TURKMENISTAN: "DRUG GODMOTHER" ARRESTED IN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000765

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN, INL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KCRM SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: "DRUG GODMOTHER" ARRESTED IN
DASHOGUZ PROVINCE

ASHGABAT 00000765 001.2 OF 002



1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public
Internet.


2. (U) SUMMARY: The acting Chief of the State Counter-
Narcotics Service (SCNS) reported at the June 12 session
of the Cabinet of Ministers about a recently identified
group of drug traffickers led by a female resident of
Dashoguz. In the course of investigations conducted
jointly by Turkmen law enforcement agencies, the "Drug
Godmother" from this northern province was arrested,
together with her closest relatives, for involvement with
large shipments of heroin. The ringleader's property was
confiscated and her admission of guilt and request for
forgiveness was broadcast on local television. President
Berdimuhamedov stressed that efforts to combat drug
trafficking and abuse should be carried out at the national
level, as well as through transnational efforts. END
SUMMARY.


3. (U) On June 12, at the Cabinet of Minister's session
chaired by President Berdimuhamedov, the acting Chief of
the State Counter-Narcotics Service, Major Serdar
Batyrov, reported on the detection of a group of people,
led by a female resident of Dashoguz Province, engaged in
the trafficking and illicit distribution of large
quantities of illegal narcotics. Law enforcement
officers of the Ministry of National Security, Prosecutor
General's Office and Police carried out an investigation
based on information provided by the SCNS and detained
the "Drug Godmother" Rakhatay Razzakova and her close
relatives. An ethnic Uzbek, Razzakova reportedly had
delivered large batches of heroin to Turkmenistan since

2004. As was revealed, she used the income obtained from
the sale of narcotics to buy several houses, apartments,
shops, cars and other property in Dashoguz and Ashgabat.
The majority of the property was registered in her relatives' names

and in the name of other persons. As material evidence
of her illegal activities, a television broadcast
showed the confiscated goods, including heroin, large
amounts of cash in USD and local manats, gold and diamond
jewelry, cars, trucks, apartments, houses, shops and a
beauty salon.


4. (U) Following the Cabinet of Minister's session, a
locally-broadcast meeting to condemn the drug dealers was
held at the governor's office in Dashoguz province.
The meeting was attended by representatives of
public organizations, community elders, representatives
of law enforcement and military agencies, and employees
of the mayors' offices of districts and cities in
Dashoguz province. The meeting participants noted that
there was no place for such wrongdoers in their society
and condemned Razzakova for her illegal activities.


5. (U) Razzakova, who had been prosecuted previously,
was amnestied in 2004 with the hope that she had been
rehabilitated. Following the televised public criticism,
Razzakova, who was present at the meeting, made a public
confession of her guilt. The weeping "Drug Godmother"
said, "My name is Rakhatay Razzakova, born in 1961. I
earlier served a prison sentence in 2004 for selling
narcotic drugs. Now in 2009, I was detained again for
drug trafficking. I made large amounts of money selling
this stuff [narcotics], bought apartments in Ashgabat and
built houses here [in Dashoguz city] and I was blinded by
such wealth. I promise that I will never ever do such
things again. Now I regret going to prison again,
leaving behind my children and grandchildren. I promise
before our people and our esteemed President that I will
never do such evil again."

ASHGABAT 00000765 002.2 OF 002




6. (SBU) As usual, government officials failed to
announce publicly the quantity of seized drugs.
Politcal/Economic Assistant learned from a contact, whose
brother works as a section chief in SCNS, that there were
different amounts of narcotics seized at different
properties in Dashoguz. Reportedly, there were three
batches of five, ten and 100 kilos of drugs,
respectively, (most likely heroin) seized from
Razzakova. A local UN Office on Drugs and Crime
official, who also tried to find out from government
officials the exact amount of seized drugs, was told that
"several dozen kilos" of heroin were detected.


7. (SBU) COMMENT: Commenting on SCNS' report,
President Berdimuhamedov said that despite the measures
taken in the country to control illicit drug trafficking,
the problem had not been eliminated. He then focused on
the need to coordinate efforts to combat drug trafficking
and abuse at the national and international levels. Such
remarks suggest that the SCNS might be allowed to engage
in further cooperation with international donors.


8. (SBU) COMMENT CONTINUED: Although government
officials did not disclose the amount of drugs seized in
this case, it can be assumed that the amounts were
significant since the case was given so much public
attention. It was probably no coincidence that the case
was reported at a Cabinet meeting shortly before
observance of the International Day against Drug Abuse
and Illicit Trafficking on June 26. Such a major drug
seizure may help to boost Major Batyrov's credentials in
the President's eyes, leading him to appoint Batyrov
permanently to the position that he has been holding as
the acting chief for almost half a year. END COMMENT.

MILES