US embassy cable - 02COLOMBO2304

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 COLOMBO 002304 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA/INS, INL 
 
JUSTICE FOR OIA, AFMLS, AND NDDS 
 
TREASURY FOR FINCEN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR, PGOV, PREL, CE, MV 
SUBJECT:  2002 International Narcotics Control Strategy 
Report for Sri Lanka and the Maldives 
 
Refs:  (A)  State 240035 
-      (B)  State 240015 
 
1.  Please find attached Mission's 2002 International 
Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INSCR).  Responses to 
Ref B queries re Sri Lanka are covered in Paragraph two 
and the Maldives in paragraph three.  Information on 
money laundering requested in Ref A will be provided by 
Septel. 
 
========= 
SRI LANKA 
========= 
 
2.  Mission's draft of the 2002 INSCR for Sri Lanka 
follows.  Responses are keyed to questions in Ref B. 
 
BEGIN TEXT: 
 
I. Summary: 
 
Sri Lanka has a comparatively modest drug problem.  The 
government maintains a solid counternarcotics record, 
including a strong nation-wide demand reduction program. 
The U.S. government has a close relationship with the 
Sri Lankan government on counternarcotics issues. 
Supported by the U.S. Embassy, efforts at public 
education on drug abuse continued during the year.  The 
country remained an effective regional player in 
counternarcotics cooperation.  An ongoing ceasefire with 
the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has enabled 
the government to commit more officials to 
counternarcotics efforts, thus strengthening Sri Lanka's 
counternarcotics activities.  The government continued 
to make available to other nations in the South Asian 
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) a U.S. 
government-funded database on narcotics arrests and 
related information.  Sri Lanka has signed the UN Drug 
Convention, although Parliament still had not considered 
the enabling legislation for the convention as of the 
end of 2002. 
 
II.  Status of Country: 
 
Sri Lanka is not a major producer of narcotics or 
precursor chemicals.  Some evidence exists that Sri 
Lanka may be a transit point for a limited amount of 
narcotics.  With respect to its domestic situation, Sri 
Lanka has a modest drug problem with continued 
consumption of heroin and cannabis. 
 
III. Country Action Against Drugs in 2002: 
 
-- Policy Initiatives:  In 2002, the Sri Lankan 
government continued to maintain a good track record on 
counternarcotics issues.  One primary change affecting 
operations during 2002 was the December 2001 transfer of 
jurisdiction of the police -- who are responsible for 
counternarcotics and demand reduction activities -- from 
the Ministry of Defense to the Ministry of Interior. 
The change in leadership coincided with a cessation of 
hostilities with the LTTE and was implemented by the new 
government elected on December 5, 2001.  During the 19- 
year conflict with the LTTE, the police were often 
called on to assist in prosecuting the war effort 
against the LTTE.  This was clearly evident in the 
decrease in personnel in police bureaus, including the 
Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB).  The past year has seen 
the PNB refocus on the Sri Lankan counternarcotics 
masterplan drafted with the assistance of the UN Drug 
Control Program (UNDCP) and initially implemented in 
1994.  The PNB increased its staff from approximately 
150 officers to just over 200.  With the cessation of 
hostilities between the government and the LTTE, PNB 
officers were able to focus on counternarcotics 
investigations instead of being constantly pulled aside 
for additional duties. 
At the end of the year, the government had not yet 
submitted to Parliament the comprehensive 
counternarcotics legislative package drafted by the 
National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB), the 
government agency responsible for coordinating national 
drug policies.  The proposed legislation was being 
reviewed by the Attorney General's office at year's end. 
During 2002, the NDDCB, in anticipation of the eventual 
implementation of its legislative package, was 
developing monitoring mechanisms for current and 
upcoming counternarcotics legislation. 
 
-- Accomplishments:  In January 2001, the Sri Lankan 
government signed an extradition treaty with the United 
States.  Sri Lanka continued to work with SAARC on 
regional narcotics issues. 
 
-- Law Enforcement Efforts:  The PNB, the Customs 
Service, and the Department of Excise share 
responsibility for discouraging cannabis production.  At 
mid-year, the PNB was forecasting a reduction in the 
annual seizure rate of narcotics.  At year's end, 
however, a series of seizures, including approximately 
20kg of heroin in November, dramatically increased the 
total amount of narcotics seized. 
 
((NOTE:  At this time, the annual statistics on seizures 
and arrests are not yet available from the Sri Lankan 
government.  Per instructions in Ref B, Mission will 
forward the statistics, as they become available.)) 
 
-- Corruption:  Although there were rumors (nothing 
confirmed) of bribery of low-level government officials 
by narcotics dealers in 2002, there was no evidence that 
public officials engaged in narcotics trafficking.  In 
one case a former police officer was arrested for 
narcotics trafficking and was awaiting trial at year's 
end.  In 1994, the government established a permanent 
commission to investigate charges of bribery and 
corruption against public officials.  No narcotics- 
related corruption cases were reportedly reviewed by 
this body during 2002. 
 
-- Agreements and Treaties:  Sri Lanka has signed the 
1988 UN Drug Convention, and the 1990 SAARC convention 
on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.  Enabling 
legislation for both conventions, initially drafted by 
the NDDCB in 1997, still had not reached Parliament at 
year's end.  The Attorney General's office was reviewing 
the legislation.  In January 2001, the Sri Lankan 
government enacted a new extradition treaty with the 
United States.  Sri Lanka has also signed the following 
agreements:  World Customs Organization Convention; the 
International Convention on Investigation and Repression 
of Customs Offences (the Nairobi Convention); the Single 
Convention on Narcotic Drugs, along with the 1972 
Protocol Amending the Single Convention on Narcotic 
Drugs; and the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substance 
(signed in 1993). 
 
-- Cultivation and Production:  With respect to illicit 
narcotic substances, Sri Lanka is only known to produce 
cannabis, and Sri Lanka's production has little, if any, 
effect on the United States.  Most cannabis cultivation 
occurs in heavy jungle in the southeastern part of the 
island, adjacent to previous areas of conflict.  The 
police have an active program to find and destroy 
cannabis crops. 
 
((NOTE:  At this time, the annual statistics on 
eradication efforts are not yet available from the Sri 
Lankan government.  Per instructions in Ref B, Mission 
will forward the statistics, as they become available.)) 
 
-- Drug Flow/Transit:  Some heroin reportedly transits 
Sri Lanka.  Unlike 2001, no major seizures occurred at 
Colombo's international airport.  Customs officials and 
the PNB suspect that narcotics are brought into Sri 
Lanka by ship from India.  During 2002, India reported 
large-scale seizures of heroin headed for Sri Lanka in 
Chennai.  The PNB regularly stressed their country's 
vulnerability to transshipment of heroin from India due 
to Sri Lanka's long coastline.  Sri Lanka has no coast 
guard and the primary operations of Sri Lanka's naval 
vessels were in efforts to prevent the inflow of weapons 
to the LTTE.  This lack of seagoing capability hinders 
interdiction efforts. 
 
-- Domestic Programs:  The government has an excellent 
record on demand reduction.  The NDDCB continued its 
aggressive national public education campaign.  In 
addition, the PNB in conjunction with NGOs, and after 
U.S. government-funded training through the Colombo 
Plan, initiated an anti-narcotics education campaign in 
late 2002 in schools nation-wide.  The NDDCB, through 
international and local funding, provides training on 
prevention techniques and has established four free 
treatment and rehabilitation centers in Sri Lanka.  The 
courses offered by NDDCB are directed at judicial 
officers, police officers, students, teachers, and 
parents.  The Colombo Plan also continued extensive 
rehabilitation and prevention training programs.  Until 
2002, the Colombo Plan worked primarily with NGOs in Sri 
Lanka.  Due to the ongoing ceasefire, the PNB has been 
able to allocate more time to training for its personnel 
and has worked with the Colombo Plan to expand the 
police officers' focus from only interdiction to include 
prevention techniques. 
 
IV.  U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs: 
 
-- U.S. Policy Initiatives:  The U.S. government has a 
close relationship with the Sri Lankan government on 
counternarcotics issues.  In addition to providing 
material and financial support, the U.S. Embassy in Sri 
Lanka has participated actively in community awareness 
seminars.  The U.S. government hopes to advance self- 
sufficiency and co-operation among law enforcement and 
other government officials working on narcotics issues 
in Sri Lanka and the region.  In 2002, several PNB 
officers participated in an Anti-Terrorist Assistance 
training program in the United States and Sri Lanka. 
The U.S. government is the principle contributor to the 
Colombo Plan's Drug Advisory Program (DAP), providing 
over USD 300,000 to the program in 2002.  The funding 
was used to conduct regional and country-specific 
training seminars with government and NGO 
representatives on education, awareness, rehabilitation, 
and prevention techniques.  The DAP also contributed 
directly to awareness campaigns in Colombo. 
 
-- Bilateral Cooperation:  In previous years, the U.S. 
government assisted several Sri Lankan organizations in 
their counternarcotics efforts.  In 1998, the U.S. 
government provided close to USD 7,000 for equipment 
purchases to the NDDCB, the Federation of Non- 
Governmental Organizations Against Drug Abuse 
(FONGOADA), and the Sri Lanka Anti-Narcotics 
Association.  In August 2000, more than 30 participants 
from narcotics enforcement agencies in four countries 
attended an anti-narcotics investigative techniques 
course in Colombo funded by the U.S. government and 
conducted by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).  In 
2002, the U.S. continued to provide training to the Sri 
Lankan government.  In December, for example, the DEA 
conducted a training program on airport interdiction 
techniques for 26 participants from Sri Lanka and four 
participants from the Maldives. 
 
-- Road Ahead:  The U.S. government will continue to 
work with Sri Lankan counternarcotics organizations 
whenever possible, particularly by speaking at or 
otherwise participating in seminars addressing the drug 
problem.  The overall level of U.S. counternarcotics 
assistance to Sri Lanka is expected to incrementally 
increase in 2003.  The U.S. expects to continue its 
support of the Colombo Plan, and already has agreements 
to conduct additional training with the PNB and other 
government officials involved in counternarcotics 
efforts. 
V.  Statistical Tables: 
 
((NOTE:  At this time, the annual statistics on 
eradication efforts are not yet available from the Sri 
Lankan government.  Per instructions in Ref B, Mission 
will forward the statistics, as they become available.)) 
 
END TEXT. 
 
======== 
MALDIVES 
======== 
 
3.  Mission's draft of the 2002 INSCR for the Maldives 
follows. 
 
BEGIN TEXT: 
 
The Maldives is not a major producer of narcotics or 
precursor chemicals.  No concrete evidence exists that 
the Maldives is a transit point for narcotics.  Some 
Maldivian officials believe their country may become a 
transshipment point, however. 
 
Consisting of approximately 1,100 islands set in the 
Indian Ocean, and with a population of approximately 
270,000, the Republic of the Maldives has a 
comparatively small drug problem that appears to be 
growing.  The government is aware of the problem and is 
fully cooperative with the U.S. on counternarcotic 
issues.  The fact that children under 16 constitute 
about 50 percent of the population makes police and UNDP 
officials wary of the high growth potential for drug use 
in the country.  Nonetheless, the police believe they 
can control the sale of drugs on the streets of the 
capital and most populated city, Male.  Police officials 
believe that some of the country's approximately 25,000 
foreign workers, mainly Indians and Sri Lankans who work 
in the country's resorts, conduct most of the 
trafficking, which is believed to be limited. 
 
Although there is no evidence yet to indicate that the 
Maldives is a transshipment point at this time, 
international observers and some government officials 
fear that the Maldives has the potential to become a 
transshipment point for smugglers.  Most drugs are 
believed to come into the country by sea, but the 
Customs Service and police find it impossible to search 
all ships adequately.  In late 2002, the government 
participated in training with Sri Lanka on using drug 
sniffing dogs to help search vessels. 
 
The U.S. has assisted the Maldives in counternarcotics 
activities, including via direct training or through the 
Colombo Plan.  With U.S. government funding, the 
Maldivian government began to computerize its 
immigration record-keeping system in 1993 in an attempt, 
among other purposes, to track the movements of 
suspected drug traffickers.  Starting in 1996 the U.S. 
has contributed USD 33,000 to implement and then expand 
this computer system. 
 
In November 1997, the Maldivian government established a 
Narcotics Control Board (NCB) under the Executive Office 
of the President.  The Board's Commissioner, a military 
officer, has concurrent duties in the Maldivian National 
Security Service.  The NCB principally overseas 
rehabilitation of addicts, and co-ordinates the efforts 
of NGOs and other individuals engaged in 
counternarcotics activities.  He also co-ordinates drug 
interdiction activities. 
 
In 1997, the government established the country's first 
drug rehabilitation center with space for several dozen 
clients.  With the expansion of the rehabilitation 
program, and a move to the land previously occupied by 
the national prison, the center now houses up to 300 
clients at any one time.  The center cannot keep pace 
with the number of people ordered to undergo 
rehabilitation, however.  At times there are as many 
people under house arrest and awaiting a position in the 
camp, as there are individuals undergoing treatment.  In 
addition to the camp, the NCB has established a 
continuing prevention program designed to prevent 
relapse.  The government also launched an ongoing drug 
awareness campaign in 1998.  In conjunction with the 
national effort, the government sent teams to 11 of the 
19 atolls to conduct awareness campaigns and to assist 
in drug detection. 
 
The Republic of the Maldives has no extradition treaty 
with the United States.  In 1994, however, the Maldives 
cooperated with the U.S. in rendering a Nigerian 
national to the United States to face narcotics 
trafficking charges.  The Maldivian government has 
signed the 1988 UN Convention.  The South Asian 
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Convention 
on Narcotic Drugs came into force in the Maldives in 
1993. 
 
END TEXT. 
 
WILLS