COUNTERNARCOTICS: USG ASSISTS GOI AT JAKARTA'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000876 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, INR/EAP, INL, INL/AAE SINGAPORE FOR DEA RUSS HOLSKE NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/02/2018 TAGS: PGOV SNAR PREL ID AS SUBJECT: COUNTERNARCOTICS: USG ASSISTS GOI AT JAKARTA'S INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT REF: 07 JAKARTA 3159 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 (b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The USG and Australia have worked with GOI law enforcement agencies to create a counternarcotics coordination facility at Jakarta's international airport. The facility shares information and targets airline passengers and cargo fitting criminal profiles. Since its inception in December 2007, the facility has boosted drug-related arrests and interdictions at the airport, which is one of the busiest in Asia. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) CREATING AN AIRPORT FACILITY: The Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)--with support from the Department of Defense Joint Interagency Taskforce West (JIATF West)--has worked with the Indonesian National Narcotics Board (BNN) to create a counterdrug facility at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. Officials from ICE, the DOJ office of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have trained and actively assisted operations at the facility. Mission Jakarta coordinates these efforts. USG agencies also coordinate these efforts in cooperation with Australian Customs and the Australian Federal Police (AFP). ¶3. (SBU) TWO KEY COMPONENTS: The facility, completed in November 2007, has two key components: -- 1) an airport counternarcotics interdiction task force; and, -- 2) a passenger analysis unit (PAU). The task force is based at the airport and inspects passengers and cargo that are deemed suspicious by the passenger analysis unit. This unit reviews passenger and cargo manifests and alerts the task force to inspect passengers and cargo for possible illegal substances. In May 2006, the BNN, Indonesian National Police (INP) and the Indonesian Departments of Customs, Immigration and Transportation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to formalize cooperation and information sharing among the Indonesian governmental agencies involved in the facility. The BNN was designated as the organization that would direct, support and fund the facility. ¶4. (SBU) RESULTS: Although the facility is only conducting manual targeting of passengers and cargo pending the installation of automated systems, already the task force and the passenger analysis unit have supported 15 successful interdictions since December 2007. Over all, the facility and PAU achieved success in interdicting more than 111,000 Ecstasy tablets, over a half kilogram of cocaine, 17 kilograms of Crystal Methamphetamine, and 50 kilograms of other illegal stimulants. Prior to November, the Customs office at the Jakarta International Airport had not made a single seizure during 2007. Personnel changes at the office, a firm commitment by Customs officials at the BNN headquarters, and Australian and USG-provided training laid the basis for the move to proactive enforcement. ¶5. (SBU) USG CONTRIBUTION: The Joint Interagency Counter Drug Operations Center (JIACDOC) is the main intelligence center for counternarcotics operations in Indonesia. The center is currently working with the Director of Air Transport and the Ministry of Transportation to establish regulations governing the collection and use of airline passenger data, and regulations mandating that all airlines operating in Indonesia provide passenger data. JIACDOC also works with the airport counternarcotics taskforce and PAU personnel to coordinate investigations, information JAKARTA 00000876 002 OF 002 technology (IT) and cell phone forensics, and conducts exercises with local police agencies that have jurisdiction to investigate local and international drug organizations. One operation in February stopped a smuggling operation involving a British national living in Jakarta and a delivery from Thailand. ¶6. (C) PARTICIPATING AIRLINES: The passenger analysis unit currently receives data from 14 of the 26 airlines that service the international airport. Airlines providing passenger and cargo data include: Garuda Airlines (International and domestic); Singapore Airlines; China Air; Cathay Pacific; Qatar Airways; Qantas Airways; Yemen Airlines; Eva Airways; Korean Airlines; Emirates Airlines; Etihad Airways; Japan Airlines; Dutch Airlines; Kuwait Airlines; and, Air France. ¶7. (C) A POSITIVE IMPACT: Jakarta's international airport is one of the busiest in Asia in terms of passenger volume. USG assistance to the new airport facility is clearly having a positive impact in combating the smuggling and trafficking of illegal drugs in and out of Indonesia. A key next step for the Indonesian government will be for it to replicate these efforts at other major air and seaports throughout the country. (Note: Already, real-time passenger data is being collected by the GOI from the passenger ferry service operating between the Indonesian island of Batam and Singapore.) HUME