RESPONSE - EFFORTS TO COMBAT WEST AFRICAN DRUG TRAFFICKING

UNCLAS CONAKRY 001347 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12598: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KCRM SNAR EAID SOCI GV SUBJECT: RESPONSE - EFFORTS TO COMBAT WEST AFRICAN DRUG TRAFFICKING REF: A) Conakry 1209 B) Conakry 1239 C) Conakry 1300 D) Conakry 1321 ¶1. (SBU) In response to reftel request, Embassy provides the following analysis of drug trafficking in Guinea. In addition, reftels provide additional background information. ¶2. (SBU) The Government of Guinea (GoG) is engaged on drug trafficking issues and has a specialized police unit that focuses exclusively on drug trafficking cases. A number of GoG contacts report that drug trafficking in Guinea is increasing and that the country could be emerging as trafficking hub in the West Africa region. Other than the specialized police anti-drug unit, which has existed for decades, the GoG does not have a national counter-drug strategy or other counter-drug initiatives. ¶3. (SBU) Embassy is not aware of any other bilateral efforts to assist Guinea in counter narcotics. ¶4. (SBU) Guinean law enforcement, and specifically the anti-drug unit successfully seized 278 kilos of cocaine between January and October 2007 in a series of raids, but these seizures likely represents a very small percentage of the total amount of drugs passing through Guinea. In addition, the GoG's drug seizures and arrests target the lower end of the trafficking network, basically the 'mules,' or the people actually moving the drugs, often in small quantities. Police do not have any defined strategy for pursuing the leaders of these trafficking rings, some of whom are reportedly linked to the highest levels of the Guinean government. Furthermore, the police lack the training and investigative skills necessary to effectively launch a cohesive counter-narcotics program. Rampant corruption throughout all levels of government also hampers anti-narcotics efforts. ¶5. (SBU) The police anti-drug unit is specifically dedicated to counter-narcotics. However, its officers have next to no equipment and lack training on basic policing and investigative techniques, let alone counter-narcotics strategies. ¶6. (SBU) Guinea's current legal framework provides minimal support for counter-drug efforts. ¶7. (SBU) Drug interdiction at the airports is limited to basic search and seizure. In some cases, police officials said seizures resulted when they identified a suspicious individual. Endemic corruption means that some individuals may pay off police officials as they transit the country in order to avoid detection. Screening at the maritime port is virtually nonexistent and it is suspected that significant quantities of drugs are entering the country via small boats that can easily slip between the ships and the docks. Chemical labs for forensic analysis are nonexistent. Safeguarding of evidence is another problem as seized drugs routinely disappear. CARTER