TURKMENISTAN TAKES UNPRECENDENTED STEP, ANNOUNCES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001344 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN AND INL, MOSCOW ALSO FOR DEA, DUSHANBE ALSO FOR DEA, ISLAMABAD ALSO FOR DEA, ANKARA ALSO FOR DEA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL SNAR TX SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN TAKES UNPRECENDENTED STEP, ANNOUNCES STATISTICS AT UNODC PARIS PACT MEETING ¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: On December 11, officials of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) discussed U.S. support of U.S.-funded UNODC border crossing projects with the Charge. In a major policy change, Turkmenistan's Chairman of the State Counternarcotics Commission, Myrat Yslamov, for the first time ever gave several statistics on Turkmenistan's narcotics problem at the December 3 UNODC Paris Pact Strategic Policy meeting in Vienna. Pending funding, UNODC envisages implementing new operational and drug demand projects in Turkmenistan. UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa will discuss Iranian trafficking issues with President Berdimuhamedov January 8-11. All of these signs are encouraging, so much so that UNODC hopes the United States will make additional funding available in 2008. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (SBU) On December 11, officials of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) discussed U.S. support of U.S.-funded UNODC Turkmenistan border crossing projects with the Charge. Ercan Saka, Project Coordinator of UNODC's Turkmenistan office, stated that Turkmenistan's Chairman of the State Counternarcotics Commission, Myrat Yslamov, stated at the Paris Pact Strategic Policy meeting in Vienna on December 3 that there are approximately 33,000 drug abusers in Turkmenistan. (COMMENT: It is unclear how Turkmenistan's authorities determined this number. It could be the number of people apprehended for narcotics possession, the number of registered drug abusers, or perhaps an estimate. However, Turkmenistan's admission and the fact that an official named a specific number is a step forward. END COMMENT.) Yslamov also listed many other statistics for the first ten months of 2007: -- The State Border Services prevented 41 cases of border infringement (18 from Iran, 23 from Afghanistan),seizing 1,612 kilograms of narcotics (616 kilograms from Iran, 996 kilograms from Afghanistan). -- The State Customs Service stopped 47 cases of drug smuggling, seizing 24.766 kilograms (6.453 kilograms of heroin, 18.313 kilograms of opium, and 13,107 tablets of "strong medicinal preparations"). -- The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of National Security seized 239.906 kilograms of heroin and 2147.668 kilograms of opium. -- In 2006, judicial bodies reviewed 1,403 criminal cases linked to illicit drug trafficking. In 2007, these judicial bodies reviewed 1,450 criminal cases connected to illicit drug trafficking and sentenced 2,902 people for these offenses. ¶4. (SBU) UNODC's Central Asia Regional Representative, James Callahan, said that UNODC wants to increase protection of the "green borders" -- the unmanned border areas between border posts -- including by introducing mobile interdiction teams, and increasing cooperation between interagency teams on both sides of the border. The interagency teams would surveil the green borders using SUV's or ATV's and could use the gathered intelligence in other operations. Callahan said that UNODC is currently leading similar pilot projects in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. ¶5. (SBU) Callahan said that UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa will discuss Iranian trafficking issues with President Berdimuhamedov during Costa's January 8-11 visit to Turkmenistan. It was the Turkmenistan government that raised this problem with UNODC. Callahan added that ASHGABAT 00001344 002 OF 002 Berdimuhamedov is concerned about the Iranian/Afghan border in general, and said that UNODC will look for funding for a mobile unit. ¶6. (SBU) Callahan said that the Government of Turkmenistan expressed interest in establishing an organization similar to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA),with an umbrella role over Turkmenistan's counternarcotics effort. If this agency comes to fruition, UNODC would assist with training, equipment, the vetting process, and the policy structure. UNODC has also proposed a drug demand reduction project in Turkmenistan, similar to one introduced in Uzbekistan, aimed at school children. ¶7. (SBU) Callahan said that UNODC was still planning on introducing a Coordination and Analysis Unit as part of the Caspian Sea Initiative, and which would be located in Ashgabat. The office would have a seconded officer and local analyst. ¶8. (SBU) COMMENT: Counternarcotics remains a fruitful area of cooperation both for international organizations such as UNODC and for the United States. Yslamov noted cooperation with the United States in his December 3 speech several times. His announcement of 2007 statistics is unheard of and a welcome development. If anything, this is a sign that increased DEA engagement with Turkmenistan would not be a waste. END COMMENT. CURRAN