LIMA NAS MONTHLY REPORT - AUGUST

UNCLAS LIMA 001555 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR INL/LP AND WHA/PPC ONDCP FOR LT COL RONALD GARNER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR KCRM ASEC PREL PE SUBJECT: LIMA NAS MONTHLY REPORT - AUGUST ¶1. (SBU) Summary: - NAS Director Visits Pucallpa, Santa Lucia and Tingo Maria - Mazamari Pre-Academy's Multi-Cultural Students' Movie Debut - DIRANDRO Seizure Report - Eradication Operations Shift to Aucayacu - Police Resources Redirected to APEC - Typhoid Outbreak in Palma Pampa - NAS Ports Program Report - DEA/NAS Ports sponsored Chemical Unit Report - Port of Callao Camera Project Completed - National Anti-corruption Office Dismantled - Planned Coca/Coffee Festival Flops - Study on Youth Attitudes Towards Drugs in Lima -------------- -------------- NAS Director Visits Pucallpa, Santa Lucia and Tingo Maria -------------- -------------- ¶2. (U) NAS Director visited NAS operations and the CORAH facility in Pucallpa. Also during the month of August, Director Arias visited the base and academy in Santa Lucia and the FOL in Tingo Maria. -------------- -------------- Mazamari Pre-Academy's Multi-Cultural Students' Movie Debut -------------- -------------- ¶3. (U) The National Committee of Native Communities of Mazamari invited students from the Mazamari pre-academy to participate as movie extras in an educational film in the Ashaninka community of Teroia. The purpose of the film is to educate people about the history, customs and way of life of the native communities in Junin Department. NAS sponsored pre-academies emphasize the importance of the involvement of native communities in the counter narcotics efforts and draw students, and native speakers of the various indigenous languages, from these same communities. -------------- DIRANDRO Seizure Report -------------- ¶4. (U) DIRANDRO reports the seizure of 5,793.171 kilos of cocaine base, 11,099.259 kilos of HCL cocaine, 1582.189 kilos of marihuana, 121.930 kilos of opium, and 184 kilos of ecstasy. Over 3,000 kilograms of chemical precursors were seized and 113 cocaine base laboratories destroyed. -------------- Eradication Operations Shift to Aucayacu -------------- ¶5. (U) Though eradication operations were supported with FAP MI-17 and PNP Mi-17 for the most of the month, civil unrest in various regions towards the end of August drew on Aviation Police and FAP Mi-17 resources creating an availability 
shortage for eradication support. However, UH-2 support was provided for the eradication operation shift south toward Aucayacu allowing completion of the first eradication operation in the immediate vicinity of Aucayacu on August 29. Temporary facilities at the Tingo Maria Forward Operating Location FOL) are completed and ready to support eradication operations when the time comes to move support for Aucayacu eradication there. ¶6. (U) CORAH completed August with 724.38 hectares bringing the yearly total to 6900.56. Operations in the Aucayacu area, considered both a SL and cocalero hot spot, began on 29 August with no violence. Cocaleros planned to protest at the eradication site August 30, but did not do so. (Note: Apparently unbeknownst to the coca growers, eradicators and support had completed work at the site, and would not have been there should the protest had been realized.) -------------- -------------- Aviation Police Budget Reduced, Resources Redirected to APEC -------------- -------------- ¶7. (U) The PNP's remaining 2008 Aviation budget has been reduced by 70 percent, with the resources redirected to security for the November APEC conference, as ordered by the Director General of the PNP. Consequently, the PNP Aviation has now requested that NAS provide fuel for all charter missions as opposed to leasing the Mi-17s or An-32. Additionally, they requested that NAS immediately pay outstanding invoices for charter services and expedite payment of any future charter flight invoices. This scramble for funds may curtail the eventual availability of the Mi-17s and An-32 for eradication support in the lead up to APEC. -------------- Typhoid Outbreak in Palma Pampa -------------- ¶8. (U) Several PNP Aviation personnel, one contractor and a NAS local-hire contracted typhoid fever the last week of August. The outbreak was limited to five active cases and ten asymptomatic infections and is believed to have been caused by food consumption in town. The initial cases were confirmed through blood tests at the local clinic. Shortly after the confirmation, the DIRANDRO base in Mazamari sent medical personnel to test all staff at the FOL and found no additional cases. Though the typhoid outbreak reduced available flight crews down to three, interdiction operations continued. -------------- NAS Ports Program Report -------------- ¶9. (U) NAS Ports sponsored Peruvian Customs (SUNAT) and the Peruvian National Police DIRANDRO interdicted and seized approximately 806.46 kilos of cocaine at the Jorge Chavez International Airport (JCIA),Postal Office (SERPOST),and the Port of Callao in Lima. The majority of the cocaine seized was destined for the United States via Mexico. SUNAT, using the NAS supplied Body Scanner at JCIA, screened 641 individuals and discovered 19 internal carriers. NAS Ports has noticed a decrease in the numbers of persons scanned and the identification of internal carries and is seeking to identify the reasons for this phenomenon. ¶10. (U) At the Port of Callao, where approximately 85 percent of all official exports depart Peru, SUNAT scanned 15,194 containers using NAS provided equipment resulting in the physical inspection of 326 containers. The number of scans has been declining because only one of the three scanners are currently in use. On 27 August, SUNAT authorities detected containers with powdered paprika destined for Manzanillo, Mexico. SUNAT, through the use of NAS provided ion-scans, NAS trained canines, and intelligence produced by the NAS sponsored Task Force at the Port of Callao, discovered that the paprika was adulterated with cocaine. The PNP estimates that the shipment of eight metric tons of paprika contained 700 kilos of cocaine. -------------- DEA/NAS Ports sponsored Chemical Unit Report -------------- ¶11. (U) In a raid of a cocaine HCL conversion laboratory at Tazo Grande, District of Monzon, the Chemical Unit seized two metric tons (MT) of acetone, one MT of sulfuric acid, 150 kilograms of kerosene, multiple microwaves, four large hydraulic presses, and other laboratory equipment. The Unit estimates that this lab produced over a ton of cocaine HCL each month. Six maceration pits were also located and destroyed in the Tingo Maria area. The Unit seized 500 kilograms of hydrochloric acid hidden in the luggage compartment of a bus. The acid was stored in containers marked with the label of a company under investigation for diversion of precursor chemicals. In the jungle areas just outside of San Francisco, in the Department of Huanuco, the Unit also destroyed a cocaine HCL laboratory and seized 500 kilograms of Acetone as well as microwave ovens, hydraulic presses, balance-scales, and a chemical recycler. -------------- Port of Callao Camera Project Completed -------------- ¶12. (U) NAS Ports Program has completed the installation of new security cameras in the Port of Callao, aiming to prevent last-minute illicit additions to ships' cargo. NAS Ports will begin a similar project to install cameras at the Port of Paita, Peru's second leading port in exports in September. -------------- -------------- National Anti-corruption Office Dismantled -------------- -------------- ¶13. (U) On August 15, regulations governing the National Anti-corruption Office (ONA) were modified so that all its functions went to the Ministry of Justice and the Secretaria de Gestion Publica. The Public Ministry and the Comptroller General will continue in their respective anti-corruption functions. The ONA had the responsibility, among others, to ensure the implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption and had the lead in the Anti-corruption and Transparency Group for APEC. These particular responsibilities are in the hands of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Prime Minister's Council and the Ministry of Justice. -------------- Planned Coca/Coffee Festival Flops -------------- ¶14. (U) Coca growers, with the support of the Regional Government Agricultural Director (RGAD) in Pulcallpa, organized a joint, two day coca and coffee festival to highlight coca as a legitimate crop and promote coca as a nutritional food. In a surprising move, the coffee producers did not participate. Current and former coca leaders from the region also did not attend. -------------- -------------- Study on Youth Attitudes Towards Drugs in Lima -------------- -------------- ¶15. (U) In conjunction with local consultant group, Arellano Consultants, NAS rolled out the completed study on Lima youth. The study examined the social context of teenagers between the ages of ten and 18 most at risk for drug use and involvement in the illicit drug industry. The study focused on media preferences and behaviors, youth opinions and attitudes towards drugs and drug use, and the overall effectiveness of counter drug messaging campaigns. NAS hosted the presentation for more than 70 attendees including counter narcotics communications counterparts, drug prevention NGOs, and US Embassy officers from various agencies. MCKINLEY