US embassy cable - 05ROME4029

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ROME 004029 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR INL AND EUR/WE 
JUSTICE FOR OIA, AFMLS, AND NDDS 
TREASURY FOR FINCEN 
DEA FOR OILS AND OFFICE OF DIVERSION CONTROL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR, IT, EUN 
SUBJECT: 2005 INCSR SUBMISSION FOR ITALY (PART I) 
 
REF: STATE 209561 
 
1.  Summary.  The Government of Italy (GOI) is firmly 
committed to the fight against drug trafficking domestically 
and internationally.  The Berlusconi government continues its 
strong counternarcotics stand with capable and effective 
Italian law enforcement agencies.  Italy is a consumer 
country and a major transit point for heroin coming from the 
Near East and southwest Asia through the Balkans, as well as, 
for cocaine originating from South America enroute to 
western/central Europe.  Domestic and Italy-based foreign 
organized crime groups are heavily involved in international 
drug trafficking.  GOI cooperation with U.S. law enforcement 
agencies continues to be exemplary.  Italy is a party to the 
1988 UN Drug Convention.  End summary. 
 
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Status of Country 
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2.  Italy is mainly a narcotics transit and consumption 
country.  Law enforcement officials focus their efforts on 
heroin, cocaine, and hashish.  Possession of small amounts of 
illegal drugs is an administrative, not a criminal, offense, 
but drug traffickers are subject to stringent penalties. 
Although Italy produces some precursor chemicals, they are 
well controlled in accordance with international norms, and 
not known to have been diverted to any significant extent. 
Law enforcement agencies with a counternarcotics mandate are 
highly professional. 
 
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Country Actions Against Drugs in 2005 
------------------------------------- 
 
3. Policy Initiatives.  Italy continues to combat narcotics 
aggressively and effectively.  The Berlusconi government has 
made combating drug abuse a high priority, although its focus 
is more on prevention, improved treatment, and rehabilitation 
than criminalization. A draft law submitted to Parliament in 
late 2003 would change this approach, eliminating the legal 
distinction between hard and soft drug use as well as 
decreasing the tolerance for possession of a "moderate 
quantity" of drugs, making possession and personal use of 
drugs illegal.  At a minimum, drug users would be compelled 
to enter treatment or face administrative penalties such as 
suspension of driving licenses or passports.  Above certain 
prescribed levels, violators would face criminal charges, 
including 6-20 years in prison, and fines ranging from 
$22,000 to over $220,000.  The Senate Justice Committee began 
deliberations on the bill in late 2004 and continued as of 
late 2005. 
 
4.  At the multilateral level, Italy contributed $12 million 
to the UN Office of Drug Control and Crime Prevention 
(UNODC), making it one of the largest contributors to the 
UNODC budget.  Italy also supported U.S. key objectives at 
the UN commission on narcotic drugs.  The Italian EU 
presidency in 2003 championed the need to get tougher on 
synthetic drugs, enhance counternarcotics assistance in the 
Balkans, and strengthen the role of the family in drug abuse 
prevention.  In 2002, the GOI established a national 
department for drug control policy in the Office of the Prime 
Minister to coordinate anti-drug initiatives and implement 
the government,s three-year, national drug control plan. 
 
5. Accomplishments. Comparing data from January to October 
for 2004 and 2005, seizures of cocaine and hashish have 
increased, while those of heroin and marijuana have 
decreased.  As of October 2005, the Italian police seized 
about 27,000 kilograms of narcotics, and apprehended 18,000 
people.  The major nationalities of those arrested were 
Moroccan, Tunisian, Albanian, Algerian, Nigerian, Spanish, 
Senegalese, and Colombian. 
 
6.  Jan-Oct. Seizure Breakdown (kilograms): 
 
Heroin - 1,168.4 
Cocaine - 3,714.4 
Hashish - 19, 947.5 
Marijuana - 2,024.1 
MDMA - 284,310 (tablets) 
 
7.  In October 2005, the Italian police led an international 
drug bust involving five countries (Italy, Spain, Argentina, 
France, and the Netherlands) that netted about 1.5 tons of 
cocaine and over 120,000 Ecstasy tablets; at least 60 people 
were arrested.  Also in October, the Italian Carabinieri 
(military police) busted an organized crime-led international 
drug trafficking network based in southern Italy.  Over 40 
individuals were arrested and about 100 others were put under 
investigation. 
 
8.  The fight against drugs is a major priority of the 
National Police, Carabinieri, and financial police counter 
narcotics units.  The counter narcotics units of the three 
national police services are coordinated by the Central 
Directorate for Drug Control Prevention (DCSA).  Working with 
the liaison offices of the U.S. and western European 
countries, DCSA has 19 drug liaison officers in 18 countries 
that focus on major traffickers and their organizations.  Two 
additional drug liaison positions were created in Tehran, 
Iran and Tashkent, Uzbekistan.  Investigations of 
international narcotics organizations often overlap with the 
investigations of Italy,s traditional organized crime groups 
(e.g. the Sicilian Mafia, the Calabrian N,drangheta, the 
Naples-based Camorra and the Puglia-based Sacra Corona 
Unita).  During a two-year investigation leading to a major 
drug bust in early 2005, Italian officials confirmed working 
links on drug trafficking between the Mafia, N,dragheta, and 
Camorra. 
 
9.  Additional priority trafficking groups are Albanian, 
Nigerian and other Balkan organized crime groups responsible 
for smuggling heroin into Italy, while Colombian, Dominican 
and other South American trafficking groups are involved in 
the importation of cocaine. Italian law enforcement officials 
employ the same narcotics investigation techniques used by 
other western countries: informants, extensive court-ordered 
wire-tapping of phones and e-mail accounts, undercover 
operations and controlled deliveries under certain 
circumstances.  Adequate financial resources, money 
laundering laws, and asset seizure/forfeiture laws help 
insure the effectiveness of these efforts. 
 
10.  Corruption.  Italian officials do not encourage or 
facilitate the illicit distribution of narcotics or the 
laundering of proceeds from illegal drug transactions.  No 
senior official of the government of Italy engages in, 
encourages, or facilitates the illicit production or 
distribution of such drugs or substances, or the laundering 
of proceeds from illegal drug transactions.  Corruption 
exists in Italy although it rarely rises to the national 
level and it does not compromise investigations.  When a 
corrupt law enforcement officer is discovered, authorities 
take appropriate action.  Laws against corruption come under 
the Criminal Code, apply to all public officials, and pertain 
to the receipt of money or other advantages in exchange for 
an official act or for delaying or not performing an official 
act.  Penalties range from 6 months to 5 years in prison, 
depending on the charge. 
11.  Agreements and Treaties.  Italy is a party to the 1961 
UN Single Convention and its 1972 Protocol, as well as the 
1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1988 
UN Drug Convention.  Italy has signed, but has not yet 
ratified, the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized 
Crime, which is still being examined by the Justice Ministry. 
 Italy is a signatory to the 2003 UN Convention Against 
Corruption but has not yet ratified the treaty.  Italy has 
bilateral extradition and mutual legal assistance treaties 
with the U.S., which will be affected by the new U.S.-EU 
mutual legal assistance and extradition treaties agreed to in 
2003.  Italy and the U.S. have concluded negotiations on the 
instruments to implement the U.S.-EU treaties.  Translations 
of these instruments are being finalized and it is expected 
that they will be signed in early 2006. 
 
12. Cultivation/Production.  There is no known cultivation of 
narcotics plants in Italy, although small-scale marijuana 
production in remote areas does exist, but is mainly for 
domestic consumption.  No heroin laboratories or processing 
sites have been discovered in Italy since 1992.  However, 
opium poppy grows naturally in the southern part of Italy, 
including Sicily. It is not commercially viable due to the 
low alkaloid content.  No MDMA-Ecstasy laboratories have been 
found in Italy. 
 
13. Drug Flow/Transit.  Italy is a consumer country and a 
major transit point for heroin coming from southwest Asia 
through the Balkans en route to western and central Europe. 
A large percentage of all heroin seized in Italy comes via 
Albania (i.e., produced elsewhere).  Albanian heroin 
traffickers work with Italian criminal organizations as 
transporters and suppliers of drugs.  Heroin is smuggled into 
Italy via automobiles, ferryboats and commercial cargo. 
Albania is a source country for marijuana destined for Italy. 
 During 2002-2004, Italian law enforcement agencies seized 
15, 907 kg. of marijuana originating in Albania.  Italian 
seizures of Albanian marijuana in 2004 (801 kg.) were 
significantly lower than 2003 levels (9,258 kg.). 
 
14.  Almost all cocaine found in Italy originates with 
Colombian and other South American criminal groups and is 
managed in Italy mainly by Calabrian-based organized crime 
groups.  Multi-hundred kilograms shipments enter Italy via 
several seaports concealed among commercial cargo.  Although 
the traditional Atlantic trafficking route is still in use, 
stepped up international scrutiny and cooperation are forcing 
traffickers to use alternative avenues.  Italian officials 
have detected traffickers using transit ports in Nigeria, 
Togo, and Ghana where drugs are off-loaded to smaller fishing 
vessels that ultimately reach Spain and other Mediterranean 
approaches.  Cocaine shipments off-loaded in Spain and the 
Netherlands are eventually transported to Italy and other 
European countries by means of vehicles.  Smaller amounts of 
cocaine consisting of grams to multi-kilograms enter Italy 
via express parcels or airline couriers traveling from South 
America.  They are usually concealed in luggage. 
 
15.  Ecstasy found in Italy primarily originates in the 
Netherlands and is usually smuggled into the country by means 
of couriers utilizing commercial airlines, trains or 
vehicles.  Italy is also used as transit point for couriers 
smuggling Ecstasy destined for the United States.  A method 
used by trafficking groups in the past has been to provide 
thousands of Ecstasy tablets to couriers in Amsterdam 
concealed in luggage.  The couriers then travel by train or 
airline to Italy facilitated by the EU,s open borders.  Once 
in Italy, the couriers are provided an originating airline 
ticket from Italy to the U.S. disguising the couriers, 
recent travel from a source country, thereby minimizing 
scrutiny by law enforcement authorities in the U.S. 
 
16.  Hashish comes predominantly from Morocco through Spain, 
entering the Iberian Peninsula (and the rest of Europe) via 
sea access points using fast boats.  Hashish also is smuggled 
into Italy on fishing and pleasure boats from Lebanon.  As 
with cocaine, larger hashish shipments are smuggled into 
Spain and eventually transported to Italy by vehicle. 
 
17.  Domestic Programs/Demand Reduction. The GOI promotes 
drug prevention programs using abstinence messages and 
treatment aimed at the full rehabilitation of drug addicts. 
The Italian Ministry of Health funds 557 public health 
offices operated at the regional level while private 
non-profit NGOs operate another 1,430 social communities for 
drug rehabilitation.  Of the 500,000 estimated drug addicts 
in Italy, 159,000 receive services at public agencies and 
approximately 15,000 are served by smaller private centers. 
Others either are not receiving treatment or arrange for 
treatment privately.  The Berlusconi government continues to 
promote more responsible use of methadone at the public 
treatment facilities.  For 2005, the Italian Government 
budgeted $141 million for counter narcotics programs run by 
the health, education, and labor ministries.  Seventy-five 
percent (75 percent) of this amount is dedicated to the 
different regions and the remaining twenty-five percent (25 
percent) is for national programs. 
 
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U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs 
------------------------------------ 
 
18.  Bilateral Cooperation.  The U.S. and Italy continue to 
enjoy exemplary counternarcotics cooperation.  The DEA 
Administrator visited Italy in April 2004 to discuss 
counternarcotics issues with both Italian law enforcement and 
ministry level officials.  During 2005, the DEA continued the 
Drug Sample Program with the GOI, which consists of the 
analysis of seized narcotics to determine purity, cutting 
agents and source countries.  From January-November 2005, the 
DEA received approximately 140 samples of heroin, cocaine and 
Ecstasy.  DEA recently expanded this program to the countries 
of Slovenia, Croatia and Albania.  The sample collection from 
these countries and others in the Balkan region is essential 
in determining production methods and trafficking trends that 
ultimately impact Italy.  The DEA independently conducted 
drug awareness programs at international schools in Rome and 
Milan.  The DEA also provided training to Italian 
counterparts in the areas of asset forfeiture, undercover 
operations, and forensic chemistry. 
 
19. The Road Ahead.  The USG will continue to work closely 
with Italian officials to break up trafficking networks into 
and through Italy as well as enhance both countries, 
abilities to apply effective demand dampening policies.  The 
Italian authorities are considering an invitation by the 
Government of Afghanistan's "Drug Czar" to assign a drug 
liaison officer in Kabul, Afghanistan.  Italy also maintains 
a large liaison office in Albania made up of Carabinieri, 
Finance Police, and National Police to assist Albanians 
interdicting narcotics originating there and destined for 
either Italy or other parts of Europe. 
SPOGLI