US embassy cable - 04BRATISLAVA1138

UNCLAS  BRATISLAVA 001138 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR INL 
JUSTICE FOR OIA, AFMLS, AND NDDS 
TREASURY FOR FINCEN 
DEA FOR OILS AND OFFICE OF DIVERSION CONTROL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, LO 
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA: NARCOTICS REPORT PART I 
 
REF: STATE 248987 
 
SUMMARY/OVERVIEW 
---------------- 
1. SLOVAKIA LIES AT THE CROSSROADS OF TWO MAJOR DRUG TRANSIT 
ROUTES, THE TRADITIONAL EAST-WEST ROUTES FROM UKRAINE AND 
THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND THE HISTORIC "BALKAN ROUTE," 
WHICH RUNS FROM SOUTHWEST ASIA TO TURKEY AND ON TO GERMANY, 
FRANCE, AND OTHER WESTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. THE GOS IS A 
PARTY TO THE 1988 UN DRUG CONVENTION. END SUMMARY. 
 
STATUS OF COUNTRY 
-------------------- 
2. LEVELS OF BOTH CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION OF NARCOTICS IN 
SLOVAKIA REMAIN RELATIVELY LOW, HOWEVER, IT HAS A FULLY 
DEVELOPED DOMESTIC MARKET FOR NARCOTICS. DEMAND FOR 
STIMULANTS, MAINLY PERVITIN AND ECSTASY, IS RAPIDLY GROWING, 
AND THEIR USE, ALONG WITH THAT OF MARIJUANA, IS QUICKLY 
SPREADING INTO SMALLER SLOVAK TOWNS. 
 
3. THE GOS REMAINS CONCERNED THAT SLOVAKIA IS A 
TRANSSHIPMENT POINT FOR SMUGGLED DRUGS AND CONCENTRATES ITS 
INTERDICTION EFFORTS ON EAST-WEST SMUGGLING FROM UKRAINE AND 
RUSSIA. RUSSIAN ORGANIZED CRIME GROUPS TRAFFIC AFGHAN HEROIN 
AND PEACEFULLY COOPERATE WITH THE ESTABLISHED ALBANIAN 
CRIMINAL GROUPS USING THE BALKAN ROUTE. THE ALBANIAN 
COMMUNITY IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE HEROIN TRADE IN THE 
REGION, AND THEY MAINLY USE THE SOUTHERN BALKAN ROUTE 
THROUGH BULGARIA AND CROATIA. 
 
4. EU ACCESSION AND MORE OPEN BORDERS HAVE CREATED 
CONDITIONS FOR DRUG-RELATED ORGANIZED CRIME GROUPS TO TAKE 
ROOT IN SLOVAKIA, AND MOST OF THEM ARE BASED ON ETHNIC 
PRINCIPLES. STREET SALES HAVE NOT TAKEN ROOT IN SLOVAKIA, 
AND THE ROMA COMMUNITY DOMINATES DOMESTIC DRUG DISTRIBUTION 
BY SELLING DRUGS FROM THEIR HOMES.  ALBANIAN GROUPS SUPPLY 
THE ROMA SELLERS. 
 
COUNTRY ACTIONS AGAINST DRUGS IN 2004 
-------------------------------------- 
5. POLICY INITIATIVES: THE NATIONAL PLAN FOR THE FIGHT 
AGAINST DRUGS WAS REVISED FOR 2004-2008 AND REPRESENTS A 
COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY TO REDUCE DRUG USE. THE GOS ALSO 
ESTABLISHED A MINISTERIAL COUNCIL FOR DRUG DEPENDENCIES AND 
DRUG CONTROL, WHICH IS MAINLY FOCUSED ON EDUCATION AND 
PREVENTION. LAW ENFORCEMENT MINISTRIES PARTICIPATE AND 
IMPLEMENT THEIR PARTS OF THE PLAN INDEPENDENTLY. 
 
6. ACCOMPLISHMENTS: IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2004, THERE WERE 
597 DRUG-RELATED CRIMINAL CASES IN SLOVAKIA. THE NUMBER OF 
CASES INVOLVING SYNTHETIC NARCOTICS INCREASED 42.67 PERCENT 
COMPARED WITH THE FIRST HALF OF 2003, AND THE SHARE OF 
SYNTHETIC DRUGS IN OVERALL DRUG-RELATED CRIMES WAS 28.6 
PERCENT, UP FROM 19.2 PERCENT IN 2003. METHAMPHETAMINES 
(PRECURSOR TO PERVITIN) ACCOUNTED FOR MUCH OF THE INCREASE. 
THE NATIONAL ANTI-DRUG UNIT (NADU) INVESTIGATED 18 CASES IN 
BRATISLAVA AND 23 CASES IN OTHER REGIONS, REPRESENTING A 29 
PERCENT DECREASE FROM 2003. 
 
7. LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS: THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR (MOI) 
UNDERWENT COMPREHENSIVE ORGANIZATIONAL RESTRUCTURING IN 
2004. THE CRIMINAL AND FINANCIAL POLICE, IN WHICH THE NADU 
IS LOCATED, MERGED WITH THE MOI'S SECURITY POLICE. SLOVAK 
AUTHORITIES HOPE THE RESTRUCTURING WILL FACILITATE BETTER 
COMMUNICATION AND SHORTEN INVESTIGATIONS. A SPECIALIZED 
POLICE AGENCY TARGETING ORGANIZED CRIME IS ALSO PART OF THE 
REORGANIZATION. IN THIS RE-ORGANIZATION, THE NADU LOST SOME 
OF ITS AUTHORITY AND IS RESPONSIBLE ONLY FOR THE BRATISLAVA 
REGION AS A PART OF THE OFFICE FOR FIGHTING ORGANIZED CRIME 
(OFOC). OTHER REGIONAL ANTI-DRUG UNITS HAVE BEEN 
INCORPORATED INTO THE OFOC, BUT THEY DO NOT COMMUNICATE WITH 
THE NADU. CONTRARY TO THE 2000 GOS' RESOLUTION THAT CALLED 
FOR AN INCREASE IN THE NADU'S STAFF FROM 150 TO 250 
PERSONNEL, THE MOI DOWNSIZED THE UNIT TO 35 PEOPLE WHEN THE 
MOI MADE IT RESPONSIBLE ONLY FOR THE BRATISLAVA REGION. 
 
8. CORRUPTION: SLOVAKIA HAS MADE MAJOR LEGISLATIVE STRIDES 
IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION. OFFICIALS SERIOUS ABOUT 
CREATING TRANSPARENT RULES AND PROSECUTING ABUSES HAVE BEEN 
PUT IN KEY POSITIONS, A NEW CONFLICT OF INTEREST LAW PASSED 
IN 2004, AND A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR AND COURT TO FIGHT 
CORRUPTION WERE INSTITUTED. THE HEAD OF THE GOS' ANTI- 
CORRUPTION OFFICE IS A NOTED HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER WHO 
LIBERALIZED THE USE OF "STING" OPERATIONS AND INTRODUCED A 
"WHISTLE BLOWER" STATUTE TO PROTECT GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES WHO 
TALK TO INVESTIGATORS ABOUT CORRUPTION IN THEIR OFFICES. 
SUCCESSFUL EXECUTION OF THESE MEASURES PUT IN PLACE REMAINS 
A CHALLENGE. 
 
9. AGREEMENTS OR TREATIES: SLOVAKIA IS A PARTY TO THE 1988 
UN DRUG CONVENTION, THE 1961 UN SINGLE CONVENTION ON 
 
 
NARCOTIC DRUGS, THE 1972 PROTOCOL AMENDING THE SINGLE 
CONVENTION, AND THE 1971 UN CONVENTION ON PSYCHOTROPIC 
SUBSTANCES. THE EXTRADITION TREATY BETWEEN CZECHOSLOVAKIA 
AND THE UNITED STATES HAS CONTINUED IN FORCE BETWEEN THE 
UNITED STATES AND SLOVAKIA. SLOVAKIA HAS RATIFIED THE UN 
CONVENTION AGAINST TRANSNATIONAL ORGANIZED CRIME AND HAS 
SIGNED THE PROTOCOL TO PREVENT, SUPPRESS AND PUNISH 
TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS AS WELL AS THE PROTOCOL AGAINST THE 
SMUGGLING OF MIGRANTS. 
 
10. CULTIVATION/PRODUCTION: THE NADU REPORTS THAT MARIJUANA 
CULTIVATION HAS INCREASED IN ALL REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY, AND 
SEVERAL GROUPS ARE GROWING HIGH-QUALITY MARIJUANA IN 
LABORATORY CONDITIONS.  HOWEVER, THE MAJORITY OF MARIJUANA 
USED IN SLOVAKIA IS STILL IMPORTED FROM MOROCCO, LEBANON, 
INDIA, PAKISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN. IT DOES NOT APPEAR THAT 
HEROIN IS BEING PRODUCED IN SLOVAKIA. SLOVAK MDMA (ECSTASY) 
USE HAS INCREASED, ALTHOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN FEW REPORTS OF 
ITS PRODUCTION WITHIN THE COUNTRY. ON THE OTHER HAND, 
PERVITIN IS PRODUCED FOR MAINLY DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION, AND 
CZECH "EXPERTS" ARE HIRED AND CONSULTED ON PRODUCTION 
METHODS. IN RECENT YEARS, POLICE HAVE DISCOVERED 20 TO 30 
SYNTHETIC DRUG LABORATORIES ANNUALLY. 
 
11. DRUG FLOW/TRANSIT: THE SHARED BORDER WITH HUNGARY AND 
UKRAINE WAS THE SITE OF THE GREATEST NUMBER OF ATTEMPTS TO 
ENTER SLOVAKIA WITH ILLEGAL NARCOTICS. THE GREATEST NUMBER 
OF ATTEMPTS TO SMUGGLE DRUGS OUT OF SLOVAKIA HAPPENED AT THE 
CZECH AND AUSTRIAN BORDERS. 
 
12. DOMESTIC PROGRAMS: ACCORDING TO THE 2003 MINI-DUBLIN 
GROUP REPORT, THE GOS IS AMONG THE HIGHEST SPENDERS ON 
PREVENTATIVE ACTIVITIES IN RELATION TO PER CAPITA GNP. 
CENTERS FOR EDUCATION AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PREVENTION FOCUS ON 
COMMUNITY OUTREACH CONCERNING DRUG USE AND FUNCTION IN HALF 
OF THE MUNICIPAL DISTRICTS OF SLOVAKIA. THE SLOVAK 
HEALTHCARE SERVICE HAS A COMPREHENSIVE NETWORK ACROSS THE 
COUNTRY AND OFFERS SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM TREATMENT. 
 
U.S. POLICY INITIATIVES AND PROGRAMS 
---------------------------------------- 
13. BILATERAL COOPERATION: AS IN PRIOR YEARS, SLOVAK LAW 
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS PARTICIPATED IN SEVERAL DEPARTMENT OF 
JUSTICE COURSES, FUNDED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE. THE 
CLASSES WERE DESIGNED TO PROMOTE THE RESISTANCE TO 
CORRUPTIVE INFLUENCES AT THE WORKING LEVEL AND TO IMPROVE 
COUNTER-NARCOTICS AND ORGANIZED CRIME 
DETECTION/INVESTIGATIVE SKILLS. POST'S EXPORT CONTROL AND 
BORDER SECURITY PROGRAM PROVIDED NUMEROUS TRAINING 
OPPORTUNITIES AND EQUIPMENT FOR SLOVAK CUSTOMS OFFICERS. THE 
TWO MOST EFFECTIVE TRAINING PROGRAMS WERE THE FOUR WEEKS OF 
JOINT TRAINING WITH CZECH OFFICERS ON THE CZECH-SLOVAK 
BORDER AND A SIMILAR PROGRAM ON THE SLOVAK-UKRAINIAN BORDER. 
 
14. THE ROAD AHEAD: THE USG WILL CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE THE 
GOS TO ADEQUATELY BUDGET FOR NARCOTICS ENFORCEMENT AND TO 
MAINTAIN ITS TOUGH STANCE ON DRUG INTERDICTION. 
 
THAYER 
 
 
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