TURKMENISTAN: NAVY ONI MARITIME SMUGGLING TECHNIQUES

UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000747 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN, INL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KCRM SOCI TX SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: NAVY ONI MARITIME SMUGGLING TECHNIQUES TRAINING COURSE TO OFFICERS FROM SCNS, SBS, AND SCS. ¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: On June 9, a regional analyst from the United States Navy Counter Narcotics Division conducted a Maritime Smuggling Techniques training course to the newly recruited officers of the State Counter Narcotics Service (SCNS) and to the officers from the State Border Service (SBS) and the State Customs Service (SCS) of Turkmenistan at the SCNS Training Facility in Ashgabat. It was the third such event this year, and the fourth in the last six months. A DEA Special Agent was also present during the training course and answered numerous questions pertaining to counter-narcotics techniques utilized in the United States and worldwide. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (SBU) A Navy ONI regional analyst conducted a Maritime Smuggling Techniques training course for a group of approximately 30 newly recruited SCNS officers and several officers from SBS and SCS at the SCNS Training Facility in Ashgabat. The training consisted of a Power Point presentation followed by a group discussion of contemporary counter-narcotics maritime techniques utilized by DEA, SCNS, SBS, and SCS to combat narcotics trafficking in the United States and Turkmenistan. During the Power Point presentation, SCNS officers seemed very responsive to the information presented to them regarding the different methods of maritime distribution of narcotics worldwide, including the Caspian region. The officers were interactive with the analyst when asked questions pertaining to the maritime counter-narcotics techniques. ¶4. (SBU) At the end of the Power Point presentation, the analyst conducted a brief workshop with the students. The class was separated into five separate work groups. Each group consisted of six students and was tasked with creating a smuggling route of narcotics/contraband through Turkmenistan utilizing maritime routes of the Caspian Sea and the land infrastructure of Turkmenistan. In general, the groups came up with interesting scenarios and demonstrated a basic working knowledge of smuggling operations. ONI analyst and DEA agent answered numerous questions regarding the contemporary techniques utilized by DEA and the US Navy worldwide. The questions covered a wide range of topics from locations of hidden compartments on various vessels to the most common maritime routes utilized by narcotics smugglers in the Central Asian region. The participating officers showed genuine interest in the information presented to them and highly regarded U.S. Navy and DEA operational/tactical approach to the counter-narcotics issues. ¶5. (SBU) COMMENT: This was the third training conducted this year and the second one to take place at the SCNS Training Facility. This was the first time, however, that representatives from different Turkmenistan law enforcement agencies, such as SCNS, SBS, and SCS were participating together in the training seminar. During the training, the regional analyst touched on a variety of subjects regarding the maritime smuggling techniques of illegal substance (opium and heroin in particular) utilizing maritime routes in the Caspian region. The participating officers seemed genuinely interested in the information and actively participated in the scenario workshop. The participating officers expressed their desire that cadets attend more training courses conducted by DEA and other U.S. counter-narcotics officials. The meeting proved to be an opportunity to reinforce the U.S. Government's commitment to support Turkmenistan's counter-narcotics efforts. END COMMENT. CURRAN