US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT564

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000564 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
ROTTERDAM FOR BKETTNER 
PARIS FOR TSA NLARBI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/05/2015 
TAGS: ELTN, EWWT, KU, SNAR 
SUBJECT: OPIUM SMUGGLER SEIZED FROM IRANIAN FERRY:  AN 
EYE-WITNESS ACCOUNT 
 
 
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Matthew Tueller, Reasons 
1.4 (a) and (d) 
 
 1.  (C/NF) SUMMARY:  During a February 2, 2005 visit to 
observe the International Shipping and Port Facility Security 
posture at the ferry vessel passenger terminal, Shuwaikh Port 
in Kuwait City, Econoff and visiting US Coast Guard LCDR 
Brenden Kettner were unexpected witnesses to a drug seizure 
and detention of a possible smuggler by Kuwait Customs 
officials.  Over 1/2 kilogram of opium was discovered on one 
of the ferry passengers newly arrived from Iran on board the 
Iranian flagged ferry vessel Brelyan.  The Econoff and LCDR 
Kettner where invited to witness the investigation and 
interview of the suspect.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C/NF) Econoff and visiting International Port Security 
Liaison Officer LCDR Brenden Kettner, USCG, were concluding 
their February 2 security visit at Shuwaikh Port when their 
host, Mohammed, head of Customs at the port, was informed 
that one of his Customs inspectors had found something. 
Mohammed excitedly explained that his agent had discovered a 
smuggler with drugs in his shoes.  Mohammed escorted the 
Econoff and Kettner into one of the examination rooms where 
the suspect was being detained. 
 
3.  (C/NF) Upon entering the crowded room, Econoff saw one 
man sitting in dejected silence in a nearby chair, his hands 
in front of him, although not tied or restrained by 
handcuffs, head bent down.  The remaining men in the room 
were all Customs officials.  Every so often one of them would 
shout a question at the suspect in Arabic.  Mohammed would 
periodically summarize parts of certain discussions for the 
two non-Arabic speakers in the room (Econoff and LCDR 
Kettner), but for the most part the conversations were 
conducted in Arabic. 
 
4.  (C/NF) Shortly after the Econoff and Kettner entered the 
interview room, another Customs official brought in the shoes 
that the suspect had been wearing upon his arrival to the 
port.  The shoes had been reconstructed as evidenced by the 
crude stitching used to reconnect the inside lining of the 
shoe to the sole with poor quality stitching dissimilar to 
other stitching on the shoes.  Two customs investigators tore 
the shoes apart, lifting up the soles and lining in the 
loafers.  They discovered little plastic bags filled with a 
flat, brown, paste-like substance.  Mohammed said that it was 
opium.  One of the customs officers brought out a scale to 
verify the weight of the plastic bags.  He also used a 
narcotic test kit to verify that the substance was opium.  A 
little over 180 grams of opium was discovered in the shoes. 
 
5.  (C/NF) Mohammed sat down with the suspect, offered him 
tea, and, in a soothing voice, began to question him.  After 
about 5 minutes of questioning, two more Customs officials 
entered the room carrying the suspect's suitcase.  They 
proceeded to empty the suitcase and inspect all its pockets, 
seams, and lining.  After a brief inspection, one of the 
Customs investigators ripped part of the lining and 
discovered what looked like purple cellophane-wrapped 1x2 
inch flat packets.  Mohammed explained that it was more opium 
wrapped in carbon paper.  (NOTE:  Since the questioning was 
conducted in Arabic it is unclear to the Econoff if the 
suspect admitted to having more opium in his suitcase or if 
the Customs officials discovered it themselves.  END NOTE). 
 
6.  (C/NF) The carbon paper prevents the x-ray machine from 
"reading" the packets in the lining, Mohammed explained. 
Econoff and LCDR Kettner were given a demonstration.  Customs 
officials took the suitcase back out to the x-ray machine and 
ran it through again.  The opium, visible when looking at the 
suitcase, was not visible on the x-ray machine's display 
screen. 
 
7.  (C/NF) After returning to the interview room the suitcase 
was taken apart.  Little carbon-covered packets were found 
all along the exterior wall's lining.  The total amount of 
opium seized was just over 1/2 kilogram. 
 
8.  (C/NF) Once all of the opium had been removed from the 
suitcase, tested and weighed, Mohammed began to question the 
suspect again.  This time, however, he wrote down the 
suspect's responses.  Periodically Mohammed would stop to 
explain what he was doing to the Econoff and LCDR Kettner, 
but he never directly translated what the suspect was saying. 
 After about 30 minutes of interviewing, Econoff and LCDR 
Kettner left.  Mohammed suspended his questioning to escort 
them out.  During the walk to the exit, Econoff inquired 
about the next steps that Customs would take in the arrest of 
the smuggler.  Mohammed explained that while Customs has the 
authority to detain and question a suspect, they cannot 
arrest anyone.  He said that after questioning the suspect 
and taking his statement the police would be called to make 
the arrest and take the suspect to a holding facility. 
 
9.  (C/NF) NOTE: LCDR Kettner mentioned to Econoff that he 
had previously worked on an anti-narcotics team.  In his 
experience, he said, drug smugglers sometimes travel in 
groups.  When a suspect was detained on suspicion of 
smuggling, his team would ensure that they did not become so 
focused on that particular person that they failed to 
continue to be able to detect other suspicious persons.  He 
also stated that they would look to see who that person was 
traveling with and question them as well.  He said that his 
team made sure to keep a number of team members outside the 
interview room to continue to watch the remaining persons. 
LCDR Kettner mentioned these points to the Econoff because he 
noticed that the Kuwaiti Customs team appeared to be overly 
focused on this one particular individual.  LCDR Kettner 
noted that a majority of the Customs officials were in the 
interview room, that no other travelers appeared to be 
questioned and that no one was trying to identify whom the 
suspect was traveling with or had been talking to prior to 
his arrest.  END NOTE. 
 
10.  (U) This cable has been cleared by LCDR Brenden Kettner, 
USCG. 
LEBARON