2007-2008 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 SINGAPORE 001989 SIPDIS STATE FOR INL JOHN LYLE JUSTICE FOR OIA AND ARMLS TREASURY FOR FINCEN DEA FOR OILS AND OFFICE OF DIVERSION CONTROL CIA FOR CNC SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KCRM SNAR ECON ETRD PREL SN SUBJECT: 2007-2008 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY REPORT (INCSR) PART I, DRUGS AND CHEMICAL CONTROL REF: STATE 136782 ¶1. (U) Per reftel instructions, this message is Post's draft 2007-2008 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, Part I - Drug and Chemical Control. Part II will be submitted septel. ¶2. (SBU) Begin text. ¶I. Summary The Government of Singapore (GOS) enforces stringent counternarcotics policies through strict laws -- including the death penalty and corporal punishment -- vigorous law enforcement, and active prevention programs. Singapore is not a producer of precursor chemicals or narcotics, but as a major regional financial and transportation center, it is potentially an attractive target for money launderers and those engaged in drug transshipment. Singapore is widely recognized as ONE of the least corrupt countries in the world. Corruption cases involving Singapore's counternarcotics and law enforcement agencies are rare, and their officers regularly attend U.S.-sponsored training programs as well as regional forums on drug control. Singapore is a party to the 1988 United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance (UN Drug Convention). According to GOS statistics, the number of drug abusers arrested in 2006 increased 34.8 percent to 1,218, up from 793 in 2005. The change in part reflects additional enforcement actions related to amendments made to the Misuse of Drugs Act in August ¶2006. The number of first-time offenders in Singapore increased slightly in 2006, with 477 arrests compared to 463 in 2005. Nearly half (49 percent) of drug abusers used synthetic drugs, including Ketamine, Methamphetamine, MDMA (Ecstasy),Erimin-5, and Nimetazepam. Buprenorphine (Subutex) users accounted for 31 percent, and heroin offenders for 9.7 percent, of total drug abusers. II. Status of Country In 2006, there was no known production of illicit narcotics or precursor chemicals in Singapore. While Singapore itself is not a known transit point for illicit drugs or precursor chemicals, it is ONE of the busiest transshipment ports in the world. The sheer volume of cargo passing through makes it likely that some illicit shipments of drugs and chemicals move undetected. With few exceptions, Singapore does not screen containerized shipments unless they enter its customs territory. Neither Singapore Customs nor the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA) keep data on in-transit or transshipped cargo unless there is a Singapore consignee involved in the shipment. III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2006 Policy Initiatives -------------- Singapore continues to pursue a strategy of demand and supply reduction for drugs. The GOS has worked closely with numerous international groups dedicated to drug education, including the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. In addition to arresting drug traffickers, Singapore focuses on arresting and detaining drug abusers for treatment and rehabilitation, providing drug detoxification and rehabilitation, and offering vigorous drug education in its schools. Singaporeans and permanent residents are subject to random drug tests. The Misuse of Drugs Act gives the Singapore Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) the authority to commit all drug abusers to rehabilitation centers for mandatory treatment and rehabilitation. Since 1999, individuals testing positive for consumption of narcotics have been held accountable for narcotics consumed abroad as well as in Singapore. Singapore has continued efforts to curb synthetic drug abuse, of which Ketamine abuse is the most prevalent. Amendments made to the Misuse of Drugs Act in 2006 designated Ketamine as a Class A Controlled Drug and increased penalties for trafficking accordingly. Anyone in possession of more than 113g of Ketamine is presumed to be trafficking in the drug and can face maximum penalties of 20 years imprisonment and 15 strokes of the cane. Amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act also established long-term imprisonment penalties for repeat synthetic drug abusers. Those arrested for a third time are subject to five to seven years imprisonment and three to six strokes of the cane; and seven to 13 SINGAPORE 00001989 002 OF 004 years imprisonment and six to 12 strokes of the cane for subsequent offenses. Singapore's long term imprisonment regime, first introduced in 1998, is thought to have helped curb the country's heroin use. Additional amendments to the Misue of Drugs Act classified Buprenorphine, the active ingredient in Subutex, as a Class A Controlled Drug. This means that, unless dispensed by a licensed physician or practitioner, the importation, distribution, possession and consumption of Subutex is a felony offense. Subutex, first introduced by the Ministry of HEALTH in 2000, is a heroin substitute clinically used in the detoxification/rehabilitation of heroin addicts. Drug abusers were found to be abusing Subutex by mixing it with other drugs, mainly Dormicum, a prescription sleeping pill. Buprenophine was the most commonly abused drug in Singapore in 2006, comprising more than one-third of total narcotics offenders. Law Enforcement Efforts -------------- As noted above, arrests for drug-related offenses increased 34.8 percent, from 793 arrests in 2005 to 1218 arrests in 2006, a reflection of new enforcement measures under the amended Misuse of Drugs Act. These statistics include persons arrested for trafficking offenses, possession, and consumption. Nearly 46 percent of all drug arrests involved synthetic drugs, including Nimetazepam (14.9 percent); Ketamine (15.3 percent); Methamphetamine (10.2 percent); and MDMA or Ecstasy (5.5 percent). Non-synthetic drug-related arrests included marijuana (10 percent) and heroin (9.7 percent). Singapore recorded no cocaine-related seizures or arrests in 2006. Of the total arrests, 477 involved new drug abusers. In 2006, authorities executed 52 major operations, during which they dismantled 25 drug syndicates. A majority of these arrests were conducted during sweeps of drug distribution groups, which were infiltrated by undercover Singapore narcotics officers. CNB officers frequently perform undercover work, purchasing small, personal-use amounts of narcotics from generally low and mid-level traffickers and drug abusers. These sweeps often produce additional arrests when subjects present at arrest scenes test positive for narcotics in their system. Singapore's CNB seized the following quantities of narcotics in 2006: 6.1 kg of heroin; 14.9 kg of cannabis; 4,136 tablets of MDMA; 0.5 kg of crystal Methamphetamine; 22 tablets of tablet Methamphetamine; 5.3 kg of Ketamine; 38,230 Nimetazepam tablets; and 6,432 Buprenorphine tablets. Corruption -------------- Singapore's Corruption Practices Bureau (CPB) actively investigates allegations of corruption at all levels of government. Neither the government nor any senior government officials is thought to engage in, encourage or facilitate the production or distribution of narcotics or other controlled substances, or the laundering of proceeds from illegal drug transactions. The CNB is charged with the enforcement of Singapore's counternarcotics laws. Its officers and other elements of the Singapore Police Force are well-trained professional investigators. Agreements and Treaties -------------- Singapore is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the 1972 Protocol amending the Single Convention, and the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Singapore and the United States continue to cooperate in extradition matters under the 1931 U.S.-UK Extradition Treaty. Singapore and the United States signed a Drug Designation Agreement (DDA) in November 2000, a mutual assistance agreement limited to drug cases. Singapore has signed mutual legal assistance agreements with Hong Kong and ASEAN. The United States and Singapore have held discussions on a possible bilateral MLAT, most recently in December 2005, although there have been no formal negotiations since 2004. Singapore has signed, but has not yet ratified, the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the UN Corruption Convention. In April 2006, Singapore amended SINGAPORE 00001989 003 OF 004 domestic legislation to allow for mutual legal assistance cooperation with countries for which they do not have a bilateral treaty. Cultivation/Production -------------- There was no known cultivation or production of narcotics in Singapore in 2006. Drug Flow/Transit -------------- Singapore is ONE of the busiest seaports in the world. Approximately 80 percent of the goods flowing through its port are in transit or are transshipped and do not enter Singapore's customs area. Due to the extraordinary volume of cargo shipped through the port, it is highly likely that some of it contains illicit materials, although Singapore is not a known transit point for illicit drugs or precursor chemicals. Singapore does not require shipping lines to submit data on the declared contents of transshipment or transit cargo unless there is a Singapore consignee to the transaction. The lack of such information creates enforcement challenges. Singapore Customs authorities rely on intelligence to uncover and interdict illegal shipments. They reported no seizures of transshipment or transit cargoes involving illicit narcotics shipments in ¶2006. GOS officials have been reluctant to impose tighter reporting or inspection requirements at the port, citing concerns that inspections could interfere with the free flow of goods, thus jeopardizing Singapore's position as the region's primary transshipment port. However, Singapore has increased its scrutiny of goods, primarily as part of an enhanced posture to combat terrorism and control the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their precursors. Singapore became the first Asian port to join the Container Security Initiative (CSI) in 2003, under which U.S. Customs personnel prescreen U.S.-bound cargo. Singapore also participates in other counterterrorism-related programs such as the Proliferation Security Initiative, the Megaports Initiative, and the Secure Freight Initiative. The country's new export control law went into effect in 2003, and Singapore is implementing an expanded strategic goods control list that takes effect in January 2008. While these initiatives aim to prevent WMD from entering the United States, the increased scrutiny and information they generate could also aid drug interdiction efforts. Singapore is a major regional aviation hub. Changi International Airport handled 35 million passengers in 2006. The Changi Airfreight Center is ONE of the world's busiest and operates as a Free Trade Zone where companies can move, consolidate, store or repack cargo without the need for documentation or customs duties. CNB seized narcotics at Changi Airport in 2006, including a 20 kilogram shipment of marijuana smuggled from Johannesburg, South Africa. Domestic Programs (Demand Reduction) -------------- Singapore uses a combination of punishment and rehabilitation of first-time drug offenders. Rehabilitation of drug abusers typically occurs during incarceration. The government may detain addicts for rehabilitation for up to three years. In an effort to discourage drug use during travel abroad, CNB officers may require urinalysis tests for Singapore citizens and permanent residents returning from outside the country. Those who test positive are treated as if they had consumed the illegal drug in Singapore. Adopting the theme, "Prevention: The Best Remedy," Singapore authorities organize sporting events, concerts, plays, and other activities to reach out to all segments of society on drug prevention. Drug treatment centers, halfway houses, and job placement programs exist to help addicts reintegrate into society. At the same time, the GOS has toughened anti-recidivist laws. Three-time offenders face long mandatory sentences and caning. Depending on the quantity of drugs involved, convicted drug traffickers may be subject to the death penalty, regardless of nationality. SINGAPORE 00001989 004 OF 004 IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs Bilateral Cooperation -------------- The United States and Singapore enjoy good law enforcement cooperation, in particular under the Drug Designation Agreement. In 2006, approximately 45 GOS law enforcement officials attended training courses at the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in Bangkok on a variety of transnational crime topics. The GOS has cooperated with the United States and other countries in the forfeiture of drug-related proceeds discovered in Singapore banks, including the equitable sharing of seized and forfeited drug-related funds with the United States. The Road Ahead -------------- The United States will continue to work closely with Singapore authorities on all narcotics trafficking and related matters. Increased customs cooperation under CSI and other initiatives will help further strengthen law enforcement cooperation. ¶V. Chemical Control Issues Singapore was the largest non-U.S. importer of Ephedrine, a precursor for Methamphetamine, in 2005 (latest available data) and the third-largest non-U.S. exporter. The quantities not re- exported are used primarily by the domestic pharmaceutical industry. Singapore is ONE of the largest distributors of Acetic Anhydride in Asia. Used in film processing and the manufacture of plastics, pharmaceuticals, and industrial chemicals, acetic anhydride is also the primary acetylating agent for heroin. Singapore participates in multilateral precursor chemical control programs, including Operation Purple, Operation Topaz, and Operation Prism, and is involved in law enforcement initiatives developed under these projects to halt worldwide diversion of precursors to illicit chemical trafficking and drug manufacturing organizations. The CNB works closely with the DEA office in Singapore to track the import of precursor chemicals for legitimate processing and use in Singapore. CNB's precursor unit monitors and investigates any suspected domestic diversion of precursors for illicit use. Singapore is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention and controls precursor chemicals, including Pseudoephedrine and Ephedrine, in accordance with its provisions. Singapore will not authorize imports of precursors until it has issued a "No Objection" letter in response to the exporting country's pre-export notification. Pre-export notifications are issued on all exports; transshipment cases are treated as an import followed by an export. The GOS conducts rigorous site visits on companies dealing with controlled chemicals to ensure awareness of the requirements and overall compliance. HERBOLD