Ghanaian Embassy regarding
the arrest. As noted in Ethiopia's 2006 International
Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) (ref A),post
assesses that Ethiopia is not, nor is it likely to become, a
significant producer, trafficker, or consumer of narcotic
drugs. However, its location among the major narcotics
routes between Southeast/Southwest Asian heroin production,
European markets, and West African trafficking networks, make
it a prime candidate for continued drug trafficking. For
example, Ethiopian Federal Police report having confiscated
11 kg, 312.76 grams of heroin from 14 individuals in 2005,
and 16 kg, 165.98 grams of heroin from 22 individuals in
2004. END COMMENT.
YAMAMOTO
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E AND INL/ENT
CAIRO FOR DEA
LAGOS FOR LEGATT
CJTF-HOA FOR POLAD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR KCRM PTER ET GH EG AE TO IR
SUBJECT: GHANAIAN DRUG COURIER ARRESTED IN ETHIOPIA WITH
HEROIN ALLEGEDLY FROM IRAN
REF: A. 06 ADDIS ABABA 3006 (NOTAL)
B. 06 ADDIS ABABA 41 (NOTAL)
1. (SBU) On March 17, Ethiopian Federal Police arrested
Ghanaian national Abubakari Yakubu (DPOB: 23 January 1972,
Accra) for possession of heroin at Bole International Airport
in Addis Ababa. Mr. Yakubu, age 35, was transiting Bole
International Airport en route to Lome, and had concealed the
heroin in his body cavities via swallowing. Mr. Yakubu
allegedly obtained nearly one kilogram of heroin in Iran,
where he swallowed the heroin for concealment and boarded a
flight to Dubai. According to Addis Ababa Deputy Commander
of Ethiopian Federal Police Illicit Drug Control Service
Tsehayu Kinfu, authorities in Dubai knew that Mr. Yakubu had
SIPDIS
drugs in his system but chose to allow him to board his
flight to Addis Ababa. According to Tsehayu, Dubai
authorities reported his actions to the Drug Enforcement
Agency (DEA) in Cairo, who, in turn, alerted the Ethiopian
Federal Police to this suspected narcotics smuggler.
--------------
EXPULSION OF OVER ONE POUND OF HEROIN
--------------
2. (SBU) Ethiopian police took custody of Mr. Yakubu on March
23, after his release from an Addis Ababa hospital, where he
had expelled a total of 27 pellets of heroin (following a
diet of spaghetti, oranges, and laxatives). As of March 26,
Mr. Yakubu expelled five additional pellets, bringing the
total of expelled pellets to 31, equaling 586.74 grams (or
1.25 pounds) of heroin. As of April 2, Mr. Yakubu remained
in the custody of Ethiopian police.
-------------- --------------
ETHIOPIA NOT LIKELY A HUB FOR EXCESSIVE DRUG TRAFFICKING
-------------- --------------
3. (SBU) COMMENT: It was unclear whether the Ethiopian
police had made contact with the Ghanaian Embassy regarding
the arrest. As noted in Ethiopia's 2006 International
Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) (ref A),post
assesses that Ethiopia is not, nor is it likely to become, a
significant producer, trafficker, or consumer of narcotic
drugs. However, its location among the major narcotics
routes between Southeast/Southwest Asian heroin production,
European markets, and West African trafficking networks, make
it a prime candidate for continued drug trafficking. For
example, Ethiopian Federal Police report having confiscated
11 kg, 312.76 grams of heroin from 14 individuals in 2005,
and 16 kg, 165.98 grams of heroin from 22 individuals in
2004. END COMMENT.
YAMAMOTO