US embassy cable - 02COLOMBO1652

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001652 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR SA/INS AND INL, NEW DELHI FOR DEA 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  09-06-2002 
TAGS: SNAR, PGOV, PTER, CE, MV 
SUBJECT:  Counternarcotics update:  Heroin shipments on 
the downswing; GSL to provide assistance to the Maldives 
 
Refs:  (A) Chennai 710 
 
-      (B) Colombo 1082 
 
(U) Classified by W. Lewis Amselem, Charge d'Affaires. 
Reasons 1.5 (b,d). 
 
1.  (C)  Summary:  This Counternarcotics update reviews: 
Sri Lanka's Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) reports that 
heroin shipments to Sri Lanka have been dramatically 
reduced of late.  The PNB attributes this positive trend 
to three factors:  (1) The recent success of Indian 
authorities in interdiction; (2) indications that the 
Tamil Tigers may be acting to prevent such shipments; 
and (3) increased cooperation between the PNB and other 
police bureaus.  In other news indicative of an 
increased focus on regional approaches on how to deal 
with the drug problem, the GSL has announced that it is 
providing the Maldivian government drug interdiction 
training.  End Summary. 
 
Decline in Heroin Shipments 
--------------------------- 
2.  (SBU) The first item in this Counternarcotics update 
involves reports that heroin shipments to Sri Lanka are 
on the downswing.  Elaborating on this positive news, 
the Director of the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) Senior 
Superintendent Pujith Jayasundara told us that the PNB 
has evidence that heroin shipments into Sri Lanka have 
been dramatically reduced in the past few months.  He 
sited a number of reasons for the decline, including the 
recent success of Indian authorities in interdiction. 
Recent seizures by Indian authorities have included that 
of 27KG and 32KG heroin shipments -- see Ref A.  Based 
on this record of seizures, the PNB believes that Indian 
police are taking drug trafficking using Sri Lanka as a 
nexus with increased seriousness. 
 
3. (C) Another apparent factor in the downswing in 
heroin shipments is the reported crackdown by the 
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on drug 
trafficking.  Jayasundara told us that the PNB is 
receiving credible information that the LTTE is 
intercepting narcotics traffickers and incarcerating 
them.  This information contradicted previous reports 
that the LTTE gained some of its income via narcotics 
smuggling, he noted.  Jayasundara added that press 
reports stating that the LTTE recently seized 40KG of 
heroin could not be confirmed, but there were 
indications that the reports were accurate. 
 
4. (SBU) Commenting on another possible factor in the 
downswing, Jayasundara was very complimentary of what 
appeared to an increase in cooperation by local police 
offices in hampering narcotic sales.  Although there had 
not been large seizures of narcotics in the operations 
carried out with local offices of late, he noted that a 
large number of dealers have been arrested and remain in 
custody thanks to increased GSL coordination.  Those in 
custody included some suspected of being major suppliers 
of narcotics.  The PNB also believes that it is becoming 
increasingly difficult for traffickers to travel to Sri 
Lanka by sea because the navy is now able to focus more 
on such activities than in the recent past because of 
the ceasefire with the LTTE. 
 
Program with Maldives 
--------------------- 
5. (SBU) In other news, the PNB has announced an 
upcoming training program with the Maldives meant to 
assist narcotics interdiction at the international 
airport serving the Maldivian capital city, Male.  On 
September 23, the PNB will begin training 12 Maldivian 
officers to do narcotics screening at the Male 
International Airport.  As part of the program, the PNB 
will also be providing training using sniffer dogs.  The 
GSL will provide two dogs for the Maldivians to use at 
the end of the training. 
 
Comment 
------- 
6. (C) The news concerning heroin shipments is certainly 
positive.  During the last two months, the PNB has 
appeared to be very active, with regular reports of 
arrests and seizures.  Despite the overall seizure rate 
being down from this year compared to last year (from 
January through July 61KG of heroin have been seized in 
2002 compared to 102KG in 2001), all indications are 
that heroin supplies in Sri Lanka have been dramatically 
reduced.  The PNB believes the same holds true for 
narcotics being transshipped through Sri Lanka, which is 
also good news, as is the apparent crackdown by the 
LTTE.  Finally, the fact that Sri Lanka and the Maldives 
are cooperating on counternarcotics training is a 
constructive development, indicative of an increased 
focus on regional approaches on how to deal with the 
drug problem.  End Comment. 
 
AMSELEM