US embassy cable - 02RANGOON1473

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 RANGOON 001473 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INL AND EAP 
TREASURY FOR OASIA 
DEA FOR OF, OFF 
NSC FOR RAND BEERS 
USCINCPAC FOR FPA 
BANGKOK FOR NAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR, KCRM, BM 
SUBJECT: BURMA'S COUNTERNARCOTICS PROGRAM: MORE DATA, MORE 
RESULTS 
 
REF: A. (A) RANGOON 1355 
     B. (B) STATE 157297 
     C. (C) RANGOON 1415 
     D. (D) STATE 215837 
 
1. In response to our request (ref D), the Government of 
Burma has provided a third package of information on its 
counternarcotics program.  The latest package includes an 
outline of measures that the GOB has taken to implement its 
new money laundering law, a list of members of the United Wa 
State Army who have been arrested on narcotics during 2002 
and the names and case histories of police officers who have 
been prosecuted for narcotics-related corruption during 2002. 
 Copies of this information have been forwarded to INL/AAE 
and EAP/BCLTV.  The main points are as follows. 
 
Money Laundering 
 
2. Burma enacted its new money laundering law on June 17.  On 
July 4, it established an eleven member Central Control Board 
chaired by the Minister of Home Affairs to oversee 
implementation of the new law.  Draft regulations for the new 
law were developed in workshops conducted by the Central 
Committee for Drug Abuse Control and the Attorney General's 
office in workshops in Rangoon and Mandalay in August and 
September.  In July, 35 financial investigators were trained 
with assistance from the Australian Federal Police and 
others, before being formed up into two financial 
investigation teams.  Those teams have since begun 
investigations of several specific cases on which indictments 
on money laundering charges are expected within the next 
thirty days.  DEA officers in Rangoon have been involved in 
developing one of these cases and can corroborate Burmese 
statements regarding the investigations and the GOB's plans 
for prosecutions. 
 
UWSA Cases 
 
3. The GOB has provided a list of 18 members of the United Wa 
State Army who have been arrested in 2002 on 
narcotics-related charges.  The list includes the name and 
address of each culprit, a summary of the case and an 
indication of the sentence that was dished out.  Amounts 
seized in the cases range from the very large (33 kilograms 
of heroin) to the very small (190 methamphetamine tablets). 
None of the arrestees appears particularly high ranking, 
though recent cases included the son of a UWSA township 
commander, and members of the UWSA's  418th and 468th 
divisions.  The full list is as follows: 
 
-- On 10/19/02, NYI MI of Nam Kham Township, Burma was 
arrested for possession of .002 kilograms of heroin.  The 
drugs were located and seized following a routine vehicle 
inspection near the village of Kon Naung in Thit Naung Pin 
Township.  NYI MI is currently pending trial. 
 
-- On 10/4/02, .002 kilograms of heroin were seized from the 
personal belongings of AIK SAY of Lashio Township.  The 
seizure was made after AIK SAY was stopped and question by 
the police.  AIK SAY is currently awaiting trial. 
 
-- On 9/4/02, AIK SAN, son of a UWSA Township Commander, was 
arrested at the Asia World Checkpoint in Kutkai Township. 
AIK SAN was arrested for possession of 190 methamphetamine 
tablets and currently awaits trial. 
 
-- On 8/12/02, UWSA Division 468 member KYA LAW was arrested 
by police authorities after two (2) kilograms of opium were 
seized from a false compartment inside the vehicle occupied 
by KYA LAW.  KYA LAW is awaiting trial. 
 
-- On 8/10/02 UWSA member TUN AG of Muse, Burma was arrested 
while in possession of 930 methamphetamine tablets in Man 
Wane Ward, Muse.  TUN AG awaits trial. 
-- On 8/2/02, .00015 kilograms of opium were seized from AIK 
AUNG of Tan Yang Township, Burma.  AIK AUNG was stopped and 
questioned by the police after acting suspiciously.  AIK AUNG 
is currently pending trial. 
 
-- On 7/31/02, Burmese authorities arrested AIK KWAT of 
Lashio Township for possession .001 kilograms of heroin. 
Authorities arrested the defendant following the seizure of 
the heroin on the defendant's person.  AIK KWAT was sentenced 
to twelve (12) years imprisonment. 
-- On 7/2/02, 33 kilograms of heroin was seized from within a 
vehicle containing a false compartment.  Defendant AIK YI was 
identified as the driver for the UWSA Division 418.  AIK YI 
currently awaits trial. 
 
-- On 6/7/02, 10,000 methamphetamine tablets were seized from 
UWSA member AIK KET.  Authorities also arrested O PHAT PA MOK 
and two unnamed Thai nationals in connection with the 
seizure.  All four defendants are awaiting trial. 
 
-- On 5/9/02, three defendants were arrested following the 
execution of a search warrant in Hopan Township, Burma. 
Burmese authorities located and seized 26 methamphetamine 
tablets and .001 kilograms of heroin.  Defendants NYI MYAT, 
MA EI NWE and MA EI PA LOT are pending trial. 
 
-- On 5/7/02, AIK GWAN of Hopan Township, Burma was arrested 
following the execution of a search warrant at his residence. 
 AIK GWAN was arrested for possession of .0023 kilograms of 
heroin and 10 methamphetamine tablets.  On 9/18/02, AIK GWAN 
was sentenced to twelve (12) years imprisonment. 
 
-- On 4/22/02, SANG NAM of Hopan Township was arrested while 
in possession of 44,000 methamphetamine tablets at the Yebu 
Checkpoint, Lashio, Burma.  SANG NAM is currently awaiting 
trial. 
 
-- On 4/20/02, .002 kilograms of heroin were seized from the 
personal belongings of AIK SAM of Nam Kham Township, Burma. 
On 8/2/02, AIK SAM was sentenced to seven (7) years 
imprisonment. 
 
-- On 4/20/02, NYOKA (LNU) of Hopan Township, Burma was 
arrested while in possession of 30,100 methamphetamine 
tablets while onboard a bus at the Tang Yang Junction.  On 
7/23/02, NYOKA was sentenced to twenty (20) years 
imprisonment. 
 
-- On 4/9/02, .05 kilograms of raw opium were seized from NYI 
KA YIN of Lashio Township, Burma.  The drugs were located 
following a luggage inspection at the Tang Yang Junction in 
Lashio Township.  NYI KA YIN was sentenced to twelve (12) 
years imprisonment on 6/12/02. 
 
-- On 4/2/02, 37,000 methamphetamine tablets were seized from 
an individual riding as a passenger in Lashio Township, 
Burma.  Defendants AIK HKAM and driver AIK KAW were arrested 
charged in violation of Burma's Psychotropic Substances Laws. 
 Both defendants are currently pending trial. 
 
-- On 3/16/02, .00001 kilograms of heroin were seized from 
SAI KHWET KHUN, Lashio, Burma.  The defendant was arrested 
following a police inquiry of the subject's activities.  On 
6/20/02, the offender was sentenced to seven (7) years 
imprisonment. 
 
-- On 1/16/02, AR CHAN, driver from the UWSA Special Region 
and MA LI LI were arrested in Mong Hphine, while in 
possession of 31,500 methamphetamine tablets and 0.511 
kilograms of raw opium.  Both defendants are awaiting trial. 
 
Corruption 
 
4. In September (see ref A), the GOB advised us that 200 
police officials and 48 army personnel had been disciplined 
for narcotics-related corruption or drug abuse between 
January 1995 and May 2002.  It has now provided the names and 
case details of twelve police officers who were disciplined 
for narcotics related corruption in 2001 and 2002.  Those 
cases are as follows: 
 
-- On 4/9/02, Police Inspector AUNG WIN was dismissed from 
the Myanmar Police Force following a complaint filed by a 
victim that the officer received a bribe for selling opium 
and concealing evidence in gambling, assault, disorderly 
conduct, and sexual assault investigations. 
 
-- On 3/24/02, Police Inspectors WIN NAING, WAI LWIN TUN, 
AUNG ZAW MIN, and Police Corporal ZAW WIN were demoted to the 
next rank and a two years time limit imposed for promotion 
eligibility following the execution of a unwarranted search 
of a residence.  A formal complaint was filed after no 
narcotics were located at the residence and the officers 
demanded and received Kyats 50,000 (approximately $50.00) for 
transportation charges of the suspect to police headquarters. 
 
-- On 11/14/01, Police Inspector MYO MYINT and Sergeants AUNG 
THAN HTAY and NYUNT WIN were formally reprimanded after 
giving false testimony during the trial of two drug suspects. 
  The drug suspects were acquitted on all charges. 
 
-- On 2/9/2001, Police Inspectors MOE SWE, KHIN HTUN and 
Police Corporal THAUNG TUN WIN were arrested by the Yangon 
Division for substituting an arrested narcotics violator with 
another individual for an undisclosed quantity of currency. 
All three defendants were dismissed from the Myanmar Police 
Force on 1/12/02 and sentenced to ten (10) years for 
accepting the bribe and ten (10) years in violation of 
Anti-Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Laws.  The 
sentences will be served consecutively. 
 
-- On 10/9/00, Police Inspector TIN MAUNG OO of the Pabetan 
Township Police Station was dismissed from the Myanmar Police 
Force and sentenced on 8/28/00 to three (3) months of 
rigorous imprisonment after demanding money from a drug 
suspect. 
 
Comment 
 
5.  The GOB has responded promptly to all of our requests for 
information on 
on its counternarcotics program.  If there is other specific 
information that the Department requires for its decision on 
certification of Burma's program, or other issues connected 
with the criteria for certification, please advise ASAP so 
that post can make an immediate approach to the GOB or other 
sources and obtain the required data. 
Martinez