INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY REPORT, PART I

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 GEORGETOWN 000685 SIPDIS STATE FOR INL/LP TJOHNS, CARACAS FOR LEGATT KCURRIER AND CBROWN, PORT OF SPAIN FOR DEA DJOSEPH AND KBROOKS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR GY SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY REPORT, PART I REF: STATE 100970 ¶1. (U) Post presents its 2009 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, Part I, Drugs and Chemical Control Guyana: ¶I. Summary Guyana is a transit point for cocaine destined for North America, Europe, and the Caribbean, but not, it is thought, in quantities sufficient to impact the U.S. market. In 2008, domestic seizures of cocaine fell more than 50% from 2007, due principally to the lack of any major seizures. In the penultimate year of its National Drug Strategy Master Plan (NDSMP) for 2005-2009, the Government of Guyana (GOG) has achieved few of the plan's original goals. Minimal cooperation among law enforcement bodies, weak border controls, and limited resources for law enforcement have allowed drug traffickers to move shipments via river, air, and land without meaningful resistance. However, a major personnel transition within the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) offers some promise of improved coordination and interdiction efforts. In April, Guyana acceded to the UN Convention Against Corruption; in June, it acceded to the Inter-American Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters. Guyana is already a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. In October, the GOG re-arrested and re-initiated extradition proceedings against U.S. citizen Barry Dataram, an accused drug trafficker under indictment by federal prosecutors in the U.S. Status of Country Guyana is a transit country for cocaine, and to a lesser degree marijuana. Guyana's vast expanse of unpopulated forest and savannahs offers ample cover for drug traffickers and smugglers. Government counternarcotics efforts have been undermined by inadequate resources for, and poor coordination among, law enforcement agencies; an overburdened and inefficient judiciary; and a colonial-era legal system badly in need of modernization. Murders, kidnappings, and other violent crimes commonly believed to be linked with narcotics trafficking are regularly reported in the Guyanese media. Guyana produces high-grade cannabis; it is not known to produce, trade, or transit precursor chemicals on a large scale. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2008 Policy Initiatives. The GOG undertook a major overhaul of CANU - its chief counternarcotics body - by firing nine of its officers in May, including the Acting Head; the government announced that the individuals in question had failed lie detector tests. In October, a new Head was hired, and the replacement of other dismissed officers is ongoing at year's end. The new Head has promised regularization of CANU operations, improved efficiency, and enhanced collaboration among law enforcement bodies. The GOG continued implementation of a 5 million USD, multi-year Security Sector Reform plan funded by the United Kingdom that commenced in 2007. However, little progress has been made on some of the plan's key provisions: a Parliamentary committee to oversee national security has not been established, and a national security policy has not yet been developed. Additionally, legislation tabled in 2007 that would augment the tools currently available to law enforcement in fighting money laundering, including regulations to allow for the seizure of assets, has been stalled in Parliament; the chances for its passage remain unclear. Law Enforcement Efforts. 2008 saw a significant decrease in the amount of cocaine seized compared to 2007, due largely to the lack of any seizures of more than a few kilograms, as well as to the effects of the personnel turmoil within CANU. In 2008, Guyanese law enforcement agencies seized 48 kilograms (kgs) of cocaine, compared to 167 kgs in 2007. However, eradication of domestically grown marijuana increased sharply, with 34,000 kgs identified and destroyed, compared to 15,280 kgs in 2007. Criminal charges were filed against 473 individuals for activities related to the trafficking or distribution of illicit drugs. In October, police re-arrested and re-initiated extradition proceedings against Barry Dataram, a U.S. citizen under indictment by federal prosecutors in the U.S., after he had been released on bail in January by the local courts while undergoing the extradition process. Dataram had failed to check in twice per week with the police as ordered by the court at the time of his release from custody, which led to his re-arrest; Dataram is appealing his possible extradition to the U.S. GEORGETOWN 00000685 002 OF 003 Guyana's counternarcotics activities are encumbered by the peculiarities of a British colonial-era legal system that has not been updated to reflect the needs of modern-day law enforcement. There are no laws that support plea bargaining, wiretapping, or the use of DNA evidence. Nor are there laws against racketeering or conspiracy. Even when more contemporary crime fighting tools are available to one law enforcement body, they are not necessarily available to others. At Guyana's international airport, for example, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) operates surveillance cameras to help thwart tax fraud. But the cameras are not well-placed to aid counternarcotics operations, video footage is not shared with narcotics authorities and it is not clear that it would be admissible in drug-related court proceedings. In all cases, law enforcement agencies are hamstrung by meager personnel budgets. There are no routine patrols of the numerous land entry points on the 1,800 miles of border with Venezuela, Brazil, and Suriname. The GOG has not identified or confronted major drug traffickers and their organizations. While the Guyana Police Force (GPF) Narcotics Branch and CANU arrested numerous drug couriers at Guyana's international airport en route to the Caribbean, North America, and Europe, the arrests were limited to individuals with small amounts of marijuana, crack cocaine or powder cocaine, usually on charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking. Corruption. There is no evidence that the GOG or senior GOG officials encourage or facilitate the illicit production, processing, shipment or distribution of narcotic or psychotropic drugs or other controlled substances, or the laundering of proceeds from illegal drug transactions. News media routinely report on instances of corruption reaching to high levels of government that are not investigated and thus go unpunished, but no conclusive evidence is available to back up these claims. USG analysts believe drug trafficking organizations in Guyana continue to elude law enforcement agencies through bribes and coercion, but substantiating information is anecdotal at best. Guyana is party to the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption (IACAC),but has yet to fully implement its provisions, such as seizure of property obtained through corruption. In April, Guyana acceded to the UN Convention against Corruption. Agreements and Treaties. In June, Guyana acceded to the Inter-American Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters. Guyana is party to the 1961 UN Single Convention, as amended by the 1972 Protocol, the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1988 UN Drug Convention. Guyana also is a party to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its protocol on trafficking in persons and the Inter American Convention against Corruption. The 1931 Extradition Treaty between the United States and the United Kingdom is applicable to the U.S. and Guyana, but there is no bilateral mutual legal assistance treaty between the U.S. and Guyana. Guyana has bilateral agreements to cooperate on drug trafficking issues with its neighbors and with the United Kingdom. Guyana is also a member of the Organization of American States' Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (OAS/CICAD). Cultivation and Production. A very high-grade form of cannabis is grown in Guyana, primarily in the intermediate savannahs, and its cultivation is reportedly increasing. Most cannabis is consumed locally, although some is also exported, largely to other Caribbean countries. Drug Flow/Transit. There are no reliable estimates regarding the amount of cocaine or cannabis that transits Guyana. According to USG law enforcement authorities, Guyanese narcotics traffickers regularly move shipments of cocaine through the country. Some cannabis cultivated in Guyana is also smuggled out of the country, although in more modest quantities. Drugs flow easily through Guyana's uncontrolled borders and coastline. Light aircraft land at numerous isolated airstrips or make airdrops where operatives on the ground retrieve the drugs. Smugglers use small boats and freighters to enter Guyana's many remote but navigable rivers. Smugglers also take direct routes, such as driving or boating across the borders with Brazil, Suriname, and Venezuela. Inside the country, narcotics are transported to Georgetown by road, water, or air and then sent on to the Caribbean, North America, or Europe via commercial air carriers or cargo ships. Authorities have arrested drug mules attempting to smuggle small amounts of cocaine on virtually every northbound route out of the international airport; suitcases not checked by any boarding passenger have also been intercepted by counternarcotics officials just prior to loading. Demand Reduction (Domestic Programs). Marijuana is sold and consumed openly in Guyana, despite frequent arrests for possessing small amounts of cannabis. Sources within the GOG and a local NGO note GEORGETOWN 00000685 003 OF 003 that consumption of all psychotropic substances in Guyana is increasing, with a particularly dramatic rise in the use of Ecstasy (MDMA) and marijuana; media reports have also emerged indicating the use of sniffing agents such as gasoline and glue among students. Guyana's ability to deal with drug abusers is hampered by the modest financial resources to support rehabilitation programs. Guyana only has two facilities that treat substance abuse-the Salvation Army and the Phoenix Recovery Center. There are no programs to deal with substance abuse in the prisons. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs Policy Initiatives. U.S. policy focuses on cooperating with Guyana's law enforcement agencies, promoting good governance, and facilitating demand reduction programs. In 2007, the USG continued to encourage Guyanese participation in bilateral and multilateral counternarcotics initiatives, and funded a substance abuse treatment program for women (the two previously existing programs in Guyana only funded treatment for men),as well as gender-specific training for drug counselors. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is funding projects to improve governance in Guyana, which includes parliamentary and judicial reform. Bilateral Cooperation. The DEA, from its Trinidad office, works with Guyana's government and law enforcement agencies to provide training and develop initiatives that will enhance their counternarcotics activities. The GOG routinely grants diplomatic credentials to DEA officers who cover Guyana, and working level collaboration is generally positive. The Road Ahead. Neither the GOG nor the various drug enforcement bodies of the U.S. have dedicated the resources to determine the quantity of illegal drugs flowing through Guyana. All projections are speculative based on the few seizures made. In the absence of both sound data and more robust DEA/INL involvement, the U.S. will not augment resources for investigation and interdiction in Guyana. Instead, it will continue to channel any future assistance to initiatives that demonstrate success in treating substance abusers. The U.S. will also continue to use its diplomatic tools to encourage the GOG to organize an effective counternarcotics program, especially within the context of the British-funded overhaul of the security sector. The GOG also needs to pass effective legislation to deal with money laundering, including provisions allowing forfeiture of seized assets. WILLIAMS