VZCZCXRO9758
RR RUEHGR
DE RUEHPO #0223/01 1102037
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 202037Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8241
RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUEHAO/AMCONSUL CURACAO 1007
RUEHBR/USDAO BRASILIA BR
RUEWMFC/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARAMARIBO 000223 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR - LLUFTIG 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM SNAR MARR PARM PREL PGOV
SUBJECT: DOZENS ARRESTED IN MILITARY DEPOT WEAPONS THEFT 
 
PARAMARIBO 00000223  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
REFTELS: (A) PARAMARIBO 155 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary. Surinamese law enforcement officials have 
made 29 arrests thus far in connection with a February 
military depot weapons theft and recovered the majority of 
weapons stolen. The theft was an inside job that turned out 
to be one in a string of robberies. Twenty-two civilians, 
six soldiers and one police officer, all Surinamers except a 
Peruvian man, were arrested over the course of a few weeks 
in Paramaribo, the interior district of Brokopondo, and the 
western district of Nickerie. During an April 7 press 
conference announcing the arrests, Attorney General Subhas 
Punwasi also described a long-standing illegal arms-for- 
drugs trade between criminal groups in Suriname and Guyana 
uncovered during the investigation.  It is an encouraging 
sign that Surinamese authorities were able to locate most of 
the stolen weapons and break up the criminal ring 
surrounding the theft.  However, it is worrisome that the 
military's internal controls failed to stop the theft 
earlier. End Summary. 
 
------------------------------------ 
SIGHTSEEING TOURS IN THE ARMY DEPOT 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶2. (SBU) During the weapons theft of February 14, six crates 
containing 181 grenades, roughly 500 rounds of carbine 
ammunition and 240 rounds of Bren ammunition were stolen 
from the Ayoko military barracks, located in the central 
district of Para near Suriname's international airport. 
Authorities were able to recover 140 of the stolen grenades 
and the majority of the ammunition, leaving 41 unaccounted 
for.  Police seized the grenades in a raid of a Paramaribo 
residence. Police remain unsure about the remaining 
grenades' whereabouts, with speculation ranging from 
Suriname's interior to having been sold and delivered 
abroad. 
 
¶3. (U) During the press conference, Punwasi said that one of 
the soldiers implicated in the theft, organized `sightseeing 
tours' in the military base for potential buyers. At least 
two separate criminal gangs went `shopping' for weapons. One 
group allegedly went back at least 7 times to steal weapons, 
but it was only after the second group left with a large 
weapons cache that the weapons theft came to light. It 
remains unclear how many weapons and how much ammunition and 
other military materiel were stolen from the depot over 
time. 
 
--------------- 
ARMS FOR DRUGS 
--------------- 
 
¶4. (U) During his press conference, the Attorney General 
described an ongoing investigation into an arms-for-drugs 
trade between criminals in Guyana and Suriname's border 
district of Nickerie. Police investigations related to the 
theft of a handful of weapons from a police weapons depot in 
December 2005 helped police uncover the trade that has 
apparently been happening for at least two years. Police 
found that criminal groups in Suriname trade automatic 
weapons, grenades and handguns for cocaine, which is then 
transported via Nickerie to Paramaribo. 
 
¶5. (U) The Attorney General voiced his concern over the rise 
in crime in Nickerie and said that a thorough investigation 
has to be conducted to diminish transborder crime in the 
district. According to Punwasi, it is apparent that 
officials from law enforcement and other government agencies 
facilitated the arms-for-drugs trade between the criminal 
organizations and that future arrests can be expected as the 
investigation continues. 
 
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COMMENT 
-------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Punwasi's announcement was encouraging in that 
Suriname's law enforcement apparatus was able to 
aggressively pursue the theft and disrupt a large criminal 
operation. Discouraging was the length of time the corrupt 
military officers and civilians were able to operate without 
getting caught.  The poorly controlled Guyanese-Surinamese 
border area remains a weak link in the regional fight 
against transnational crime.  Recognizing the problem, 
Surinamese authorities have stepped up boat patrols along 
the Corantijn River and have had increased success in 
seizing drugs on the road from Nickerie to Paramaribo. (See 
reftel).  However, with GOS resources limited and Surinamese 
 
PARAMARIBO 00000223  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
contacts complaining of a lack of trustworthy counterparts 
on the Guyanese side, the problem can not be expected to 
diminish anytime soon. 
 
BARNES