Narcotics Control Report 1999

“It is widely believed, moreover, the LTTE helps finance its insurgency through drug trafficking, although neither the USG nor the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) have any firm evidence to support this suspicion.”

SRI LANKA

I. Summary

Sri Lanka continued its nation-wide demand reduction campaign in 1999. Efforts at public education on drug abuse also continued during the year, assisted by the U.S.Embassy in Colombo. The country remained a strong regional player in counter narcotics cooperation during the year. The government continued to make available to other countries in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) a U.S.Government-funded database on narcotics arrests and related information. Implementation of the counter narcotics master plan, begun in 1994, also continued. Cannabis eradication and seizures increased sharply from 1998, and there was also an increase in the number of drug-related arrests, perhaps as a result of increased awareness, and because the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB), the government's primary enforcement organization, hired additional staff. Sri Lanka is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, although enabling legislation for the Convention had still not been presented to parliament by the end of 1999. The government also had not submitted legislation to parliament on the control of precursor chemicals by the end of the year, although precursor chemicals are mentioned specifically in draft legislation to update the existing anti-narcotics law.

II. Status of Country

Sri Lanka has a comparatively modest drug problem. A slight but steady increase in narcotics consumption, particularly heroin, has continued in recent years. The Ministry of Defense (MOD), under whose jurisdiction the police serve, has overall responsibility for all counter narcotics and demand reduction activities, but the ongoing conflict with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) separatists drains much of the Ministry's resources, leaving it limited personnel, time and funding to address the drug problem. Sri Lanka's 1,100 miles of coastline cannot adequately be patrolled, especially since Sri Lanka's naval forces are heavily engaged in the ongoing conflict. Sri Lanka's popularity as a transshipment point for narcotics from South and Southeast Asia has consequently grown, although there is little evidence these drugs are coming to the U.S.in significant quantities. Police officials in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu continue to report drug smuggling activities among Sri Lankan Tamil refugees living there. It is widely believed, moreover, the LTTE helps finance its insurgency through drug trafficking, although neither the USG nor the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) have any firm evidence to support this suspicion.

III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 1999

Policy Initiatives. The government of Sri Lanka continued to implement a counter narcotics master plan developed in 1994 in consultation with the UNDCP. Although parliamentary enactment had been anticipated during the year, a comprehensive counter narcotics legislative package drafted by The National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB), the government agency responsible for coordinating national drug policies, was still under review by the government. It had not been presented to parliament by the end of the year. The package focuses on three counter narcotics issues: 1) reforming The Poisons, Opium, And Dangerous Drugs Ordinance to include a ban on precursor chemicals and to prohibit narcotics-related money laundering; 2) enacting new legislation to implement the 1988 UN Drug Convention and the 1990 SAARC Convention on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic substances, including provisions for extradition and mutual legal assistance; and 3) initiating new legislation providing for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts. The portion of the draft legislation referring to precursors was prepared in consultation with a UN drug expert in 1998.

Illicit Cultivation and Production. Cannabis is the only illicit narcotic cultivated and produced in Sri Lanka; however, cannabis grown in Sri Lanka has no effect on the United States. Many of the areas where cannabis is grown are located in heavy jungle in the southeastern part of the island, near the areas of conflict. Due to staffing limitations brought on by the conflict and the location of the possible cannabis fields near the fighting, the police were able to locate and destroy only one major crop of cannabis during 1999. In March, twenty officers from the PNB destroyed more than 22 acres of cannabis under cultivation in several growing areas. Police continued to rely primarily on informants to find the location of cannabis plants.

Regional Cooperation. Sri Lanka plays a leading role in regional anti-narcotics cooperation. A computer program developed by the police narcotics bureau and funded by the USG, hosts a regional database of narcotics arrests, monitoring and other information. The database is available to law enforcement agencies throughout SAARC. In June, The NDDCB hosted a training workshop for field personnel from India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka on precursor control. In August 1999, the NDDCB hosted heads of national drug and precursor testing laboratories, as well as law enforcement officials from SAARC countries at a meeting to promote cooperation and collaboration on the national level. The Drug Advisory Program (DAP) of the Colombo plan (an international organization headquartered in Colombo, Sri Lanka) conducted a series of successful counter narcotics-related training programs in the region, some of which were funded by the US. In November, the DAP organized in Bangkok, with funds provided by the USG, the second global conference on drug abuse primary prevention. More than 400 participants from 43 countries attended.

Demand Reduction. The NDDCB continued its aggressive, nation-wide public education campaign which included a weekly radio program that reached audiences throughout the island; seminars for judicial officers; training courses for police officers; hundreds of drug awareness seminars for students, teachers and parents; training programs on drug abuse prevention; youth camps for youth leaders; counseling programs at the state detention home; and treatment programs at residential treatment centers. A family-based prevention/treatment program begun in 1994 continued in 1999, and the number of people utilizing rehabilitation centers continued to increase. The Colombo plan supported several local organizations which train volunteer drugs counselors. A U.S.embassy officer spoke at one of these programs in 1999. The PNB worked with Lions International and with the Customs Service to provide drug awareness outreach to schools and churches.

Law Enforcement Efforts. The Police Narcotics Bureau, the Customs Service, and the Department of Excise are collectively tasked with eradicating cannabis production. In addition to the eradication of 22 acres of cannabis carried out in March 1999, seizures of cannabis were sharply up through November 1999at 75.5 metric tons, compared with full-year figures of 24.7 metric tons in 1998 and 113.2 metric tons in 1997. An estimated 13,000 people were arrested on drug-related charges through November 1999. This compares with full-year figures of 13,867 arrested in 1998 and 13,546 arrested in 1997. The police narcotics bureau hired twenty new officers to help expand its efforts to combat an increase in narcotics abuse and trafficking. Through November 1999, most of those arrested for narcotics-related offenses have had their cases referred to the attorney general's office for prosecution.

Corruption. There was no evidence public officials were involved in narcotics trafficking in 1999 although the PNB Director thought there was a growing increase in corruption due to narcotics. The government set up in 1994 a permanent commission to investigate charges of bribery and corruption against public officials. No cases of drug-related corruption were reported by the commission. In 1998, however, the commission effectively stopped functioning due to political in-fighting.

Agreements and Treaties. Sri Lanka is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, as well as to the 1990 SAARC Convention on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. Enabling legislation for both conventions was drafted in 1997, but still had not been presented to parliament in 1999. The legislation as drafted will include specific provisions for extradition for narcotics-related offenses. Presently, extradition between the U.S.and Sri Lanka is governed by the 1931 US-UK Extradition Treaty. However, a new extradition treaty between Sri Lanka and the U.S.was signed in September. Sri Lanka is a party to the World Customs Organization's International Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance for the Prevention, Investigation, and Repression of Customs Offenses (Nairobi Convention), Annex X on Assistance in Narcotics Cases.

Drug Flow/Transit. Heroin and hashish are the only narcotics that have been detected transiting Sri Lanka in significant quantities. Most drugs seized were headed for Europe. Most seizures take place at Katunayake International Airport near Colombo. In 1999, the Police Narcotics Bureau detected and seized a number of shipments of heroin from India at the airport, including one cache in November 1999 which contained over 12 kilograms. Nonetheless, the PNB believes an even greater number of transshipments, mostly heroin from India, take place along the Sri Lankan coast, as Sri Lanka has no coast guard, and its naval vessels are principally engaged in operations against the LTTE. In October and again in November, the Indian Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested Sri Lankans operating a heroin trafficking operation in at least four cities in India and took possession of almost 100 kg of heroin marked for shipment to Sri Lanka by sea. NCB officials are concerned that other large quantities of heroin seized in southern India during the year may also have been destined for Sri Lanka. Considering the relatively modest number of heroin users in Sri Lanka, this may suggest that Sri Lanka may be emerging as an important transshipment center. However, at present, there is insufficient evidence that the heroin transiting Sri Lanka is bound for the U.S.in quantities large enough to have a significant effect on the US.

Sri Lanka is not a major money laundering center, nor is it considered a tax haven, offshore banking center or an important financial center in the region. There is no information financial institutions in Sri Lanka engage in currency transactions involving international narcotics trafficking or money laundering activity.

Under Sri Lanka's Bank Secrecy Act, financial transactions relating to narcotics trafficking are illegal. The bill also contains specific provisions relating to forfeiture of assets from narcotics trafficking.