MOZAMBIQUE 2008-2009 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 MAPUTO 001086 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR INL AF/S FOR MATT SHIELDS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR PREL MZ SUBJECT: MOZAMBIQUE 2008-2009 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY REPORT (INCSR),PART I, DRUGS AND CHEMICAL CONTROL REF: STATE 100970 Mozambique ¶I. Summary Mozambique is a transit country for illegal drugs such as hashish, herbal cannabis, cocaine, and heroin consumed primarily in Europe, and for mandrax (methaqualone) consumed primarily in South Africa. Some illicit drug shipments passing through Mozambique may also find their way to the United States and Canada. Drug production mostly is limited to herbal cannabis cultivation and a small but growing number of mandrax laboratories. Evidence suggests considerable use of herbal cannabis and limited consumption of "club drugs" (Ecstasy/MDMA),prescription medicines, and heroin primarily by the country's urban population. Porous borders, a poorly policed seacoast, inadequately trained and equipped law enforcement agencies, and corruption in the police and judiciary hampered Mozambique's enforcement and interdiction efforts. The United States, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC),and other donors have established cooperation programs to improve training of drug control officials and provide better interdiction and laboratory equipment. Mozambique is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. II. Status of Country Mozambique is not a significant producer of illegal drugs and not a producer of precursor chemicals. Herbal cannabis remains the most produced and most consumed drug in the country. While herbal cannabis for local consumption is produced throughout the country, seizure quantities and statistics from 2006 indicate higher levels in Maputo City, Manica, Sofala, and Cabo Delgado provinces. Limited amounts are trafficked to neighboring countries, primarily South Africa. Mozambique's role as a transit country for illicit drugs and precursors and a favored point of disembarkation in Africa for trafficking to Europe continues to grow, mostly because of its proximity to South Africa (the major market for illicit drugs) as well as weak law enforcement capacity at borders, major seaports, and airports. Southwest Asian producers ship cannabis resin (hashish) and synthetic drugs through Mozambique to Europe and South Africa. Limited quantities of these shipments also may reach the United States and Canada. Heroin and other opiate derivatives shipped through Mozambique usually originate in Southeast Asia and typically transit India, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, and later Tanzania, before arriving by small ship or, occasionally, overland to Mozambique. Many traffickers are of Tanzanian or Pakistani origin. In 2008, there continued to be few reports of cocaine entering the country via couriers on international flights from Colombia and Brazil. Government authorities attribute the decrease to a change in tactics by traffickers and, to a lesser extent, more stringent police efforts at airports. However they also acknowledge that fewer reports may not represent a decrease in the overall amount of cocaine entering the country. Government authorities have noted an increase in the use of heroin and Ecstasy among the urban population. The abuse of mandrax, which is usually smoked in combination with cannabis, continues to be a matter of concern for countries in southern Africa. Shipments of mandrax enter South Africa from India and China, sometimes after transiting Mozambique. South Africa dropped visa requirements for citizens of all six neighboring countries, further complicating interdiction and enforcement efforts. III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2008 Agreements and Treaties. Policy Initiatives. Mozambique's accomplishments in meeting its goals under the 1988 UN Drug Convention remain limited. Government resources devoted to the counter-narcotics effort are meager, and little or no donor funds have been available in recent years. The Mozambican government carries out drug education programs in local schools in cooperation with bilateral and multilateral donors as part of its demand reduction efforts. Law Enforcement Efforts. Mozambique's counter-narcotics brigade operates in Maputo and reports to the Chief of the Criminal Investigation Police in the Ministry of Interior. The brigade suffers from a general lack of resources and is MAPUTO 00001086 002 OF 004 operating at reduced levels compared with previous years. The brigade has not received training for several years. Since 2005, a small, specialized police unit designed to strengthen efforts to fight organized crime, including narcotics trafficking, has operated at airports in provincial capitals. In 2006 Mozambican and Brazilian authorities signed a memorandum of understanding on principles, in preparation for an eventual extradition agreement for those convicted of trafficking drugs between the two countries. Through November, 2008 cannabis seizures were 4,793kg, up from 4,638.26 kg in 2007, and 5.55kg of cocaine seized, up from 1.5kg in 2007. Due to alterations in trafficking procedures, and as interdiction efforts continue to improve at the Maputo airport, traffickers now use alternate airports, including those of Beira, Nampula, Quelimane, and Vilankulos. It is widely assumed that some illegal drugs enter the country by sea; the government relies on sporadic port inspections and under-trained border guards to police this source. Police reported that in 2008 562 people were indicted for illegal drug trafficking and 107 were detained, of which 20 were tried, and 7 convicted of drug trafficking. On several occasions during the year, Mozambican authorities highlighted a severe lack of resources for destroying seized drugs, particularly hashish, cannabis, and cocaine. Corruption. The government does not as a matter of policy encourage or facilitate the illicit production or distribution of narcotics, psychotropic drugs, other controlled substances, or the laundering of proceeds from illegal drug transactions, nor were there reports in 2008 that any senior government official engaged in such practices. While corruption is pervasive in Mozambique, the government continues its efforts to prosecute police and customs officials charged with drug trafficking offenses. Agreements and Treaties. Mozambique is a party to the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, as amended by the 1972 Protocol, the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances, the 1988 UN Drug Convention, and the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. Mozambique has signed, but not yet ratified the UN Convention Against Corruption. Cultivation/Production. Cannabis is cultivated primarily in Maputo City, Tete, Manica, Cabo Delgado, Zambezia and Sofala. Cannabis production registered an increase in 2008. Intercropping is the most common method of production. The Mozambican government has no reliable estimates of crop size. Authorities have made efforts since 2007 to eradicate cannabis crops through controlled burns. Drug Flow/Transit. Assessments of drugs transiting Mozambique are based upon limited seizure data and the observations of Mozambique officials and UNODC officials. Mozambique increasingly serves as a transit country for hashish, cannabis resin, heroin, and mandrax originating in Southwest Asia, owing to its porous borders, long and sparsely patrolled coastline, lack of resources for interdiction efforts, and improving transportation links with neighboring countries. Drugs destined for the South African and European markets arrive in Mozambique by small ship, mostly in the coastal provinces of Cabo Delgado, Nampula, Sofala, and Inhambane, before being repackaged and sent by land to neighboring countries. The Maputo corridor border crossing at Ressano Garcia/Lebombo is an important transit point to South Africa. Hashish and heroin are also shipped on to Europe; some hashish may reach Canada and the United States, but not in significant quantities. Arrests in Brazil, Mozambique, and South Africa indicate drug couriers trafficked cocaine from Colombia and Brazil to Mozambique, often through Lisbon, for onward shipment to South Africa. Nigerian and Tanzanian cocaine traffickers are reported to have targeted Mozambique as a gateway to the South African and European markets. In 2007, 562 people were indicted for use or drug trafficking, against 669 in the previous year. This reduction is seen as a positive trend in the effort to implement control measures in the ports, airports and land borders, though the authorities recognize that they still lack financial resources and equipment means to that effect. This is of particular relevance in light of the upcoming 2010 MAPUTO 00001086 003 OF 004 Soccer World Cup which will be hosted by South Africa. The Soccer World Cup will undoubtedly have major implications for Mozambique in view of its proximity to South Africa as well as the fact that it is hosting some national teams prior to the event. This enhances the importance of strengthening the capacity of Mozambique to address the security challenges, including the influx of drugs and other illicit commodities. Domestic Program/Demand Reduction. The primary substances of abuse are alcohol, nicotine, and herbal cannabis. The Mozambican Office for the Prevention and Fight Against Drugs (GCPCD) reported in 2007 that the use of heroin, cocaine, and psychotropic "club drugs," such as Ecstasy and mandrax, was increasing in Mozambique's urban population. GCPCD maintains an office in each provincial capital and coordinates a drug prevention and education program for use in schools and with high risk families; the program includes plays and lectures in schools, churches, and other places where youths gather. The GCPCD has also provided the material to a number of local NGOs for use in their drug education programs. GCPCD received no treatment assistance from bilateral donors in 2008 and relies heavily on the voice of community leaders for implementation of their drug education programs. Despite an increase in the number of drug users, government funding and resources remain scarce (the GCPCD operated on a budget of approximately $45,000 in 2007),limiting abuse and treatment options. The number of drug abusers seeking treatment has decreased, from 1,436 in 2006 to 624 in 2007. This is seen as the result of the prevention campaigns (6.8% increase in the number of activists since 2006) and improved inter-ministerial coordination. Programs assisting drug abusers are church and family based initiatives that reintroduce abusers into family and community settings. The Ministry of Health does not have any treatment programs to assist drug abusers; those seeking assistance are referred to a psychiatric hospital. IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs Bilateral Cooperation. The United States continues to sponsor Mozambican law enforcement officials and prosecutors to attend regional training programs at the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) for Africa in Botswana. Law enforcement officials have also received training at ILEA in New Mexico. The United States has supported the police sciences academy near Maputo, through training and technical assistance in the areas of drug identification and investigation, as well as other areas of criminal sciences including fingerprint identification, forensic photography, and the identification of fraudulent documents. The assistance included construction of a forensic laboratory and the supply of related forensic analysis equipment. Additionally, technical assistance programs at the police academy also focus on methods to foster better relations between the community and the police. USAID provides training support to the Attorney General's Central Office for the Combat of Corruption (GCCC),formerly the anticorruption unit. In October 2007 a short-term regional legal advisor arrived to work with the unit and other judicial offices for a period of several months through the Department of Justice Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training program. Also in October 2007, an assessment team from the State Department's Office of Anti-Terrorism Assistance conducted an assessment to consider appropriate assistance levels for improving the capabilities of Mozambican security forces to combat terrorism. Part of this assessment included an evaluation of security capabilities at the land border station at Ressano Garcia, the Maputo seaport, and Maputo's international airport. In 2007-2008, the USG provided training to 300 guards and senior officers of the Mozambican Border Guards in techniques of securing borders and managing border crossing (document checking, inspections). Inspection materials, vehicles and alternate transportation options, equipment for distant posts, and computer equipment were supplied to border guards to assist in putting into practice the techniques taught in the training courses. The Road Ahead. U.S. assistance in support of the GCCC will continue in 2008. Additionally, efforts to improve Mozambique's border security capabilities continue: building on the success of the initial training, the USG will sponsor additional basic and advanced border security courses for Mozambican border guards. The U.S. military has also provided shallow draft vessels for limited coastal security MAPUTO 00001086 004 OF 004 work in conjunction with USCG training on ship/vessel boarding and search and seizure techniques; DOD will train the Mozambican Navy on search and seizure techniques using those vessels. The Government expects to finalize a $17.4 million Strategic Plan on Illegal Drugs for 2009-2014 by the end of 2008. Without the regional cooperation needed to finance anti-drug efforts in Mozambique, implementation of the Strategic Plan is impossible. The GRM would benefit from strengthened interdiction capabilities of border control officials stationed at airports, land-borders and seaports and coastal areas, provision of equipment and training to enhance expertise and capacity for drug law enforcement, training of officers from the GCPCD and anti-drug activists in the private sector, particularly NGOs, support for the rapid destruction of seized drugs and support for the creation of a reliable Data Base. The GRM should continue its focus on reducing corruption to ensure that progress with its narcotics control efforts continues. Chapman