Tanzania 2008-2009 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL

UNCLAS DAR ES SALAAM 000869 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E JLIDDLE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR PGOV PHUM TZ SUBJECT: Tanzania 2008-2009 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY REPORT (INCSR) ¶I. Summary -------------- Tanzania is located along drug trafficking routes linking Latin America, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe and, to a lesser extent, the United States. Drugs like hashish, cocaine, heroin, mandrax, and opium pass through Tanzania's porous borders. In addition, the domestic production of cannabis is a significant problem, with active cultivation in many regions. Drug abuse, particularly involving cannabis and, to a lesser extent, cocaine and heroin, is gradually increasing, especially among younger people and in tourist areas. Tanzanian institutions have minimal capacity to combat drug trafficking, and corruption reduces that capacity still further. Tanzania is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. II. Status of Country -------------- Sustained economic growth and increasing affluence, especially in urban areas, have helped drive a demand for narcotics. Domestic production of cannabis is expanding and improving in quality. Cannabis grown in the Arusha region reportedly sells at a premium price in Kenya. In October, police reported the seizure of over 200 kilograms of marijuana thought to be from Tanzania at a port in Comoros. During the year, Tanzanians were arrested for drug trafficking elsewhere in East Africa as well as in India and Mauritius. Domestic use of narcotics appears to be on the rise. Because cocaine and heroin are not as affordable as cannabis or khat, they are used in smaller quantities and primarily within affluent urban areas. The growth of the tourism industry, particularly on Zanzibar and near Arusha, has also increased demand for narcotics. Tanzania's location, along trafficking routes with numerous possible points of entry through its eight land borders and 600 kilometer coastline, provides the opportunity for relatively easy drug trafficking. Drugs are believed to enter Tanzania by air, sea, roads and rail. Major points of entry include airports in Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro, seaports at Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, and smaller ports like Tanga, Mtwara and Bagamoyo. Anecdotal evidence suggests that improved port surveillance has driven many traffickers out of the major points of entry to minor sea ports and unofficial land entry points. Traffickers reportedly conduct a significant amount of narcotics smuggling off-shore via dhows, small boats that avoid ports. III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2008 -------------- Policy Initiatives: According to the Deputy Minister for Trade, Industry and Marketing, Hezekiah Chibulunje, the government saw an upward trend in the trade of counterfeit goods in 2008. This new trend was thought to be a reaction by small-scale drug dealers, those hardest hit by antinarcotics efforts, to diversify from narcotics, as well as a means for large-scale traffickers to launder their money. Efforts to amend the Anti-Drugs Control Commission Act of 1995, designed to strengthen the Drug Control Commission (DCC) and increase the penalty for drug trafficking, failed in 2007 With the failure of the 2005 amendments, the semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar has indicated that it will proceed independent of the mainland with its own anti-narcotics legislation. Accomplishments: In 2008 Tanzania's judiciary convicted 467 individuals for narcotic offenses involving "hard drugs" like cocaine and heroin, and 6033 individuals on minor offenses involving drugs like cannabis. It was reported by the police that approximately 200 metric tons of cannabis and two metric tons of khat, locally known as mirungi, were seized during the year. Law Enforcement Efforts: Tanzania has three counter-narcotics police teams, located in Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, and Moshi. Law enforcement efforts are increasingly successful at arresting small scale smugglers; however, law enforcement has been less successful at apprehending "kingpins" of narcotics activities. Newspaper articles and editorials have criticized the government for not investing more in manpower and training of drug control officials. Senior Tanzanian counter-narcotics officials acknowledge that their officers need additional training. However, they are limited by a lack of resources and staff. Antinarcotics units lack such basic resources as modern patrol boats to monitor the harbor and must rely on modified traditional wooden dhows to interdict smugglers at sea. Tanzanian officers and police staff are not able to effectively implement profiling techniques to seize large amounts of narcotics. Narcotics interdiction seizures generally result from tip-offs from informants. Moreover, low salaries for law enforcement personnel encourage corrupt behavior. Formal cooperation between counter-narcotics police in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania is well established, with bi-annual meetings to discuss regional narcotics issues. This cooperation has resulted in significant increases in effectiveness in each nation's narcotics control efforts. Tanzania also cooperates formally with countries from the Southern African Development Community, including Zambia and South Africa. In 2008, the United Kingdom provided counter-narcotics training to Tanzanian officers from immigration, customs and police divisions. Other officers attended various international training events held in Malawi, Botswana and Johannesburg. Corruption: Neither the government nor senior officials encourage or facilitate the production or distribution of illicit drugs; however, corruption continued to be a serious concern in the Tanzanian Police Force. It is widely believed that corrupt police officials at ports facilitate the transshipment of narcotics through Tanzania. There is no specific provision of the anticorruption laws regarding narcotics related cases. In June 2006, two police officers were arrested following the disappearance of approximately 80 kg of cocaine and heroin from police custody. During the year, the courts began hearing the case, but there was still no ruling by the end of 2008. Many believe that corruption in the courts often leads to case dismissals or light sentencing of convicted narcotics offenders. Some prosecutors have complained that many arrested suspects plead "not guilty" until the magistrate hearing the case can be bribed. Once confident of the magistrate's complicity, the suspects change their plea to guilty, thereby forgoing a lengthy trial process, and the magistrate issues a judgment of only a minor fine. Agreements and Treaties: Tanzania is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. The 1931 U.S.-U.K. Extradition Treaty is applicable to Tanzania. Cultivation and Production: Traditional cultivation of cannabis takes place in remote parts of the country, mainly for domestic use. It is estimated that an acre of land can produce up to $1000 worth of cannabis crop as opposed to $100 worth of maize. The Ministry of Public Safety and Security identified the following eight regions as the primary production areas for cannabis: Iringa, Tabora, Shinyanga, Mara, Arusha, Mwanza, Mbeya and Tanga. However, for 2008, Morogoro topped the list for farmland where cannibis plants were destroyed, with a reported 600 acres. No figures on total production exist, but during the year, police and government officials reported that production continued and had spread to different regions in response to eradication efforts and special police operations against drug traffickers in Iringa, Mbeya and Ruvuma regions. Given the availability of raw materials and the simplicity of the process, it is likely that most hashish is produced domestically; however, other illegal drugs in Tanzania are probably produced elsewhere. Drug Flow/Transit: Due to its location and porous borders, seaports and airports, Tanzania has become a significant transit country for narcotics moving in sub-Saharan Africa. Traffickers from landlocked countries of Southern Africa, including Zambia and Malawi, use Tanzania for transit. Control at the ports, especially on Zanzibar, is difficult. Traffickers using sophisticated methods of forging documents and concealment face poor controls and untrained and corrupt officials. According to the Anti-Narcotics Unit, heroin entering Tanzania from Iran and Pakistan is being smuggled to the U.S., China and Australia in small quantities by traffickers from Nigeria, Tanzania (with a significant number of traffickers from Zanzibar) and other countries in East Africa. Cocaine enters Tanzania from Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, and Curacao in transit to South Africa, Europe, Australia and North America. Cannabis Resin, a drug that is not known to be consumed domestically, enters Tanzania mainly by sea from Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is often concealed with local goods such as tea and coffee and smuggled to Europe, North America and the Seychelles. The port of Dar es Salaam is also a major point of entry for mandrax from India, Nepal and Kenya headed toward South Africa. Tanzanians continue to be recruited for trafficking. In November, the Commissioner of the Drugs Control Commission said that number of suspects arrested for involvement in drug trafficking increased, while the overall volume of trafficked narcotics decreased. He attributed this to a new strategy by drug lords to spread the risk by increasing the number of traffickers but giving each of them smaller amounts of drugs. In April, a Tanzanian national was arrested in the Maldives after arriving from India for possession of large quantities of narcotics. In June, while traveling to the Olympic Games, Tanzanian boxers and their coach were arrested in Mauritius for trafficking of narcotics worth 120 million shillings, (approximately USD 100,000). The president of the Boxing Federation of Tanzania was later arrested and charged with arranging the deal. Domestic Programs/Demand Reduction: Police have been actively involved in community education programs to educate the public about the dangers of narcotics. In 2008, the Drugs Control Commission (DCC) worked together with the police to use the media to spread anti-narcotic messages. Police and DCC officials participated in state sponsored trade fairs and youth-centered events to create greater awareness about drug trafficking. The DCC attributed the increase in narcotics-related arrests to working more closely with local communities to identify and stop drug dealers and users. The DCC, under the Prime Minister's Office, also managed a small demand reduction program, which included training courses for nurses, counselors, and teachers in urban centers across the country. Limited government resources existed for specialized care for drug addiction and rehabilitation. Any required in-patient care was typically provided by psychiatric hospitals. IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs -------------- Bilateral Cooperation: U.S. policy initiatives and programs for addressing narcotics problems in Tanzania are focused on training workshops and seminars for law enforcement officials. State Department law enforcement assistance included funding the establishment of a forensics lab and training in its use. The United State Government is funding the Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Evaluation System (PISCES) to improve interdiction capabilities at major border crossings. The program is primarily designed to target terrorist activities, but also is effective against narcotics and other smuggling activities as well. The Road Ahead: U.S.-Tanzanian cooperation is expected to continue, with a focus on improving Tanzania's capacity to enforce its counter-narcotics laws. GREEN