UZBEKISTAN: DRAFT 2009 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL

UNCLAS TASHKENT 001958

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR KCRM KJUS PGOV PREL UZ
SUBJECT: UZBEKISTAN: DRAFT 2009 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL
STRATEGY REPORT PART I, DRUGS AND CHEMICAL CONTROL

REF: 09 STATE 97309


1. (U) SUMMARY: Uzbekistan is a geographically strategic
crossroads between South Asia and Europe. It is primarily a
transit country for opiates originating in Afghanistan, with an
estimated 95 tons of Afghan opiates passing through Central Asia
each year. Well-established trade routes facilitate the transit of
these narcotics to Russia and Europe. Although the vast majority of
these drugs will never reach U.S. soil, local drug trafficking
ultimately affects the security of the United States by threatening
the security of U.S. friends and allies. Throughout Central Asia,
there are strong connections between narco-trafficking and
terrorism. Extremist groups often use the profits of the drug
trade to undermine, destabilize, and corrupt government
institutions. The Government of Uzbekistan (GOU) has taken some
independent steps to combat the narcotics trade but still relies
heavily on multilateral and bilateral financial and technical
resources. Uzbekistan is slowly reengaging the international
community, including the United States Government (USG),after a
period of comparative isolation. In a major step towards more
effective bilateral cooperation, the GOU accredited a
"Counternarcotics Affairs Office" (CAO) staffed by the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA). However, greater efforts are
needed to stem the flow of narcotics through Uzbek territory. Law
enforcement officers seized approximately 1,820 kilograms of
illegal narcotics in the first six months of 2009, with opiates
accounting for almost 84 percent of seizures. Uzbekistan is a party
to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. END SUMMARY.



STATUS OF COUNTRY

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2. (U) As with many countries, illegal narcotics create
serious social, health, and law enforcement problems in Uzbekistan.
Dealing with these problems requires consistent and sustained
efforts by the GOU and its international partners; the development
of an integrated and comprehensive counternarcotics strategy will
facilitate these efforts. On the positive side, counternarcotics
issues have been attracting the attention of some high-level Uzbek
officials, along with increasing press coverage. However, although
there is political will to deal with local drug problems,
implementation of programs is slow and bureaucratic. Although
Uzbek law enforcement officers seem eager to work with their
international counterparts, they are not free to act without heavy
political oversight. The GOU is showing signs of greater openness
to bilateral and multilateral cooperation. However, without direct
and regular access to Uzbek law enforcement components by
Uzbekistan's international partners, efforts to develop a
counternarcotics strategy will suffer, and pursuit of joint
investigations will be difficult at best. The newly reopened
Counternarcotics Affairs Office seeks broad-based cooperation with
all Uzbek law enforcement agencies, with a special focus on
building Uzbek capacity to investigate and prosecute drug crimes.




3. (U) While there is no significant drug production in
Uzbekistan, several transshipment routes for opium, heroin, and
hashish originate in Afghanistan and cross Uzbekistan for
destinations in Russia and Europe. Seizures for the first half of
2009 increased by approximately seven percent compared to the same
time period in 2008, according to official statistics. (Seizures in
2008 had increased by 54 percent in comparison with 2007.)
Precursor chemicals have, in the past, traveled the same
transshipment routes in reverse on their way to laboratories in
Afghanistan and Pakistan.



COUNTRY ACTIONS AGAINST DRUGS IN 2009

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POLICY INITIATIVES




4. (U) The accreditation of the Counternarcotics Affairs
Office is just one signal of Uzbekistan's increasing willingness to
cooperate with international partners in its efforts to combat
illegal narcotics. In 2009, Uzbekistan took important steps


towards improving its counternarcotics capacity and law enforcement
institutions by participating in international programs and taking
advantage of training opportunities. Uzbek Customs officials
developed a local canine (K-9) training center with assistance from
the State Department Bureau of International Narcotics and Law
Enforcement Affairs (INL). In March 2009, Uzbek Customs officers
participated in an INL-sponsored K-9 conference in Kazakhstan.
Such training offers long-term benefits not only to Uzbekistan, but
to the entire region-Uzbek officials have already begun to share
their expertise with customs officials of neighboring countries.
The Government of Uzbekistan also cooperates with neighboring
countries through its participation in the Central Asia Regional
Information and Coordination Center (CARICC),and the Border
Management Assistance Program-Central Asia Border Security
Initiative (BOMCA-CABSI) sponsored by the European Union (EU) and
the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). An Uzbek
representative attended the regional 2009 International Drug
Enforcement Conference (IDEC) at the invitation of the USG, and GOU
officials have been invited to attend the 2010 IDEC in Brazil.
Uzbekistan participated in the regional training event Operation
TARCET II, which was sponsored by the United Nations Office on
Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and designed to focus regional and
international manpower, intelligence, and operational resources on
identifying and intercepting precursor chemicals bounds for
Afghanistan. The UNODC continues to implement projects focusing on
improvements in law enforcement, precursor chemical control, border
security, and drug demand reduction. UNODC has reported that
cooperation with Uzbek law enforcement agencies is steadily
improving.




5. (U) Uzbekistan continues to work toward the goals of the
1988 UN Drug Convention on combating illicit cultivation and
production. The annual "Black Poppy" eradication campaign has
virtually eliminated illicit poppy cultivation within the borders
of Uzbekistan. In addition, the GOU has created counternarcotics
task forces at airports and border checkpoints. However, efforts
to achieve convention goals are still hampered by the lack of
effective laws, programs, money, appropriate international
agreements, and coordination among law enforcement agencies. The
GOU focuses its law enforcement efforts almost exclusively on drug
seizures and arrests of minor drug traffickers. The CAO hopes to
work with the GOU to expand its capacity for conducting
investigations and prosecuting crimes, providing comprehensive
mentor support, training, and enhanced investigation intelligence.



LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS




6. (U) Preliminary statistics provided by the GOU show that
in the first half of 2009, Uzbek law enforcement seized a total of
1,820 kilograms of illicit drugs, a seven percent increase from the
same period last year. Opium poppy straw accounted for 35 percent
of the total, heroin for 28 percent, opium for 20 percent, cannabis
for 15 percent, and hashish for about one percent. For the first
six months of 2008 authorities reported 5,737 narcotics-related
criminal cases, including 176 arrests for drug smuggling and 3,219
for drug distribution. During the first six months of 2009,
Uzbekistan reported 4,712 criminal cases pertaining to narcotics,
including 174 arrests for drug smuggling and 2,350 for drug
distribution. Although the number of criminal cases for the first
half of 2009 represents an eighteen percent decrease compared with
the same period in 2008, this apparently negative indicator may
mean that these statistics have not been manipulated-which would
actually be a positive sign.




7. (U) Four agencies with separate jurisdictions have
counternarcotics responsibilities: the Ministry of Internal Affairs
(MVD),the National Security Service (NSS),the State Customs
Committee and the Office of the Prosecutor General. (The Ministry
of Defense also plays a role in general border security.) The MVD
concentrates on domestic crime, the NSS (which includes the Border
Guards) handles international organized crime (in addition to its
intelligence role),and Customs works at the border
(interdiction/seizures at the border are also carried out by the
Border Guards during their normal course of duties). The CAO
intends to conduct broad-based cooperation with all of these law
enforcement agencies. Despite the delineation of responsibilities,
a lack of intelligence sharing and operational coordination
diminishes the effectiveness of counternarcotics efforts. The
National Center for Drug Control was designed to minimize mistrust,
rivalry and duplication of effort among the agencies, but the
Center continues to have difficulty accomplishing this goal. Its


role is purely administrative; it synchronizes the statistics of
the various agencies, but has no control over budget or policy
decisions. However, the National Center for Drug Control readily
shares data with the U.S. Government and other international
entities. The NSS plays a pivotal role in the operations of all
GOU agencies.




8. (U) According to National Center reports, most smuggling
incidents involve one to two individuals. Large, sophisticated
"priority targets" are few, but there are many small, independent
smuggling organizations operating between Afghanistan, Tajikistan,
and Uzbekistan. Poor border controls allow drug traffickers to
cross between the countries with relative ease. Resource and legal
constraints have limited the GOU's ability to investigate these
cases, and lack of training and equipment continues to hamper all
Uzbek agencies. Basic necessities, even replacements for aging
Soviet era equipment, remain in short supply or seem
administratively difficult to obtain. Uzbekistan has relied heavily
on international assistance from UNODC, the U.S., the UK, the EU,
and others to supplement its own thinly-funded programs.



CORRUPTION




9. (U) As a matter of policy the GOU does not encourage or
facilitate illicit production or distribution of narcotic or
psychotropic drugs or other controlled substances. However,
corruption is endemic at all levels of government, and the paying
of bribes is an accepted practice. Drug profits contribute to
corruption throughout Central Asia. One of the principal obstacles
to a sustained counternarcotics strategy is the intervention of
corrupt officials. Salaries of law enforcement officers are
generally very low, and there are anecdotal accounts of customs and
border officials supplementing their incomes by accepting bribes to
ignore narcotics shipments. It is likely that some government
officials are involved with narcotics trafficking organizations.
Conspiracy laws in Uzbekistan are ineffective, and corruption cases
usually target low or mid-level officers. However, the GOU is
implementing anti-corruption programs with the assistance of the
international community. In one example, the Ministry of Internal
Affairs (MVD) recently introduced an automated phone system which
allows callers to officially report crimes; the recorded
information that callers provide cannot be deleted by law
enforcement officers or any other internal employees. With this
program, the MVD aims to reduce corruption by making it more
difficult for GOU employees to conceal crimes.




10. (U) The Uzbek criminal justice system continues to suffer
from a lack of modernization and reform, mainly judicial and
procedural reform, and standards remain below international norms.
The Uzbek criminal justice system is largely inherited from the
Soviet Union. The Executive Branch and Prosecutor General's Office
are powerful entities, and the judiciary is not independent. The
outcomes of court cases are usually predetermined, and conviction
rates approach 100 percent. Prosecutions often rely on coerced
confessions by the defendants, and conviction is typical even in
the absence of evidence. Corruption at all levels of the criminal
justice system is rampant.



AGREEMENTS AND TREATIES




11. (U) Uzbekistan is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, the
1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1961 UN
Single Convention as amended by the 1972 Protocol. Uzbekistan is
also a party to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized
Crime and has signed but not ratified the protocol on Migrant
Smuggling. In July 2008 Uzbekistan adopted the UN Convention
Against Corruption, a development which should help long-term
efforts to increase transparency. Uzbekistan has signed the
Central Asian Counternarcotics Memorandum of Understanding with the
UNODC. In 2006, Uzbekistan formally agreed to the establishment of
a Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Center
(CARICC) to coordinate information sharing and joint
counternarcotics efforts in Central Asia, but is the only member
country that has not yet ratified the CARICC agreement. Kazakhstan,
the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan signed an agreement
in September 1999 on cooperation in combating transnational crime,
including narcotics trafficking. The five Central Asian countries,


as well as Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey, are
members of the Economic Coordination Mechanism supported by the
UNODC. The GOU also signed agreements on increased counternarcotics
cooperation in 2006 in the context of its membership in the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Collective Security
Treaty Organization. However, to date, these agreements appear to
have resulted in few tangible results.



CULTIVATION AND PRODUCTION




12. (U) Uzbekistan continues to work toward the goals of the 1988
UN Drug Convention on combating illicit cultivation and production
within its borders. The annual "Operation Black Poppy" is one of
the GOU's counternarcotics success stories, having all but
eliminated illicit opium poppy cultivation in Uzbekistan.
Authorities log between 600-800 hours of flying time in the course
of the annual operation. However, the operation is hampered by
such basic problems as an aging helicopter fleet and lack of fuel
for the helicopters. Officials have reported in the past that two
of their three helicopters were grounded due to these problems.



DRUG FLOW AND TRANSIT




13. (U) Several major transnational trade routes facilitate the
transportation of opiates and cannabis from Afghanistan through
Uzbekistan to Russia and Europe. The border crossing point at
Termez remains a point of concern due to insufficient border
control measures. However, a UNODC-implemented border security
project at the road and rail crossing has resulted in improved
control over the border crossing with Afghanistan, and an
INL-funded UNODC project will focus on improving the control regime
at the river port. Containers crossing the border from Uzbekistan
to Afghanistan are generally not searched, and Uzbeks have
requested scanning equipment to help ensure that contraband,
including precursor chemicals, does not reach Afghanistan. The
National Center and UNODC report that trafficking also continues
along traditional smuggling routes and by conventional methods,
mainly from Afghanistan into Surkhandarya Province and from
Afghanistan via Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic into Uzbekistan.
The primary regions in Uzbekistan for the transit of drugs are
Tashkent, Termez, the Fergana Valley, Samarkand and Syrdarya.



DOMESTIC PROGRAMS




14. (U) According to the National Drug Control Center, at the
beginning of 2009, there were 21,089 registered drug addicts in
Uzbekistan, of which approximately 69 percent were heroin users.
This represents a slight decrease from the number of registered
drug addicts at the beginning of 2008. In contrast with the
official statistics, the Ministry of Internal Affairs estimates
there are 35,000 drug addicts in Uzbekistan. However, observers in
the international community believe the official number of
registered addicts is believed to reflect only 10-15 percent of the
actual drug addicts in Uzbekistan; the actual number is probably
over 200,000. Hospitals with drug dependency recovery programs are
inadequate to meet the increasing need for detoxification and
treatment, although the government is making an effort to open new
treatment facilities. The Ministry of Health and National Drug
Control Center have recognized the need to focus increased
attention on the drug problem, but do not have sufficient funds to
do so adequately. Drug awareness programs are administered in
cooperation with NGOs, schools, women and youth groups, religious
organizations, national radio, and the mahalla (neighborhood)
support system. In 2007 UNODC completed an INL-funded drug demand
reduction project that demonstrated increased drug abuse awareness
among school children, and additional INL funds have already been
allocated for the second phase of this drug demand reduction
project. A USAID drug demand reduction project which focused on
key points along drug trafficking routes to prevent at-risk young
people from becoming injecting drug users ended in 2008; some of
the activities are continuing under the auspices of local NGOs or
health facilities.



U.S. POLICY INITIATIVES AND PROGRAMS


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BILATERAL COOPERATION




15. (U) Building a strong counternarcotics strategy requires
regional and international partners, funding, viable training, and
a long-term commitment. A legal framework for bilateral
cooperation between Uzbekistan and the United States already exists
under the 2001 U.S.-Uzbekistan Narcotics Control and Law
Enforcement Agreement and its amendments. These agreements provide
for U.S. assistance to Uzbekistan to enhance the capability of
Uzbek law enforcement agencies in their efforts to fight narcotics
trafficking and organized crime. This assistance is most often
provided in the form of technical assistance, training, and limited
equipment donations. The new Counternarcotics Affairs Office (CAO)
is in the process of assessing the current counternarcotics
strategy, with the goal of developing a sound and comprehensive
program that will foster bilateral relations and augment (but not
duplicate) existing programs. In March of 2007, DEA was forced to
temporarily suspend its operations in Uzbekistan when visas for DEA
personnel were not renewed. However, in June 2009 the GOU
accredited the CAO, which is staffed by DEA. A full-time
Counternarcotics Liaison arrived in Uzbekistan in October 2009.
The CAO will focus its efforts on strengthening Uzbek institutions
and building the operational and investigative capacity of Uzbek
law enforcement agencies. In particular, the CAO hopes to assist
the GOU in establishing a centralized law enforcement database that
would assist those agencies in their investigations and allow them
to operate more effectively. The CAO will also encourage
Uzbekistan to work more closely with its neighbors, including
Afghanistan, to develop investigative intelligence targeting
international drug, precursor, and money-laundering organizations.





16. (U) The State Department Bureau of International Narcotics
and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL),with support from the Department
of Justice Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program
(ICITAP),continues to support the GOU in its efforts to improve
its forensics laboratories. This successful project, which aims to
bring Uzbekistan's forensic laboratories up to international
standards, has included equipment donation, visits to U.S.
laboratories, and a conference for scientists, prosecutors and
judges. INL has also provided much-needed basic equipment to
border guards in the crucial Surkhandarya Province. The State
Department's Bureau of Export and Related Border Security (EXBS)
increased its activities in Uzbekistan in 2009 as cooperation with
the GOU improved. In April 2009, Uzbek officials from Customs and
the Ministry for Foreign Economic Relations, Investment and Trade
attended a course on International Export Control Policy at the
University of Georgia Export Control Academy. The Customs and
Border Protection agency of the Department of Homeland Security
also conducted a successful joint International Rail Interdiction
Training/International Border Interdiction Training with Uzbek
Customs officials and Border Guards at the Termez border crossing
in April. The Department of Energy International Nonproliferation
Export Control Program (INECP) successfully conducted Commodity
Identification Training (CIT) at the Uzbek Customs Academy in May.
Uzbek officials participated in the Defense Threat Reduction
Agency-North Atlantic Treaty Organization (DTRA-NATO) Advanced
Training Course on Nonproliferation in October. The USG is also
providing funding to repair and upgrade the Termez river port.



THE ROAD AHEAD




17. (U) The U.S. remains committed to working with Uzbekistan to
create strong partnerships in areas of mutual interest, including
reduction of drug supply, reduction of demand for drugs, treatment
of drug addiction, educational programs, anti-corruption programs,
and border security. The USG continues to support the GOU in its
efforts to establish a balanced and comprehensive counternarcotics
strategy, and to enhance investigative and operational capacity.
The new Counternarcotics Affairs Office will assist appropriate
Uzbek agencies to improve narcotics detection and drug interdiction
capabilities, and will leverage its presence in Uzbekistan for
direct and regular access to Uzbek law enforcement officials in
order to maximize joint efforts. In particular, the CAO will focus
on building Uzbek capacity to investigate and prosecute crimes,
thus aiming at the root of the illegal narcotics problem in
Uzbekistan. The U.S. will continue to encourage Uzbekistan to


engage with the international community, especially its neighbors.




DATA TABLES

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Drug seizure statistics for the first six months of 2008 and the
same period in 2009:



2008
2009

Heroin (kg) 771.4 515.4

Opium (kg) 432.5 370.9

Cannabis (kg) 324.8 268.0

Hashish (kg) 55.8 23.7

Opium Poppy Straw (kg) 120.0 642.0
NORLAND