VZCZCXRO0360
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHNH RUEHPB
DE RUEHKO #6569/01 3200543
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 160543Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8358
INFO RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TOKYO 006569 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
INL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR SOCI JA
SUBJECT: 2006 JAPAN INCSR PART I 
 
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¶I. Summary 
-------------- 
 
¶1.  (U) Japan's efforts to fight drug trafficking comply with 
international standards.  A party to the 1988 United Nations 
Convention Against Illicit Trafficking in Narcotics, Japan 
cooperates with other countries in intelligence sharing and 
law enforcement.  Methamphetamine abuse remains the biggest 
challenge to Japanese anti-narcotics efforts, but MDMA 
(ecstasy) trafficking has also become a persistent problem. 
Cocaine and marijuana use is relatively smaller in scale, but 
still significant.  According to Japanese authorities, all 
illegal drugs consumed in Japan are imported from overseas, 
usually by organized crime syndicates and foreign drug 
trafficking organizations.  In spite of bureaucratic 
obstacles, Japanese law enforcement officials are proactively 
addressing the problem, and have conducted precedent-setting 
operations in cooperation with DEA Tokyo.  Although drug 
seizures are down from 2005 levels, continuing 
short-supply-driven high street prices indicate that law 
enforcement has been effective. 
 
 
------------------------ 
II. Status of Country 
------------------------ 
 
¶2. (U) Japan is one of the largest markets for 
methamphetamine in Asia.  A significant source of income for 
Japanese organized crime syndicates, over 80 percent of all 
drug arrests in Japan involve methamphetamine.  The National 
Police Agency (NPA) estimates there are 600,000 
methamphetamine addicts, and between one and three million 
casual users nationwide.  Authorities unofficially estimate 
that between four and seven metric tons is trafficked 
annually into Japan.  MDMA has also become a significant 
problem in Japan; over 50,000 ecstasy tablets had been seized 
by police as of September 2006, and officials say that they 
expect MDMA abuse to increase.  Marijuana use has also grown 
steadily in Japan since 2000. 
 
¶3. (U) Japan is not a significant producer of narcotics.  The 
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare strictly controls some 
licit cultivation of opium poppies, coca plants, and cannabis 
for research.  According to DEA and the National Police 
Agency, there is no evidence that methamphetamine or any 
other synthetic drug is manufactured domestically. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2006 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) POLICY INITIATIVES: The Headquarters for the Promotion 
of Measures to Prevent Drug Abuse, which is part of the Prime 
Minister's Office (Kantei), announced the Five-Year Drug 
Abuse Prevention Strategy in July 2003.  This strategy 
includes measures to increase cooperation and 
information-sharing among Japanese agencies as well as with 
foreign countries, utilize more advanced investigation 
techniques against organized crime syndicates, and raise 
awareness about the dangers of drug abuse.  The Ministry of 
Health, Labour and Welfare added 30 more drugs to its list of 
controlled substances in 2006. 
 
¶5. (U) LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS:  Japanese police are 
effective at gathering intelligence and making arrests, in 
spite of operating under a number of legal and operational 
constraints.  Prosecutors do not have the option of 
plea-bargaining in Japan, which severely limits the amount of 
information police can extract from the people they arrest. 
Japan also has laws restricting the use of informants, 
undercover operations, and telephone intercepts.  Officials 
nevertheless maintain detailed records of Japan-based drug 
trafficking, organized crime, and international drug 
trafficking organizations.  Japan regularly shares 
intelligence with foreign counterparts and engages in 
international drug trafficking investigations.  The National 
Police Agency and Tokyo Metropolitan Police conducted two 
groundbreaking operations in 2006 with DEA's assistance. 
Using technically sophisticated methods to attack organized 
crime drug traffickers, officers seized 30 kilograms of 
Nepalese cannabis resin in July and two kilograms of Peruvian 
cocaine in September. 
 
¶6.  (U) The decrease in drug seizures in 2006 could be a sign 
of reduced supply.  The closure of several methamphetamine 
mega-labs in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines as well 
as Japan's increased international cooperation may be 
limiting the flow of drugs into the country.  The fact that 
drug prices have risen in the last year strongly suggests 
 
TOKYO 00006569  002 OF 003 
 
 
that there has not been an increase in the supply on the 
street.  As of September 2006, police had seized 45 kilograms 
of methamphetamine, a significant decrease from the 126 
kilograms confiscated during the same period in 2005. 
Marijuana and cannabis resin seizures as of September 2006 
were 154 kilograms and 57 kilograms respectively, over a 
third less than the same period of the previous year.  MDMA 
seizures during January-September fell from 350,000 tablets 
in 2005 to only 50,000 in 2006.  Cocaine, heroin, and opium 
seizures remained roughly at their 2005 levels: 3 kilograms, 
1 kilogram, and 3 kilograms respectively. 
 
¶7. (U) CORRUPTION: There were no reported cases of Japanese 
officials being involved in drug-related corruption in Japan 
in 2006.  The government does not encourage or facilitate the 
illicit production or distribution of narcotics, psychotropic 
drugs, controlled substances, or the laundering of proceeds 
from illegal drug transactions. 
 
¶8. (U) AGREEMENTS AND TREATIES: Japan abandoned efforts to 
pass an anti-conspiracy bill this year, a major step backward 
for a country otherwise very progressive on fighting illegal 
narcotics trafficking.  As a result, Japan cannot ratify the 
UN Convention on Transnational Organized Crime.  Japan is a 
party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, the 1961 UN Single 
Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the 1972 Protocol amending the 
Single Convention, and the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic 
Substances. 
 
¶9.  (U) The United States-Japan Mutual Legal Assistance 
Treaty (MLAT) went into effect in August 2006, Japan's first 
MLAT with any country.  The MLAT, which includes an 
extradition agreement, allows Japan's Ministry of Justice to 
share information and cooperate directly with the Department 
of Justice in connection with investigations, prosecutions 
and other proceedings in criminal matters. 
 
¶10. (U) CULTIVATION/PRODUCTION: Japan is not a significant 
cultivator or producer of controlled substances.  The 
Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare's research 
cultivation program produces a negligible yield of narcotic 
substances. 
 
¶11. (U) DRUG FLOW/TRANSIT:  Authorities believe that 
methamphetamine smuggled into Japan originates in the 
People's Republic of China (PRC), Taiwan, North Korea, Burma, 
Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.  Drugs other than 
methamphetamine often come from the these same source 
countries, however airport customs officials have made 
several recent seizures of cocaine coming from the United 
States, and authorities confirm that methamphetamine and 
marijuana are being imported from Canada as well.  Most of 
the MDMA in Japan originates in either the Netherlands or 
China.  Japanese officials regularly cooperate with their 
international counterparts to prevent drugs from being 
trafficked into Japan. 
 
¶12. (U) DOMESTIC PROGRAMS (DEMAND REDUCTION):  Most drug 
treatment programs are small and are run by private 
organizations, but the government also supports the 
rehabilitation of addicts at prefectural (regional) centers. 
There are a number of government-funded drug awareness 
campaigns designed to inform the public about the dangers of 
stimulant use, especially among junior and senior high school 
students.  The Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, along 
with prefectural governments and private organizations, 
continues to administer national publicity campaigns and to 
promote drug education programs at the community level. 
 
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IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶13. (U) POLICY INITIATIVES: U.S. goals and objectives include: 
-- Building on the successes of the last year by 
strengthening law enforcement cooperation related to 
controlled deliveries and drug-related money-laundering 
investigations. 
-- Encouraging more demand reduction programs. 
-- Supporting increased use of existing anti-crime 
legislation and advanced investigative tools against drug 
traffickers. 
-- Promoting greater involvement from government agencies 
responsible for financial transaction oversight. 
 
¶14. (U) THE ROAD AHEAD: DEA Tokyo will work closely with its 
Japanese counterparts to offer support in conducting 
investigations on international drug trafficking, money- 
laundering, and other crimes.  DEA will continue to pursue an 
aggressive education and information-sharing program with 
Japanese law enforcement agencies to foster knowledge of 
 
TOKYO 00006569  003 OF 003 
 
 
money laundering investigations, and their relationship to 
narcotics trafficking and terrorist financing. 
 
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¶V. Data Tables 
----------------- 
¶15.  (U) Not Applicable. 
 
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VI. Chemical Control 
----------------------- 
 
¶16.  (U) The Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare uses 
licenses to control every step in the flow of trade in 
precursor chemicals, including all the substances listed in 
Table I and Table II of the 1988 UN Drug Convention.  In 
addition, strict control of distribution channels further 
limits diversion into illicit activities.  There are two 
companies in Japan that refine ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, 
chemicals used to treat nasal/breathing problems that are 
also essential ingredients in methamphetamine.  Government 
regulations specify the type and security of storage 
facilities as well as inventory, disposal, and accounting 
requirements.  On-site inspection is used to verify 
compliance with these requirements. 
DONOVAN