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International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, 1999 Released by the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, U.S. Department of State Washington, DC, March 2000

EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA

Albania

I. Summary

Albania continues to be used as a transit point for heroin, cocaine and marijuana due to its strategic location, weak police and judicial systems, and lax border controls. Heroin is typically routed through the "Balkan Route" of Turkey-Bulgaria-Macedonia-Albania and on to Italy and Greece. Drug abuse is not a major problem but is increasing. Largely in response to international pressure and assistance, the government has begun confronting criminal elements more aggressively, but lack of resources and corruption make it an uphill battle. The government has drafted some narcotics legislation in an effort to strengthen the anti-drug unit established in 1998 under the Ministry of Public Order. Albania is not a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention.

II. Status of Country

The government continues its efforts to build security and stability throughout Albania. One of its major accomplishments this year was the establishment of law and order in areas that had been almost totally out of central government control since 1997. The judiciary is engaged in improving the legal system and developing law enforcement skills, though it remains weak and subject to corruption.

The current government of Prime Minister Ilir Meta, in power since October 1999, has begun to implement commitments to crack down on organized crime. The Albanian military and police work closely with the Italian police and coastal patrol organizations to shut down smuggling runs of illegal immigrants, drugs and other contraband across the Adriatic to Italy.

Plagued by severe unemployment, crime, and lack of infrastructure, the Albanian public has little interest in the problem of drug abuse. There are no independent organizations that compile data on drug use in Albania, nor are significant government assets dedicated to tracking the problem. The limited press and media coverage on the subject speculates that drug use, especially among adolescents in cities, is on the rise. There are no special treatment centers for drug addicts.

III. Country Action Against Drugs in 1999

Policy Initiatives. The government recently drafted two laws, inspired in part by the 1998 UN Drug Convention, that call for national coordination of policies regarding use and trafficking of narcotics as well as establishing a framework to improve criminal investigations in drug-related cases, but no date was set for parliament to consider these drafts. The government is also taking an active role with its Balkan neighbors bilaterally and in regional initiatives to combat organized crime. Albania is an active participant in the Stability Pact and the Southeastern European Cooperative Initiative (SECI), and plans to participate in SECI's regional anti-crime center in Bucharest.

Accomplishments. Albanian police provided evidence to U.S. authorities in Albania in 1999 on a U.S. narcotics case in which the drugs were sent through Albania to the U.S. In 1999, the government cracked down on cannabis production in 44 villages across 11 districts, mostly in southern Albania. Anti-drug authorities do not have the capacity to determine crop size and yields, but estimate that police destroyed 91 thousand plants, or more than 70 percent of the local cannabis crop. Police report they destroyed 5 marijuana processing labs.

Law Enforcement Efforts. Authorities report that in 1999, police arrested 417 persons accused of drug trafficking and seized more than 7 kilograms of heroin, 2 kilograms of cocaine, 4500 kilograms of marijuana, and 13 liters of hashish oil. Police efforts to combat distribution of illicit narcotics may be increasingly effective since the government now has greater authority over areas previously out of their control. In cooperation with Italian authorities, Albanian authorities have made some progress in interdicting narcotics smugglers at sea.

Corruption. Corruption remains a deeply-entrenched problem. Low salaries and social acceptance of graft make it difficult to combat corruption among police, magistrates, and border officials.

Agreements and Treaties. Albania has an extradition treaty with the U.S. dating from November 14, 1935. Although it is not a party to any of the UN narcotics conventions, Albania is attempting to pass legislation consistent with the goals and objectives of the 1988 UN Drug Convention, as stated above. Albania does not have any counternarcotics agreements with other countries.

Cultivation and Production. According to authorities in the anti-drug unit, cannabis is the only drug grown and processed in Albania, and is typically for consumption or sale in Turkey and Greece. They also report that cannabis production diminished in 1999 because last year's huge supply exceeded demand.

Demand Reduction. Drug abuse is a comparatively new problem in Albania and the government and Albanian society have been slow to address it. Local and national authorities do not believe the problem is particularly widespread, owing both to traditional cultural norms and low levels of discretionary income.

IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs

Bilateral Cooperation. Albanian authorities cooperated fully with U.S. authorities in 1999 on law enforcement and transit issues, although few of these cases involved drug issues. Only one course was provided by the U.S. in 1999 and that was an 8-week counternarcotics course at the International Law Enforcement Academy in Budapest, Hungary. Additional courses for law enforcement and judicial infrastructure development were provided.

The Road Ahead. The U.S. will continue to encourage Albania to crack down on illegal drug trafficking and use, offer law enforcement assistance, and support legal reform. While no specific counternarcotics training has been programmed for FY2000, U.S. assistance will increase to provide additional guidance and training to law enforcement and judiciary bodies, including the assignment of a legal advisor.

Armenia

I. Summary

Armenia is not a major drug-producing country, and domestic consumption is relatively small. The Government of Armenia (GOAM), recognizing its potential as a transit route for international narcotics shipments, is meanwhile attempting to improve its interdiction ability. The Armenian parliament is presently considering legislation which would strengthen the Interior Ministry's mandate to combat drug trafficking. Because of limited government resources, however, counternarcotics programs emphasize prevention with little funding for treatment. In 1993, Armenia ratified the 1988 UN Drug Convention.

II. Status of Country

Due to its geographical position at the Caucasus crossroads between Europe and Asia, Armenia has the potential to become an emerging transit point for international drug trafficking. Armenia is presently a secondary trafficking route for drugs because of limited transport between it and neighboring countries. Armenia's borders with Azerbaijan and Turkey remain closed due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, but when these borders open, drug transiting could increase significantly. GOAM's immediate concern is to begin to prepare its law enforcement capabilities for this situation.

Drug abuse does not constitute a serious problem in Armenia. The local market for narcotics, according to the Interior Ministry, is not large and the main drugs of choice are opium and cannabis. The Interior Ministry reported that 40.6 kilograms of cannabis and 1.99 kilograms of opium were confiscated in 1999. "Hard" drugs, like heroin and morphine, are the drugs of choice for an estimated 10 percent of drug addicts in Armenia. Heroin first appeared in the Armenian drug market in 1996, and since then there has been a small upward trend in heroin sales. The Interior Ministry confiscated 180 grams of heroin during the first nine months of 1999, as compared to 63 grams during the same period in 1998. The average price for one gram of heroin in the Armenian market is $100-200.

III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 1999

Policy Initiatives. A draft law on narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and components has been prepared by the Interior Ministry, which would allow it to regulate traffic in narcotic drugs and precursor substances and would give the Ministry a clear lead-agency mandate for combating drug trafficking. The draft is currently undergoing legal clearance. Once approved, it will be sent to the parliament. The new Armenian draft criminal code includes a statute that for the first time makes money laundering a criminal offense. The draft criminal law is anticipated to pass its third and final reading in parliament in 2000. The Interior Ministry has also drafted a decree for the establishment of a joint committee to update the classification of drugs and to introduce stricter control over licit production, sale, and distribution of pharmaceutical drugs of a psychotropic nature. The decree is currently undergoing interagency clearance.

Accomplishments. According to the Interior Ministry, several tons of wild cannabis hemp and small amounts of poppy were eradicated by the police in 1999.

The Interior Ministry reports that 1105 drug-related crimes and offenses were committed in 1999. Ministry statistics for the first nine months of 1999 further reflect that there were 401 arrests for trafficking of drugs and psychotropic substances.

Law Enforcement Efforts. In 1999, the Interior Ministry began to deploy joint teams of Armenian police and customs representatives at each customs post and checkpoint. The Ministry obtained fifteen drug-sniffer dogs from Western Europe for this purpose.

Corruption. Although corruption is rampant in Armenia, there were no cases reported of government officials being involved in drug-related corruption in 1999.

Agreements and Treaties. Armenia is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, the 1961 UN Single Convention as amended by the 1972 Protocol, and the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Armenia is a signatory to the 1992 Kiev and 1996 Dushanbe narcotics control assistance agreements of the NIS countries. In 1999, Armenia, Georgia and Iran signed a trilateral agreement on cooperation to combat drug trafficking. Armenia has also signed bilateral agreements on cooperation against illicit traffic in narcotics and psychotropic substances with the Customs Service of Turkmenistan, Customs Committee of Georgia, and the Customs Committee of Tajikistan.

Cultivation and Production. Cannabis (hemp) and opium poppy grow wild in northern areas of Armenia, particularly in the Lake Sevan basin and in some mountainous areas. No illicit laboratories producing synthetic drugs were discovered in Armenia in 1999.

Drug Flow/Transit. Transit of illegal drugs is recognized as the most serious concern for the GOAM, however, no estimates of the total amount of drugs transported through Armenia are available. The main drug routes run between Iran, Russia, and Ukraine and almost all heroin brought to Armenia originates from those countries. The Interior Ministry estimates that 55 percent of drugs are smuggled into Armenia by trucks and other motor vehicles and 43 percent by air.

Demand Reduction. There are no reliable statistics on the number of drug addicts in Armenia. However, the Interior Ministry estimates the number of drug addicts in Armenia at about 20,000. Slightly over half of these are believed to be unemployed, 20 percent are students, and 7 percent serve in the military. The only health agency responsible for treatment of drug addicts is the state-funded narcotics dispensary. Established in 1976, this agency has barely kept its doors open in the last few years due to an almost complete lack of funding. According to narcotics dispensary officials, fewer than 25 drug addicts were treated in the hospital during 1999.

In 1999, the Interior Ministry also registered an increase of drug abuse among women, although statistics were not released. A recent opinion poll carried out by an Armenian newspaper revealed that one out of every eight teenage boys and one out of 42 teenage girls had used a narcotic drug at least once.

The Armenian Emergency Management Administration, together with the Interior Ministry, produced four documentaries on drug abuse as part of an "early intervention" campaign. Presentations of the documentaries were held in all higher educational institutions, including the medical university.

Nevertheless, demand reduction is one of the most serious concerns of health authorities, due to poor financing, a lack of communication with remote rural areas, and a lack of interest in "preventative actions" on the part of local NGOs.

IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs

Bilateral Cooperation. New venues of cooperation were established between the U.S. and Armenian law enforcement agencies through the U.S. Legal Attaché in Kiev and the DEA Attaché from Ankara. At the request of the Counternarcotics Department of the Ministry of Interior, in April 1999, a U.S. Defense Department narcotics detection dog-training team came to Armenia to work with Armenian narcotics dog-handlers to improve the GOAM's narcotic interdiction capability. An Armenian representative also participated in a U.S. counternarcotics dog-training seminar in August 1999. In addition, Armenian officials have participated in U.S.-funded training sessions at the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in Budapest, Hungary.

In 1998, a Department of State funded U.S. Treasury advisory team launched a program on combating money laundering and economic crimes for Armenian law enforcement officers and judges. Drug enforcement was one of the aspects of the program. In 1999, this program was expanded to address corruption and legislative issues.

In April 1999, a team of experts from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) conducted a needs assessment of Armenia's forensic laboratories, with the goal of providing equipment and training for Armenian forensic practitioners.

The Road Ahead. The USG will initiate discussions with the Armenian government regarding training and equipment to improve its efforts on interdiction of contraband smuggling including narcotics. Also, the Armenian government will be encourage increase its cooperation with neighboring countries in a regional effort to control drug trafficking through the Caucasus.

Austria

I. Summary

Austria is primarily a transit country for drug trafficking from the Balkans to western European markets. Illegal drug consumption is not a severe problem in Austria, and there is no significant production or cultivation of illegal substances. Organized drug trafficking is performed largely by non- Austrian criminal groups. New investigative tools implemented in 1998 have helped contain the growth of this crime. While not considered an important regional financial center, offshore tax haven or banking center, Austria remains an attractive site for drug-related money laundering. The government continues to implement measures to narrow avenues for money launderers and facilitate asset seizure and forfeiture. Cooperation with U.S. authorities is excellent; however, Austrian counternarcotics law-enforcement authorities acknowledge considerable underfunding and lack of personnel to do their job. Austria ratified the 1971 and 1988 UN drug conventions in 1997.

II. Status of Country

There has been no change in overall trends regarding organized drug crimes in Austria since 1998. Although not a significant producer of illicit drugs, Austria remains a transit country for drug- related organized crime along the major European drug routes. Foreign-based drug crimes by organized groups continued to grow in Austria in 1999. A November 1999 government report maintains that up to 30 percent of serious crimes in Austria in 1999 can be traced to organized crime groups, most of which originate in the NIS. Despite limited appeal of anonymous passbook savings accounts for criminal purposes, possibilities for money laundering through other, unmonitored transactions remain.

III. Country Action Against Drugs in 1999

Policy Initiatives. There were no fundamental changes in the legal, political and organizational framework to fight drug use and drug-related crime in 1999. Key legislation that became effective in 1998 (Narcotic Substances Act) focuses on therapy for drug users but maintains severe penalties for drug dealers. While drug dealers may face up to 20 years in prison, first-time users of cannabis may avoid criminal proceedings if they agree to therapy.

A 1998 law allows for technical law enforcement surveillance of persons strongly suspected of having committed crimes that are punishable by terms of imprisonment of up to 10 years. These regulations have facilitated the surveillance of persons for whom police have evidence leading to "substantial suspicion" that they belong to a criminal organization. The Ministry of the Interior plans to increase the use of surveillance techniques in the future.

A "police powers law," effective in 1999, authorizes investigators to obtain personal data from private telephone companies in clearly defined situations, including suspicion of organized crimes. A proposal to allow police to collect and analyze information about likely extremist/terrorist groups without judicial approval and prior to the establishment of "substantiated suspicion" has been repeatedly postponed, but will be reintroduced in the 1999-2000 legislative session.

Accomplishments. With the help of new legal tools (see policy initiatives section) and the support of the DEA Country Office, police arrested over 100, mostly African, drug dealers in May and September 1999. According to Austrian authorities, the suspects formed part of a Nigerian drug cartel involved in drug dealing and money laundering in Austria. Investigators believe the dealers received the drugs, mainly cocaine and heroin, from South America and Asia. Daily turnover in Austria from this drug trade was estimated at around U.S. $ 40,000. Approximately half of the arrested drug dealers, including the key suspect, were released due to insufficient evidence. Four have been convicted and the rest await trial.

Law Enforcement Efforts. In 1998 (1999 figures not yet available), the overall number of domestic drug-related criminal offenses decreased by 7 percent to 16,624 compared to the previous year. Serious drug-related crime dropped by 19 percent to 2,198 over the same period. However, authorities still maintain that one out of two criminal offenses in Austria is drug-related. While the number of seizures dropped slightly (5 percent) to 6,849 in 1998, the amount of confiscated illegal drugs rose by 9 percent to over 1,700 kilograms.

Corruption. Austrian ratification of the OECD anti-bribery convention is complete. The ratification instrument was deposited with the OECD in Paris on May 19, 1999. Implementing domestic legislation has been in place since October 1, 1998. The GOA's public-corruption laws recognize and punish the abuse of power by a public official. Tax deductibility of bribes and any gray market payments are no longer possible in Austria. No records exist yet to assess the degree of enforcement. There were no cases pending at year's end that involve any bribery of foreign public officials. The U.S. Government is not aware of any high-level Austrian government officials' involvement in drug-related corruption.

Agreements and Treaties. The U.S.-Austrian Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty entered into force on August 1, 1998. The U.S. and Austria exchanged instruments of ratification on October 27, 1999, for a new U.S.-Austria extradition treaty. The treaty entered into force on January 1, 2000, replacing a 1930 extradition treaty and a 1934 supplementary extradition convention. The new treaty is a modern dual criminality treaty, i.e., it no longer lists specific extraditable offenses, but makes extraditable all criminal offenses that are prosecuted in both countries and carry a penalty of more than one year or a residual penalty of more than three months.

Austria is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and its 1972 protocol. It ratified the Council of Europe Convention in 1997 and the Europol convention in 1998.

Vienna is the seat of UNDCP, and Austria is a UNDCP major donor. The city of Vienna and various Austrian ministries co-sponsored a UNDCP training program in Kazakhstan in October 1999. Vienna is a co-sponsor of the "UN-Vienna Civil Society Award"-- a U.S. $100,000 prize given to individuals and organizations fighting drug abuse and organized crime. In July 1999 UN Secretary General Annan awarded the prize to organizations from India, Uganda, Japan, and Mexico. Austria participates in the World Health Organization, the Dublin group within the EU, the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF) and the Council of Europe's "Pompidou Group." Austria supports the Southeastern Europe Cooperative Initiative (SECI) Anti-Crime Center in Bucharest. In December 1999, Austria earmarked U.S. $ 20,000 for future vocational training projects in Bolivia, keyed to combat illicit cultivation of drugs.

Cultivation. The U.S. Government is not aware of any significant cultivation or production of illicit drugs in Austria.

Drug Flow/Transit. Traditionally, the routes of the Balkan drug path have been the major venues for illegal import/transit of southwest Asian heroin through Austria. The illicit trade is carried out mainly by Turkish groups, more recently also by traffickers from Albania and Macedonia, followed by nationals of countries of the former Yugoslavia and by Romanian and Bulgarian citizens. As in previous years, traffickers continued to use nearby Bratislava/Slovakia as one of the temporary depositories for heroin. Cocaine is imported by couriers of South American drug cartels, but also African traffickers, who increasingly rely on eastern European airports.

Domestic programs and demand reduction. Austrian authorities view drug addiction as a disease rather than a crime, a fact reflected in 1997 drug legislation and in related court decisions. Recent years have seen a growing trend toward an "integrative view" in drug policy, with special emphasis on the prevention of social marginalization of drug addicts. Demand reduction puts emphasis on primary prevention, drug treatment and counseling, as well as "harm reduction." The use of heroin for therapeutic purposes is generally not allowed. Primary intervention extends from preschool to secondary-school levels and relies on educational campaigns inside and outside school fora.

IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs

Bilateral Cooperation. Although Austria has no specific bilateral narcotics agreement with the U.S., cooperation with U.S. investigative efforts is excellent. The Austrian Ministry of Interior has announced plans to establish a liaison office at the Austrian Embassy in Washington, D.C., to handle bilateral issues involving all forms of crime, including illegal narcotics.

Road Ahead. The U.S. will continue to support Austrian efforts to create more effective tools for law enforcement. Within the context of U.S.-EU initiatives, promoting a better understanding of U.S. drug policy will remain a priority for the U.S.

Azerbaijan

I. Summary

Azerbaijan is located along a drug transit route running from Iran and Central Asia, north into Russia and west into Western Europe. Consumption and cultivation of narcotics are at low but increasing levels. During 1999, the main drugs seized were opium and cannabis. Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act has precluded the funding of U.S. counternarcotics assistance in 1999. Azerbaijan is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention.

II. Status of Country

Azerbaijan's main narcotics problem is the increased transit of drugs through its territory resulting from the disruption of the "Balkan route" due to regional ethnic conflicts in several countries of the former Yugoslavia. Narcotics from Afghanistan and South Asia enter from Iran or cross the Caspian Sea from Central Asia and continue on to markets in Russia and Europe. Azerbaijan shares a 700-km frontier with Iran, but its border control forces are insufficiently trained and equipped to patrol it effectively. Iranian and other traffickers are exploiting this situation. Domestic consumption is growing with over 12,000 persons registered in hospitals for drug abuse in Azerbaijan. The actual level of drug abuse is estimated to be many times higher. Government authorities suspect that persons displaced by the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have been drawn into drug trafficking out of economic necessity. The Government of Azerbaijan continues to claim that the Armenian occupied areas of Azerbaijan are used for drug cultivation. The Azerbaijan government also maintains that narcotics are transported across the approximately 100 km of Azerbaijan's border with Iran that is under Armenian control.

III. Country Action Against Drugs in 1999

Policy Initiatives. The government recently created a "State Committee on Drug Control" headed by Deputy Prime Minister Ali Hasanov. This committee has been charged with implementing United Nations General Assembly resolutions relating to drug control. The Minister of Education and the Minister of Youth and Sports are currently designing a new program for the year 2000 to treat drug addicts. In May, the Ministry of Internal Affairs initiated a pilot program in the southern portion of the country, along the border with Iran, to organize local counternarcotics police officials to work closer together across local jurisdictions.

Accomplishments. The United Nations Narcotics Drug Control Program has just completed a program of technical counternarcotics assistance in Azerbaijan. A new narcotics control law entered into force in August 1999. In November a new "Law on the Police" entered into force, which provides legal authority for the operational activities of police officials. Parliament is currently debating a new "criminal code" which will authorize the police to retain not only the assets they seize, which have been used in the commission of a crime, but also assets which have been gained as a result of criminal activity.

Law Enforcement Efforts. There were 1,705 drug-related arrests during the first nine months of 1999. Police lack basic equipment and have little experience in modern counternarcotics methods. Border control facilities on the border with Iran are inadequate to prevent narcotics smuggling.

Corruption. Corruption permeates the public and private sectors. Government officials including the president and prime minister have acknowledged the gravity of the problem, but have taken no significant concrete action. Current legislation has proven inadequate to address police and judicial corruption.

Agreements and Treaties. Azerbaijan is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1961 UN Single Convention. Azerbaijan signed a protocol of intent on counternarcotics cooperation with Iran in 1996. There is no extradition or mutual legal assistance treaty in effect between the U.S. and Azerbaijan.

Cultivation and Production. Cannabis and poppy are cultivated illegally, mostly in southern Azerbaijan. During the first ten months of 1999, law enforcement authorities discovered and destroyed about 388 tons of cannabis and about 45 kilos of potential opium gum, which were under cultivation.

Drug Flow/Transit. Opium and poppy straw originating in Afghanistan and South Asia transit Azerbaijan from Iran, or from Central Asia across the Caspian Sea. Drugs are also smuggled through Azerbaijan to Russia, then on to Europe. For example, Azerbaijan traffickers smuggle Afghan heroin from Azerbaijan to the Baltic countries. Azerbaijan cooperates with Black Sea and Caspian Sea states in tracking and interdicting narcotics shipments, especially morphine base and heroin. Caspian Sea cooperation includes efforts to interdict narcotics transported across the Caspian Sea by ferry. Law enforcement officials report they have received good cooperation from Russia, but have encountered considerable reluctance from Iran to assist in counternarcotics efforts.

Demand Reduction. Opium and cannabis products are the most commonly used drugs. The Government of Azerbaijan has begun education initiatives directed at curbing domestic drug consumption.

IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs

Bilateral Cooperation. U.S. law enforcement exchange of information with Azerbaijan has increased since 1998. However, no counternarcotics programs were initiated because Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act prohibits such assistance to the Government of Azerbaijan.

The Road Ahead. Without legal authority to provide U.S. counternarcotics assistance to the Government of Azerbaijan, a key strategic partner in improving regional stability in the Caucasus, the U.S. is only able to engage in piecemeal bilateral counternarcotics cooperation with Azerbaijan.

Belarus

I. Summary

The economic, political and geographical situation of Belarus gives it the potential to become a major drug transit and production site. Economic conditions have sharply deteriorated in 1999. The Belarusian government lacks both the legislative framework and the financial resources to combat drug trafficking. Belarus' location between Russia and the West, its good rail and road transportation, and a customs union with Russia that eliminated internal borders between the two countries has facilitated smuggling of contraband. Belarus considers itself a filter of illegal immigration and contraband materials, but enforcement of its border controls is uneven. Belarus is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention.

II. Status of Country

According to Government of Belarus (GOB) statistics reported at a February 1999 Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) crime and drug conference held in Minsk, the GOB attributes 2.1 percent of all reported crimes to illicit drug trafficking. Crimes registered included: stealing narcotic and strong action substances; organizing or maintaining drug dens for using drugs; and forging medical documents with the aim of procuring drugs. Stringent internal security measures control organized crime while irregular importation by selected GOB state agencies are official sanctioned. Belarus has regional and bilateral law enforcement agreements against organized crime and drug trafficking. However, cooperation with neighboring countries is weak.

III. Country Actions Against Narcotics in 1999

Policy Initiatives. Responsibility for investigating and discovering narcotics-related crime is divided among the Ministry of Internal Affairs, National Security Service (KGB), Customs Committee, Border Guards, and Ministry of Health. An interagency commission for combating crimes and drug abuse is charged with coordinating the activities of the above listed agencies as well as state committees, public associations, and international organizations. The GOB has periodically announced campaigns to combating organized crime and drug trafficking, however, the level of interdicted smuggled narcotics or drugs confiscated from domestic seizures has been marginal.

Law Enforcement Efforts. In 1999, there were no significant arrests or seizures regarding drug trafficking reported. Police statistics indicate that during 1999, they eradicated small plots of poppy (40 acres), hemp (4 acres), and cannabis (.5 acres).

Corruption. Corruption among state enterprise directors is a serious problem affecting the economy, especially firms engaged in officially sanctioned importation alcohol and tobacco, which is then smuggled into Russia. Although several individuals have been arrested for corruption, their cases appear to be politically motivated.

Treaties and Agreements. Belarus is a party to the 1988 UN Convention, the 1961 UN Single Convention and the 1972 Protocol thereto, and the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances. The GOB has signed an agreement on drug control assistance with Italy, and has also signed interstate treaties on assistance with Lithuania and China. Belarus is a party to the CIS convention on legal assistance and cooperation on civil, family, and criminal cases. The USG has concluded a Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement (CMAA) with the Government of Belarus. Belarus is a member of Interpol; however, Belarusian law has no provision for extradition.

Cultivation and Production. Domestic cultivation of drug crops is minimal. Belarus does however have major chemical production facilities, much of which are lying idle. There is presently no legislation in Belarus dealing with precursor chemicals. A variety of laboratories have the technical capabilities for the production of synthetic narcotics, but Belarus law enforcement does not have resources for sophisticated investigation of clandestine production.

Drug Flow/Transit. Belarus has good rail and road connections running east to Russia, west to Poland, north to the Baltics, and south to Ukraine. Incidents of drug transportation destined for Poland and Germany have increased dramatically as a result of the customs union that eliminated internal borders between Belarus and Russia. Some illegal immigrants arriving in Belarus attempt to finance travel to the West through narcotics smuggling.

Demand Reduction. Most Belarusian addicts use products made of opium poppy, poppy oil, or cannabis. Use of synthetic drugs, heroin, cocaine, barbiturates and other "hard" drugs is small but slowly increasing. It is estimated that the number of latent addicts in the country exceeds GOB official estimates by a factor of ten. No national drug abuse prevention strategy has been formulated in Belarus. The main emphasis is on treatment of current drug addicts, while only limited efforts are devoted to preventative and educational programs. Treatment for drug addicts is generally performed in psychiatric hospitals, either through arrest or self-enrollment. While the objective of these programs is to achieve detoxification and physical stabilization, knowledge is lacking on how to further assist addicts with psychological counseling and social rehabilitation.

IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs

Bilateral Initiatives/The Road Ahead. Since 1997, the USG has conducted a policy of selected engagement toward the GOB because of the latter's suppression of democratic activities and its violation of human rights. No direct assistance to the Belarus state sector, including law enforcement, has been provided by the USG since that time and none is anticipated in the future, until such time as the democratic and human rights situation in Belarus improves.

Belgium

I. Summary

The Kingdom of Belgium is not a significant producer of narcotics or precursor chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics; however, it is a major trader in chemicals and is frequently used as a transit country for precursor chemicals destined for South America. Narcotics traffickers continue to exploit Belgium's large port facilities, transportation infrastructure, and central location in Western Europe for transshipment of illicit drugs. Belgium experienced, through 1999, a radical increase of trafficking of MDMA (Ecstasy). Belgium is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention.

II. Status of Country

Belgian law enforcement agencies have observed a continued increase in drug trafficking through Belgium from Asia and the Middle East via the Former Soviet Republics, primarily shipped via container through the well-established trafficking networks based in the seaports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge. Combating MDMA (Ecstasy) trafficking has assumed a higher priority. Ecstasy tablets are manufactured at clandestine labs on both sides of the Netherlands border, and carried via express mail companies, air-freight or couriers to other areas of Europe, and, increasingly, to the U.S. Ecstasy transiting Brussels through Zavantem airport is mainly controlled by Israeli trafficking organizations based in the Netherlands and in Antwerp, Belgium. Belgium is cooperating with U.S. law enforcement to disrupt this route for illicit drug trafficking.

Cannabis resin (hashish) is the most widely distributed and used illicit substance in Belgium, but heroin abuse produces the most important health and social problems, including drug-related crime. Belgian police continue to voice concern over the use of ecstasy and amphetamines by young people and over the collateral health ramifications.

III. Country Action against Drugs in 1999

Policy Initiatives. In 1998, the Government adopted a plan to re-organize the police forces, currently scheduled for implementation by April 2001. At the federal level, the plan will integrate the Gendarmerie and the Judicial Police into a police force to head major criminal investigations, including significant national and international narcotics investigations; the plan also provides for a new anti-corruption service for this federal police force. At the local level, the plan will merge Gendarmerie with Municipal Police.

The Ministry of Justice maintains drug liaison offices in 13 foreign cities (covering 33 countries), staffed by either Judicial Police or Gendarmerie officers, in Bangkok, Bogota, the Hague, Istanbul, Madrid, Moscow, Paris, Rabat, Rome, Vienna, Warsaw, Washington, and Wiesbaden. The Rabat and Bangkok offices opened in 1999. In August, a new Belgian liaison officer assumed the post in Washington, after a nine-month vacancy in the position.

Accomplishments. In 1999, Belgium entered into bilateral police cooperation agreements with Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania, which are comprehensive in nature and provide a framework for cooperation on narcotics matters. Parliament passed new legislation on organized crime that defines a "criminal organization" and criminalizes membership in such an organization; it also endorses the use of undercover operations and wiretaps by law enforcement agents.

Law Enforcement Efforts. Belgian law enforcement authorities pro-actively investigate individuals and organizations involved in illegal narcotics trafficking into and through Belgium. The law enforcement efforts of the Gendarmerie currently focus on major trafficking organizations, particularly those involved in trafficking of heroin and, most recently, those involved in MDMA (Ecstasy). In 1999, Belgium fully met the objectives of the 1988 UN Drug Convention.

Belgian authorities initiate and conduct investigations that are generally effective. Interdiction efforts by Belgian Customs Authorities at Antwerp and Zeebrugge are frequently successful despite insufficient resources and manpower. Customs officials report that a five-man team of inspectors is responsible for all port activities involving drugs, while on a daily basis three to four thousand containers are loaded and unloaded at the port of Antwerp alone. The inspection team has the capacity to search five to 10 containers per week. Customs also reports increased activity involving the ships' crew members which might indicate, for example, smuggling of smaller quantities of drugs by individual crew members or larger operations in which crew members arrange to off-load large amounts of drugs from the ship before reaching the dock.

Corruption. Corruption is not judged to be a problem within the narcotics units of the law enforcement agencies. Legal measures exist to combat and punish corruption.

Agreements and Treaties. The U.S. and Belgium have long had an extradition treaty; an updated treaty entered into force in 1997. The U.S. and Belgium have also ratified a supplementary treaty on extradition to promote the repression of terrorism, but it has not yet entered into force. A new MLAT entered into force January 1,2000. The U.S. has concluded a Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement (CMAA) with Belgium.

The Government of Belgium is currently negotiating police cooperation agreements with Russia and Slovakia, and expects these agreements to enter into force in 2000. Belgium has been a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention since 1995. Belgium is also a party to the 1961 UN Single Convention and its 1972 Protocol.

Belgium is a member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). As a Schengen member state, Belgium participates in the Schengen Working Group on Drugs. Belgium is a member of the Council of Europe's (COE) Pompidou Group. Belgium has fully implemented the EU Directive on Money Laundering and participates in the contact committee established by the Directive. Belgian authorities cooperate bilaterally on money laundering issues with Australia, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K., and the U.S.

Belgium is a member of several international anti-drug organizations, including the Heads of European Narcotics Law Enforcement Agencies (HONLEA), the European Committee to Combat Drugs (CELAD), and the Dublin Group. Belgium is a member of the major donors group of the United Nations Drug Control Program (UNDCP). Despite serious efforts by Belgian law enforcement to combat illegal drug production, trafficking and use, the Government of Belgium has reduced funding and support for multilateral eradication efforts. It did, however, increase its UNDCP budget in 1999 to BF 15 Million (approx. $395,000).

Cultivation/Production. There is no significant cultivation or production of illicit drugs in Belgium, although police have noted an increase in production of amphetamines and ecstasy, primarily in illegal labs on the Belgium/Netherlands border. These labs are linked to criminal organizations that distribute the drugs within Europe and to the United States--most frequently through the cities of New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Orlando, Florida.

Drug Flow/Transit. Belgium remains an important transit point for drug traffickers because of its port facilities (Antwerp is Europe's second busiest port), airports, excellent road connections to neighboring countries, and central geographic location. Most illicit drugs pass through Belgium via the ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge; across the border from the Netherlands; or through Brussels Zaventem airport. Smuggling routes change constantly, but Belgian authorities believe an increasing number of heroin shipments arrive from Central Asia via Turkey. Belgian Customs reports that the heroin is most probably concealed in containerized freight in relatively small quantities of 10-15 kilograms: because Antwerp is considered a "free trade zone," traffickers know that inspections of containerized freight are minimal. These shipments typically take one of two trafficking routes: in northern Europe through Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria, or in southern Europe through Italy. The cannabis originates in Morocco, Latin America and South East Asia and arrives via land, air and sea routes.

Domestic Programs. Belgium has an active anti-drug educational program that targets the country's youth, which the regional governments (Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels) now administer. Programs include education campaigns, drug hotlines, HIV and hepatitis prevention programs, detoxification programs, and a pilot program for "drug-free" prison sections. Unlike the U.S. approach, the Belgian approach focuses on the individuals who influence young people, rather than the young people themselves. Teachers, coaches and clergy, for example, are considered better suited to deliver the anti-drug message to the target audience because they already are known and respected by the young people.

IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs

Bilateral Cooperation. Cooperation between the United States and Belgium continues to be excellent and to expand. DEA and FBI enjoy close and effective cooperation with the Judicial Police and the Gendarmerie. U.S. law enforcement agencies represented in Brussels enjoy excellent working relationships with the Belgian National Magistrates and Prosecutors offices.

During 1999, representatives from the FBI, the Department of Justice, the Department of State and the Belgian Ministry of Justice met to continue a series of bilateral consultations on improving judicial cooperation and streamlining procedures in judicial assistance matters (including extradition cases). Belgium participated with the U.S., the U.K., the Netherlands and France, in the 1999 Caribbean Maritime Counter-Drug Initiative.

Belgium is active in the Egmont Group, an informal forum for cooperation on money laundering issues, which held its inaugural meeting at the Egmont Palace in Brussels in 1995, under the sponsorship of the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN) and Belgium's Financial Intelligence Processing Unit (CTIF/CFI). Belgium chairs the Egmont legal working group, which drafted a model memorandum of understanding on international cooperation on money laundering issues.

The Road Ahead. The United States looks forward to continued close cooperation with Belgium in combating illicit drug trafficking and drug-related crime, and to continued Belgian participation in multilateral counternarcotics fora such as the Dublin Group.

Bosnia

I. Summary

Bosnia is a small market for drugs but a significant transshipment point for international narcotics. While inter-entity law enforcement cooperation is improving and has resulted in several major drug seizures, the growing narcotics trade remains closely linked to organized crime, public sector corruption, and ethnic extremism. The absence of effective border and customs controls, serious flaws in the judicial system, and the lack of political will to undertake serious reforms have left Bosnia a permissive environment for drug trafficking. Bosnia is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention and is working closely with the UN Drug Control Program (UNDCP) as well as the U.S. and other regional states on counternarcotics issues.

II. Status of the Country

Situated astride the historic Balkan smuggling routes, Bosnia remains a logical transshipment point between heroin and marijuana production centers in south Asia and markets in Western Europe. Domestic production has not been a major problem to date, but Bosnian officials believe that the wartime black market dramatically increased drug trafficking. Although the disproportionately large international community in Sarajevo is believed to be the primary internal narcotics market, local authorities have expressed concern that rapid urbanization, a relatively young population, high unemployment, and "foreign cultural influence" could contribute to the eventual development of a major market for narcotics consumption in Bosnia.

III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 1999

Policy Initiatives. Border controls have been tightened with the introduction of public hotlines to report customs violations in September and should improve further with the phased deployment of a state border service beginning December 31, 1999. The USG and the international community continue to provide advice and assistance to local law enforcement agencies, including counternarcotics and task force training. Efforts are underway to revise local laws regarding narcotics to ensure conformity with the UN Drug Convention.

Accomplishments. Police counternarcotics operations have confiscated over 1.2 kilograms of heroin and have resulted in 335 arrests in 1999. A single raid in Sarajevo in December 1998 seized a 38-kilogram shipment of heroin following a joint investigation with Croatian and Slovenian authorities. With UNDCP support, narcotics arrests and seizures are recorded in centralized databases in both the Federation and the Republika Srpska (RS). UNDCP has also sponsored joint counternarcotics exercises for Federation, RS, and cantonal officers, and has provided introductory training to over 1,500 Bosnian officers to date. Bosnian authorities are working to formalize international cooperation through full integration into the Interpol network. Police officers are increasingly equipped to conduct drug tests at crime scenes, while four police laboratories in the Federation and one in the RS are now capable of conducting sophisticated analysis to support narcotics investigations.

Law Enforcement Efforts. Both narcotics-related arrests and drug seizures - including major successes such as the arrest of a smuggling ring in Maglaj in October - are on the rise. Plans to expand the Federation Interior Ministry's anti-drug unit are under consideration. Nonetheless, Bosnia remains largely dependent on the international community for leadership and material support in the war against drugs, as underscored by the necessity of multinational military action in October against anti-Dayton elements reportedly involved in narcotics trafficking. Limited legal penalties for narcotics offenses, a lack of political will, and local resistance to Federation jurisdiction over narcotics offenses continue to prevent a fully integrated national counternarcotics strategy to focus on major traffickers.

Corruption. Criminal elements involved in narcotics trafficking have been credibly linked to public officials. Although proceeds from the narcotics trade are widely believed to support the parallel institutions maintained by ethnic extremists, there are no laws specifically targeting narcotics-related public sector corruption and there have been no legal/enforcement actions against public officials for narcotics-related offenses. Combating the influence of criminal elements, corrupt officials, and ethnic extremists remains a leading priority for the embassy, the Multinational Peace Stabilization Force (SFOR), the United Nations Mission in Bosnia, and the Office of the High Representative (OHR).

Agreements and Treaties. There is no bilateral agreement between Bosnia the United States specifically pertaining to counternarcotics. A bilateral police training agreement does provide advice and assistance regarding a broad range of law enforcement issues, including investigative techniques and major case management. Both the Federation and the Republika Srpska have honored their formal commitment to cooperate on narcotics issues and have worked closely with the UNDCP under the terms of an agreement signed in 1997. Bosnia is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention and is actively pursuing a bilateral law enforcement cooperation agreement with Croatia to address regional narcotics trafficking.

Drug Flow and Transit. Heroin and marijuana shipments through several overland routes have increased markedly in the past year. Southwest Asian heroin from Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan is routinely smuggled through Bosnia. Local authorities believe that Western Europe - not the U.S. - is the ultimate destination for this traffic. Bosnian police officers have indicated that elements from each ethnic group and all major crime "families" are involved in the narcotics trade, often in collaboration. They suspect - and are actively investigating - alleged links to German, Italian, Albanian, and Russian criminal elements.

Cultivation and Production. Federation Interior Ministry officials believe that domestic cultivation is limited to marijuana crops grown in Herzegovina.

Domestic Programs. Community policing programs sponsored by the USG, which include anti-drug segments, have reached over 40,000 Bosnian children. Although there are no domestic substance abuse programs, pilot community outreach programs in Sarajevo and Zenica have been attended by over 18,000 Bosnians.

IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs

Bilateral Cooperation. The USG remains committed to providing the counternarcotics training and support necessary to encourage independent operations by Bosnian authorities.

The Road Ahead. The international community's police assistance efforts will increasingly emphasize sophisticated technical training and intensive professional monitoring. The USG will focus its training programs on organized crime, public sector corruption, counternarcotics, and border control. A standardized national information management system, providing equal access to all law enforcement agencies and direct access to international police agencies, is essential to enhance the investigative capacity of Bosnian authorities.

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