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  • Foreign drugs threaten Russia

    RIA Novosti, Russia
    Dec 2 2004

    FOREIGN DRUGS THREATEN RUSSIA


    MOSCOW, (RIA Novosti commentator Vyacheslav Lashkul)

    The Russian Federal Service for Drug Control recently announced that
    the Moscow region's law enforcers had broken up 38 organized crime
    gangs involved in drug trafficking in the last six months. Experts
    have estimated that ten metric tons of heroin a year are sold in the
    Moscow region. Most of the narcotics come from abroad. What are the
    major drug-trafficking channels? Our correspondent started an
    interview with the head of the Russian Federal Service for Drug
    Control, Viktor Cherkesov, with this question.

    Answer: We are particularly concerned about Central Asia. This year,
    we tightened control over the Armenian-Georgian, Armenian-Iranian and
    Belarussian sectors of the border. The latter is a major conduit for
    synthetic drugs from Europe.

    Question: You have mentioned on numerous occasions that if we erect
    the barriers to drug trafficking further away from our borders, then
    we will have to make fewer efforts to combat the drug threat inside
    the country. In essence, this means "preventive strikes."

    A: In our opinion, a preventive strike means strong operational
    positions on remote approaches to our borders. So far, we have been
    more successful in combating drug trafficking inside the country than
    on the perimeter of Russia's borders. This stretches our forces too
    thin. We cannot detain every drug dealer in Russia, although we
    normally seize major shipments of illicit drugs.

    Q: When you say "remote approaches," you are, of course, referring to
    Afghanistan, above all. As early as this spring, you announced that
    your service would open an office in Kabul...

    A: Russia has worked out all the procedures...We deal directly with
    the Afghan Foreign Ministry, the Security Council of Afghanistan and
    receive their full understanding. I believe that a representative
    office in Kabul will be opened very soon. Everything depends now on
    diplomatic procedures. Time will show how quick they willbe. It makes
    sense to open a large bureau in a location that allows us to
    establish stable communications with our colleagues from local law
    enforcement bodies around the country and so receive constant
    operational information to use it immediately for our purposes.
    Unfortunately, the current situation in Afghanistan means we cannot
    establish this kind of network throughout the country. So far, we are
    limited to Kabul.

    Q: The US-led coalition forces do not seem to have been very
    successful in combating the narcotics threat from Afghanistan?

    A: Until last year, the countries involved in the counter-terrorist
    operation in Afghanistan basically ignored our concerns about the
    constant growth of drugs production in the country. Moreover, if in
    the past Afghanistan largely produced raw opium, today local drug
    dealers are manufacturing high-quality heroin. Recently, there was a
    case of massive heroin poisoning involving young people in the town
    of Rubtsovsk in the Altai territory. Twelve have already died and
    dozens of other are still in hospital. Our colleagues from Kazakhstan
    report that at approximately the same time 20 people in the republic
    died from heroin overdoses. Investigators believe both cases might
    have originated from the same heroin shipment from Afghanistan.

    Q: So, you are saying that Russia has been left to fight the Afghan
    drug threat on its own?

    A: No, this is not the case. Law enforcement structures from the
    member-nations of the Collective Security Treaty - Russia, Belarus,
    Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan - recently conducted a
    joint counter-narcotics operation called "Channel-2004." It showed
    that no matter how great the scope of one country's capabilities
    might be in the fight against drugs, it cannot fight this evil alone.
    In addition, we recently saw some positive developments in this
    sphere. For example, the United Nations and several countries under
    its aegis were included in the agenda of serious talks. In thesummer,
    the UN conducted a series of high-level expert discussions, which
    helped to draft joint tactics in combating drug trafficking at the
    regional level. As a result, we have a model of an "anti-drugs
    security belt." At present, all the countries bordering on
    Afghanistan have signed a political declaration on their readiness to
    create a tight security ring around that country. It is extremely
    important because we cannot count on drastic changes in the internal
    situation in Afghanistan. The central authorities have virtually no
    control over the situation in the provinces. Meanwhile, the majority
    of Afghans are involved in drug production one way or another. It
    seems that the coalition members only now are starting to realize the
    potential threat of an Afghan economy based solely on narcotics
    production. At least, there have been some recent cases when
    coalition forces destroyed heroin production labs. A year ago, this
    did not happen.

    Q: Do you think it is possible to conduct joint anti-drugs operations
    with coalition forces in the future?

    A: We do not have the right to operate in Afghanistan. However, we
    can exchange useful operational information about the activities of
    certain criminal gangs in Afghanistan and identify new
    drug-trafficking channels.

    Q: What is the level of drug trafficking to Russia through the North
    Caucasus?

    A: I cannot give you exact figures. Everything is calculated using
    expert estimates. I will try to give you a general idea. Narcotics
    arrive in this region through territories around the Caspian Sea. The
    worst situation is in Chechnya and neighboring regions. In the first
    half of September alone, federal forces broke up two large criminal
    gangs involved in the illicit drug trade. Officers seized several
    kilograms of heroin and an entire arsenal of weapons. The result of
    the operation serves as further proof that drug money is used to
    finance terrorists.

    Q: When your agency was established, you stated that one of its major
    tasks was to undermine the financial foundations of the drug
    business. Are you succeeding in accomplishing this task?

    A: Today, we have a different outlook on the problem of identifying
    the channels of drug money laundering as compared with a year ago. It
    is true that we have never had a $10-20 million case, but this year
    alone we filed over a hundred criminal cases involving dirty money
    laundering. Half of them have already reached the courts.
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