GREECE: 2008-2009 INCSR PART I

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ATHENS 001561 SIPDIS DEPT ALSO FOR EUR/SE AND INL:JOHN LYLE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR KCRM PGOV PREL GR SUBJECT: GREECE: 2008-2009 INCSR PART I ¶1. (U) The full text of the draft 2008-2009 INCSR Part I for Greece follows: Greece[DVM1] 2008-2009 INCSR Part I: Drugs and Chemical Control ¶I. Summary Greece is a "gateway" country in the transit of illicit drugs and contraband. Although not a major transit country for drugs headed for the United States, Greece is part of the traditional "Balkan Route" for drugs flowing from drug-producing countries in the east to drug-consuming countries in Western Europe. Greek authorities report that drug abuse and addiction continue to climb in Greece as the age for first-time drug use drops. Drug trafficking remains a significant issue for Greece in its battle against organized crime. Investigations initiated by the DEA and its Hellenic counterparts suggest that a dramatic rise has occurred in the number and size of drug trafficking organizations operating in Greece. During the year, the DEA and Hellenic authorities conducted numerous counternarcotics investigations, which resulted in significant arrests, narcotics seizures, and the dismantling of drug trafficking organizations. The Greek court system and the Ministry of Justice continued to lack databases for the case management and tracking of convictions and sentences for traffickers. Greece is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. II. Status of Country With an extensive coastline border, numerous islands, and land borders with other countries through which drugs can be transported, Greece's geography makes it a favored drug transshipment country on the route to Western Europe. Greece is also home to the world's largest merchant marine fleet. While many of these vessels are flagged in places such as Panama and Liberia, it is estimated that Greek firms own one out of every six cargo vessels and control 20-25 percent of cargo shipments worldwide. The utilization of cargo vessels is the cheapest, fastest and most secure method to transport multi-ton quantities of cocaine from South America to distribution centers in Europe and the United States. Greece is not a significant source country for illicit drug production, and in general, the marijuana produced locally is destined for the domestic market. Authorities estimated that annual production of the drug appears to be well over 80 tons. Crete, Arcadia, Messinia, Ileia and Laconia are the top production regions, while only Arta and Grevena appear to have completely clean records. It is also estimated that domestic production accounts for only 10-20 percent of local consumption; the remainder is believed to be grown in Albania. III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2008 Policy Initiatives. Greece participates in the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative's (SECI) anticrime initiative and in a specialized counternarcotics task force at the regional Anti-Crime Center in Bucharest. Enhanced cooperation among SECI member states has the potential to disrupt and eventually eliminate the ability of drug trafficking organizations to operate in the region. Law Enforcement Efforts. Several notable joint U.S./Hellenic counternarcotics investigations occurred during 2008 with significant arrests and seizures. Drug trafficking organizations in the Balkan region, including Greece, usually transport southwest Asian heroin from the Middle East and Turkey to Western Europe. Recent investigations and trends indicate more frequent cocaine seizures by Hellenic authorities. During February 2008, with intelligence provided to the DEA by Hellenic Authorities, the French Coast Guard seized 3,210 kilograms of cocaine. Nine (9) individuals were arrested, two of whom were Hellenic Nationals. In addition, the Greek owner of the vessel was also arrested for his knowledge of, and participation in, the smuggling operation. This shipment originated in South America and was destined for Western Europe. In April 2008, the Hellenic Coast Guard seized 22.5 kilograms of heroin from an individual in the port city of Igoumenitsa. This individual was going to board a ferry destined for Italy when the heroin, hidden in his vehicle, was discovered. During the same month, the Hellenic Special Control Service (YPEE) seized 4 kilograms of cocaine, which had been mailed from Costa Rica and was concealed inside cereal boxes. Two individuals were arrested in connection with this case. In July 2008, the YPEE inspected a motorized RV/camper on the island of Hios; the vehicle had just arrived from Turkey. After a careful search of the vehicle, 140 kilograms of heroin were seized; three (3) Hungarian nationals were arrested. ATHENS 00001561 002 OF 004 During August 2008, the Hellenic National Police seized 6.6 kilograms of heroin and arrested two (2) individuals, one Greek and one Albanian. Also seized were a handgun, magazines, an electronic scale, and 11,000 euro in cash. In September 2008, the Hellenic Coast Guard seized 26 kilograms of marijuana hidden inside a vehicle. The Albanian national associated with the marijuana escaped. While Greek law enforcement authorities achieved successes in making seizures and arrests, the Greek court system and the Ministry of Justice continued to lack databases to track convictions and sentences for traffickers. This lack of information management capacity also hinders the ability of law enforcement authorities to manage and complete complex, long-term investigations in narcotics trafficking. Drug Seizure Statistics, 2005-2007 (Source: Coordinating Body for Drug Enforcement, National Information Unit) Statistics are provided in this format: 2005 / 2006 / 2007 Drug Seizures (Cases): 10,461 / 9,873 / 9,540 Accused Persons (Persons): 14,922 / 13,963 / 13,253 CANNABIS: Processed Hashish (kg): 10,209.28 / 74.964 / 4.833 Unprocessed Cannabis (kg): 8,004.04 / 12,314.205 / 6,909.688 Hashish "Honey Oil" (kg): 3.011 / 0.523 / 1.484 Cannabis Plants (units): 34,993 / 32,495 / 17,611 OPIATES: Heroin and Morphine (kg): 331.329 / 312.243 / 259.33 Raw Opium (kg): 1.680 / 0.314 / 24.891 Methadone (kg): 8.719 / 9.456 / 24.783 Codeine (tablets): 0 / 50.5 / 0 Other Opiates (kg): 0.023 / 0.419 / 0.005 Poppy Plants (units): 0 / 0 / 62 STIMULANTS: Cocaine (kg): 42.819 / 60.658 / 225.247 Coca Leaves (kg): 0.005 / 0.898 / 0.115 Amphetamines (kg): 1.11 / 0.05 / 0.112 Methamphetamines (kg): 0.09 / 0.006 / 0.066 Crystal Methamphetamines (kg): 0 / 0 / 0.079 Ecstasy (kg): 0.023 / 0.051 / 0.281 Qat (kg): 34.398 / 25.08 / 10.697 New Synthetic Drugs (kg): 0 / 0.288 / 0.047 NARCOTIC PHARMACEUTICALS: Hallucinogens (kg): 0 / 0.83 / 0 LSD (drops): 120 / 146 / 2,880 LSD (tablets): 6 / 120 / 4 Psilocybin (kg): 0 / 0.041 / 0 Tranquilizers (kg): 0.1 / 0.058 / 0.261 Barbiturates (kg): 0.003 / 0 / 0 PRECURSOR SUBSTANCES: Ephedrine Hydrochloride (tablets): 1088 / 14 / 0 Sassafras Oil (liters): 0 / 0 / 3 Burgled Drugstores: 43 / 33 / 19 Corruption. Officers and representatives of Greece's law enforcement agencies are generally under-trained and underpaid. Thus, corruption in law enforcement is a problem. In November 2007, law enforcement officers and politicians were involved with the sale of hashish and marijuana on the island of Crete. In September 2008, a former Minister and personal aide of the Prime Minister was convicted and given a 12-month suspended prison sentence for intervening on behalf of a constituent who was growing cannabis. Transparency International's annual corruption report perennially ranks Greece near the bottom for European Union member states. As a matter of government policy, Greece neither encourages nor facilitates the illicit production or distribution of narcotics, psychotropic drugs, or other controlled substances or the laundering of proceeds from illegal drug transactions. Agreements and Treaties. Greece is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1961 UN Single Convention as amended by its 1972 Protocol. An agreement between Greece and the United States to exchange information on narcotics trafficking has been in force since 1928. A bilateral mutual legal assistance treaty and an extradition treaty between the U.S. and Greece are in force. Greece has also signed but not ratified the U.S.-EU extradition and mutual legal assistance ATHENS 00001561 003 OF 004 agreements. However, in practice the Greek government refuses to extradite Greek nationals and Greek-Americans to the United States. The United States and Greece also have concluded a customs mutual assistance agreement (CMAA). The CMAA allows for the exchange of information, intelligence, and documents to assist in the prevention and investigation of customs offenses, including the identification and screening of containers that pose a terrorism risk. Greece has signed, but has not yet ratified, the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the UN Convention against Corruption. Cultivation/Production. Cannabis is the only illicit drug produced in Greece. Cannabis is cultivated in relatively small amounts and generally intended for local consumption. However, it was discovered in November 2007 that an organization on the island of Crete had been selling marijuana and hashish to parts of Western Europe for many years. Drug Flow/Transit. Greece is part of the "Balkan Route" and as such is a transshipment country for Southwest Asian heroin, primarily from Afghanistan via Turkey, hashish, and marijuana coming predominantly from the Middle East and Africa. 2007 statistics, released this year, indicate that one ton of heroin transited the city of Thessaloniki--only 10% of which was confiscated by police. In addition, metric-ton quantities of marijuana and smaller quantities of other drugs (principally synthetic drugs) are trafficked into Greece from Albania, Bulgaria, and the Republic of Macedonia. Hashish is offloaded in remote areas of the country and transported to Western Europe by boat or overland. Larger shipments are smuggled into Greece in shipping containers, on bonded Transport International Routier ("TIR") trucks, in automobiles, on trains, and in buses. Some Southwest Asian heroin is smuggled into the United States but there is no evidence that significant amounts of narcotics are entering the United States from Greece. There have also been unconfirmed reports that Turkish-refined heroin is traded for Latin American cocaine. Domestic Programs / Demand Reduction. Drug addiction problems continued to increase in Greece. According to new statistics from the National Documentation Center for Narcotics and Addiction, run by the Mental Health Research Institute of the Medical School of the University of Athens, 19.4 percent of the Greek population between 12 and 64 years of age reported that they experimented or used an illegal substance at least once. The most commonly used substances were chemical solvents, marijuana, and heroin. There was a surge in the illegal use of tranquilizers and, to a lesser extent, ecstasy pills, reflecting growth in the European synthetic drug market. The government of Greece estimated that there were between 20,000 and 30,000 addicts in Greece and that the addict population was growing; approximately 20,000 individuals were addicted to heroin, and 9,500 of this population used injected heroin. Recent enforcement trends indicated a rise in the distribution and use of cocaine within Greece and in Europe in general. Cocaine use has tripled in Europe over the past decade. Demand reduction programs in Greece are typically government-supported; few drug prevention and treatment programs with independent or private funding exist. The Organization Against Narcotics (OKANA) is a government-supported agency that coordinates the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of drug addiction in Greece. Besides OKANA, other officially supported drug treatment organizations include the Therapy Center for Dependent Individuals (KETHEA),the "18 Ano" Detoxification Unit of the Psychiatric Hospital of Attika, the Psychiatric Hospital of Thessaloniki, the Psychiatric Clinic of the University of Athens, and other public hospitals in Greece which run joint programs with OKANA. OKANA operates 70 prevention centers, 57 therapeutic rehabilitation centers (33 of which offer "drug free" programs),and 20 substitution centers, offering methadone and buprenorphine. In 2006, 4,847 drug addicts were treated (a 14% increase over 2005), and while 3,250 individuals were treated in drug substitution programs, as of May 2007 the waiting list was 4,000 persons. OKANA extended its programs to new regions in 2007 and 2008 despite strong local reactions against the establishment of treatment centers. KETHEA operates four narcotics prevention centers in Athens, offering prevention, support, and drug awareness programs--as well as referrals to other rehabilitation/detoxification centers. Demand for these prevention and treatment programs continues to outstrip supply. In June 2008, a Thessaloniki newspaper reported that a lack of funding for drug addiction treatment and prevention centers in the city contributed to long waiting lists for these rehabilitation programs. The report indicated that 950 persons were in treatment but that the waiting list was approximately 1,500 persons long. IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs Bilateral Cooperation. DEA officers work with the Hellenic police to ATHENS 00001561 004 OF 004 support coordination of regional counternarcotics efforts through joint operations as well as training seminars. The DEA Athens Country Office conducted multiple workshops with counterparts from the Hellenic National Police and Hellenic Coast Guard during this year. The workshops provided an opportunity for DEA personnel and Greek counterparts to receive and exchange ideas on various issues, including regional drug trends, the nexus between drug trafficking and terrorism, officer safety and survival, undercover operations, and confidential source management. The workshops were well received by Greek law enforcement authorities and the Hellenic Police has expressed interest in further events. A DEA international training team may travel to Athens to conduct a more formal training seminar with Greek and regional counterparts in early 2009. The Road Ahead. The United States continues to encourage the GOG to participate actively in international organizations focused on narcotics assistance coordination efforts, such as the Dublin Group of narcotics assistance donor countries. The DEA will continue to organize regional and international conferences, seminars, and workshops with the goal of building regional cooperation and coordination in the effort against narcotics trafficking. SPECKHARD [DVM1]Clearances: LEGATT: Jeff Rolka ok RSO: Tim Haley ok DEA: Andrew Diamond ok