US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO2007

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 002007 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA/INS, INL 
JUSTICE FOR OIA, AFMLS, AND NDDS 
TREASURY FOR FINCEN 
DEA FOR OILS AND OFFICE OF DIVERSION CONTROL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR, PGOV, PREL, CE 
SUBJECT: 2004 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY 
REPORT (INCSR) FOR SRI LANKA 
 
REF: SECSTATE 248987 
 
1.  Please find attached Mission's 2004 International 
Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR).  Responses are 
keyed to questions in Reftel. 
 
Para 20 
I.  Summary: 
 
Sri Lanka has a relatively small-scale drug problem.  The 
Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) remains committed to targeting 
drug traffickers and implementing nation-wide demand 
reduction programs.  In 2004, the U.S. government 
strengthened its relationship with Sri Lanka on 
counternarcotics issues by offering training and seminars 
for the Sri Lanka Police.  A comparatively relaxed security 
environment as a result of the 2002 ceasefire agreement 
between the GSL and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam 
(LTTE) has opened a new overland drug trafficking route 
which LTTE officials are taking active measures to police 
and monitor.  Although Sri Lanka has signed the 1988 UN Drug 
Convention, Parliament had not enacted implementing 
legislation for the convention as of the end of 2004. 
 
 
Para 21 
Part II.  Status of country: 
Sri Lanka is not a significant producer of narcotics or 
precursor chemicals.  GSL officials continue to raise 
internal awareness of and vigilance against efforts by drug 
traffickers attempting to use Sri Lanka as a transit point 
for illicit drug smuggling.  Domestically, officials are 
addressing a modest drug problem, consisting of heroin, 
cannabis, and increasingly, ecstasy. 
 
 
Part III.  Country action against drugs in 2004: 
 
Para 23.1 
Policy Initiatives:  In 2004, Sri Lanka made progress in 
further implementing its counternarcotics strategy, 
developed in 1994.  The lead agency for counternarcotics 
efforts, the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB), is headquartered 
in the capital city of Colombo.  The new government, elected 
in April 2004, has not initiated to date any policy changes 
with respect to counternarcotics activities.  The GSL 
remains committed to on-going efforts to curb illicit drug 
use and trafficking. 
 
Para 23.2 
Accomplishments: 
The PNB and Excise Department worked closely to target 
cannabis producers and dealers, resulting in several 
successful arrests.  The PNB warmly welcomed and was an 
active partner in taking full advantage of U.S.-sponsored 
training for criminal investigative techniques and 
management practices. 
 
Sri Lanka continued to work with South Asian Association for 
Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the United Nations Drug 
Control Program (UNDCP) on regional narcotics issues.  SAARC 
countries met in Maldives in early 2004 and agreed to 
establish an interactive website for the SAARC Drug Offense 
Monitoring Desk, located in Colombo, for all countries to 
input, share, and review regional narcotics statistics.  GSL 
officials maintain continuous contact with counterparts in 
India and Pakistan, origin countries for the majority of 
drugs in Sri Lanka. 
 
 
Para 23.3 
Law enforcement efforts: 
 
The PNB continued close inter-agency cooperation with the 
Customs Service, the Department of Excise and the Sri Lankan 
Police to curtail the illicit drug supply lines and local 
drug dealers and users.  As a result of these efforts, GSL 
officials arrested nearly 2674 heroin dealers and drug 
dealers and more than 2135 cannabis dealers during the first 
six months of this year.  (Note:  Statistics for July- 
December 2004 will be available in early 2005.  Post will 
provide update figures at that time.)  The largest heroin 
haul for the year, to date, has been 17 kilograms, valued 
locally at around $390,000.  Law enforcement agencies 
throughout 2004 made a number of other small-scale seizures 
of heroin and other drugs.  In addition, in response to the 
slowly increasing ecstasy usage in upscale venues in 
Colombo, the PNB made the first two ever ecstasy-related 
drug arrests in 2004. 
 
Apart from its Colombo headquarters, the PNB has one sub- 
unit at the Bandaranaike International Airport near Colombo, 
complete with operational personnel and a team of narcotics- 
detecting dogs.  Greater vigilance by PNB officers assigned 
to the airport sub-station led to increased detections and 
consistent arrests of alleged drug smugglers. 
 
During the year, the PNB began the process of establishing 
additional sub-stations.  The next two substations, at the 
international port in Colombo and the northwest coastal town 
of Mannar, will be operational shortly.  Future sub-stations 
will also be located in cannabis-growing regions. 
 
 
Para 23.4 
Corruption:  A government commission, established to 
investigate bribery and corruption charges against public 
officials, temporarily resumed operations in 2004.  In May 
2004, the Judicial Services Commission suspended a Colombo 
high court judge for granting bail to alleged drug 
traffickers.  Police arrested a leading alleged drug kingpin 
in connection with the November 2004 murder of a widely 
respected judge.  At the time of this alleged dealer's 
arrest and questioning, subsequent information revealed that 
numerous police officers allegedly helped facilitate this 
individual's illegal activities.  In response, the Inspector 
General of Police, the most senior ranking police official, 
ordered a complete investigation into any involvement by 
police officers.  The investigation was on-going at year's 
end. 
 
Para 23.5 
Agreements and treaties (with U.S. and others):  Sri Lanka 
has signed the 1988 UN Drug Convention and the 1990 SAARC 
Convention on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. 
Implementing legislation for both conventions had not 
reached Parliament by year's end.  The Attorney General's 
office has reviewed both pieces of legislation and 
anticipates submitting it to Parliament in early 2005. 
 
Sri Lanka is also a party to the 1961 UN Single Convention, 
as amended by the 1972 Protocol, and the 1971 Convention on 
Psychotropic Substances.  Sri Lanka has signed, but has not 
yet ratified, the UN Convention against Transnational 
Organized Crime.  An extradition treaty is in force between 
the U.S. and Sri Lanka. 
 
Para 23.6 
Cultivation/production (where applicable):  Small quantities 
of cannabis are cultivated and used locally.  There is 
little indication that this illicit drug is exported.  The 
majority of the production occurs in the southeast jungles 
of Sri Lanka.  PNB and Excise Department officials work 
together to locate and eradicate cannabis crops. 
 
Para 23.7 
Drug flow/transit: 
Some of the heroin entering Sri Lanka is solely for 
transshipment purposes.  With the opening of the 
northwestern coastal waters in the advent of the ceasefire 
between the GSL and the LTTE, narcotics traffickers have 
taken advantage of the short distance across the Palk Strait 
to transit drugs from India to Sri Lanka.  According to 
police officials drugs are mainly transported across the 
strait and then overland to the south.  The PNB is 
attempting to control the area better with the upcoming 
opening of a sub-station in this region.  With no coast 
guard however, Sri Lanka's coast remains highly vulnerable 
to transshipment of heroin from India. 
 
Police officials state that the international airport is the 
second major entry point for the transshipment of illegal 
narcotics through Sri Lanka. 
 
There is no evidence to date that synthetic drugs are 
manufactured in Sri Lanka.  Police note that the ecstasy 
found in Colombo social venues is likely trafficked from 
Thailand. 
 
Para 23.8 
Domestic programs (demand reduction):  The National 
Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB) began establishing 
task forces in each regional province to focus on the issue 
of drug awareness and rehabilitation at the community level. 
Each task force works with the existing municipal structure, 
bringing together officials from the police, prisons, social 
services, health, education and NGO sectors.  For the first 
time in 2004, NDDCB officials visited the war-affected north 
and east provinces to assess the local situation and 
investigate the possibility of establishing treatment 
centers in those regions. 
 
The GSL continued its support, including financial, of local 
NGOs conducting demand reduction and drug awareness 
campaigns.  The Sri Lanka Anti Narcotics Association in 
collaboration with PNB and the Colombo City Traffic Police 
organized a "Run Against Drug Abuse" in June 2004.  The 
Colombo Plan Drug Advisory Program, a regional organization, 
pledged its assistance to the government and non-government 
agencies in their efforts to combat illicit drugs. 
 
 
Para 24 
Part IV.  U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs: 
 
Para 24.1 
U.S. Policy Initiatives:  The USG remained committed to 
helping GSL officials develop increased capacity and 
cooperation for counternarcotics issues.  The USG also 
continued its support of the regional Colombo Plan Drug 
Advisory Program, which conducts regional and country- 
specific training seminars, fostering communication and 
cooperation throughout Asia. 
 
Para 24.2 
Bilateral cooperation (accomplishments):  In 2004, the USG 
began implementing, primarily with the PNB, a law 
enforcement development program.  Over 200 officers 
throughout the police force participated in training 
seminars.  Pursuant to bilateral letters of agreement 
between the USG and the GSL, the Sri Lanka police are 
fulfilling their obligations.  USG-trained Sri Lanka police 
are replicating the seminars and scheduling training for 
colleagues at the training academies and stations throughout 
the island.  Organized by the Colombo Plan, regional U.S. 
government officials conducted narcotics officer training 
for their local counterparts. 
 
 
Para 24.3 
Road Ahead:  The U.S. government intends to maintain its 
commitment to aiding the Sri Lanka police to transition from 
a paramilitary force to a community-focused one.  This will 
be accomplished with additional assistance for training and 
continued dialogue between U.S. counternarcotics related 
agencies and their Sri Lankan counterparts.  The U.S. 
expects to continue it support of the Colombo Plan. 
 
LUNSTEAD