VZCZCXYZ0004
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKG #0900/01 1592026
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 082026Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY KINGSTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4891
INFO RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS KINGSTON 000900 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INL/LP BOZZOLO, BROWN AND WHA BUDDEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR PREL JM
SUBJECT: JAMAICA: 2007 MAJORS LIST CERTIFICATION SCORE CARD 
 
REF: A. STATE 72494 
     ¶B. 2006 STATE 204184 
     ¶C. KINGSTON 071 
     ¶D. KINGSTON 343 
     ¶E. KINGSTON 709 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  Jamaica has neither demonstrably failed to 
meet the certification requirements outlined in Reftel A, nor 
has it demonstrably failed to meet the USG 2007 Benchmarks 
for Jamaica (Reftel B).  Jamaica, despite the increase in 
marijuana eradication operations and record seizures of 
marijuana destined for the United States, remains the 
Caribbean's leading exporter of the drug to the United 
States, and should remain a Majors list country for 2007. End 
Summary. 
 
2007 Benchmarks 
=============== 
 
¶2.  (SBU) In January, (Reftel C) Post delivered the 2007 
Majors List Benchmarks for Jamaica (Reftel B), which are: 
one, enforce anti-corruption legislation; two, interdict at 
least four substantial cocaine shipments; three, finalize the 
Proceeds of Crime legislation; and four, institute the 
following reform measures within the Jamaica Constabulary 
Force: a) fill the internal affairs/anti-corruption officer 
chief position, reform existing internal affairs regulations 
to permit prompt dismissal and prosecution of corrupt police 
officers regardless of rank, c) develop and implement a 
comprehensive vetting system for new officers which carries 
clear disciplinary sanctions for corrupt police officers, and 
d) rationalize assignments and training to ensure that 
officers are not transferred out of specialized units shortly 
after they receive training. 
 
January - June 2007, How Jamaica Did 
==================================== 
 
¶3. (SBU) The USG asked the Government of Jamaica to enforce 
existing anti-corruption legislation.  While it did take 
steps to require Civil Servants to submit their annual 
financial disclosure reports, once turned in, the reports are 
simply boxed up and never reviewed as the Office of the 
Public Prosecutor does not have the staff to conduct 
investigation.  The Corruption Prevention Commission, The 
Office of the Auditor General, and the Contractor General of 
Jamaica (Reftel D) continue to be stymied by a lack of 
investigative resources, and are hampered by the fact that 
their budgets are controlled by the Minister of Finance, and 
each request requires Ministerial approval.  Therefore, these 
organizations currently can do little more than bring 
corruption scandals into the public arena.  The Ministry of 
National Security has prepared draft legislation for the 
National Investigative/Intelligence Agency, which will have 
among its mandate investigations of public corruption.  The 
Minister intends to bring this legislation to Parliament 
before the end of June. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The USG asked the Government of Jamaica to interdict 
at least four substantial cocaine shipments.  When presented 
with this benchmark in early 2007, (Reftel B), Jamaica's 
Minister of National Security questioned whether this was an 
appropriate benchmark, wondering if perhaps the 
arrest/extradition of major traffickers would be a more 
appropriate, more productive undertaking.  While cooperation 
on the arrest/extradition of major traffickers, such as the 
Drug Kingpin, Leebert Ramcharan in March 2007, remains 
excellent, thus far in 2007, there have been no major 
seizures of Cocaine.  Cocaine seizures year-to-date are 51.44 
kilograms.  Jamaica is currently participating in a regional 
maritime interdiction operation, which has yielded little to 
no cocaine, but substantial amounts of marijuana and guns 
seized in Jamaican coastal waters.  The current street price 
of cocaine in Jamaica has risen from USD 6000 to USD 10000 
per kilo, indicating a scarcity of supply.  Traffickers 
appear to prefer alternate Caribbean transit routes to the 
United States, avoiding Jamaica.  As there is no indication 
that the current smuggling pattern will change in the near 
term, NAS-Kingston suggests revision of this benchmark from 
four to two major cocaine shipments, with the addition of a 
requirement to arrest/extradite two major traffickers before 
year's end. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The USG asked the Government of Jamaica to pass the 
Proceeds of Crime Act, which had been languishing in 
Parliament for more than one year.  On January 23, (Reftel 
E), Parliament passed the Act, and on May 8, the Minister of 
National Security signed into law the Act's implementing 
regulations, and established the POCA's effective date, May 
¶15. Under the POCA, for the first time, the Government of 
Jamaica will have the power of civil forfeiture.  The POCA 
covers commercial banks, merchant banks, mortgage companies 
(called building societies), exchange bureaus, securities 
dealers, remittance agencies and money transfer agencies. 
The POCA requires that the GOJ establish an Assets Recovery 
Agency (ARA) to manage and dispose of seized and forfeited 
assets; the ARA will be housed in the Financial Crimes 
Investigative Division (FID).  The FID has finalized 
organization of its ARA and has received preliminary approval 
from the Ministers of National Security and Finance for the 
additional resources required, but it is still awaiting 
Cabinet approval of its plan.  The UK has made POCA 
implementation a priority and through its ARA - Center for 
Excellence, it is implementing a one-year capacity building 
program for the FID, Jamaica Constabulary Force's Financial 
Crimes Division and the Office of the Public Prosecutor. 
NAS-Kingston is working closely with the UK High Commission 
in Kingston on the needs assessment upon which the training 
program will be based, and it will provide assistance where 
it complements the ARA's program. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The USG asked the Government of Jamaica to institute 
a number of reform measures within the Jamaica Constabulary 
Force (JCF).  In May, the Government of Jamaica offered the 
position of Chief of the Anti-Corruption Division to a UK 
police officer (septel).  He is expected to start work this 
summer.  All other reform measures listed in the 2007 
benchmarks are slated to be analyzed under the Ministry of 
National Security's new strategic review of the JCF, which is 
set to begin in June and run through January 2008. 
 
Certification Criteria, (Reftel A), How Jamaica Did 
============================================= ====== 
 
¶7. (SBU) In addition to the specific benchmarks for Jamaica 
listed above, Jamaica conducted the following 
activities/operations relevant to the 1988 UN Drug Convention 
(statistics are year-to-date (YTD)): 
 
-- CULTIVATION/ILLICIT CROP ERADICATION: YTD, Operation 
Buccaneer has destroyed 146 hectares of marijuana in the 
field, 164 kilograms of seeds, 1,917,400 marijuana seedlings, 
and 29 nursery buildings. 
 
-- DEMAND REDUCTION:  With INL support, the Inter-American 
Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) continued its 
partnership with the University of the West Indies to develop 
an on-line addiction studies program covering substance abuse 
prevention, treatment, drug epidemiology, program evaluation 
and management. 
 
-- INTERDICTION:  YTD, Jamaican Security Forces have seized 
31 thousand kilograms of cured marijuana, 40 kilos of hash 
oil, and 51.44 kilograms of cocaine. 
 
-- LAW ENFORCEMENT COOPERATION:  In April the joint U.S., UK, 
Canadian, Jamaican, Airport Interdiction Task Force was 
launched.  Task Force officers have received orientation 
training and they are currently operating under the 
supervision of U.S. and UK personnel.  Cooperation in other 
joint operations, such as Kingfish, Windjammer, and 
Hummingbird, and All Inclusive has been excellent. 
 
-- MONEY LAUNDERING/ASSET SEIZURE:  YTD the Financial 
Investigative Division has seized currency in the amount of 
USD 188,000. 
 
-- EXTRADITION: YTD the U.S. Marshals Service in conjunction 
with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Jamaica 
Constabulary Force's Fugitive Apprehension Team, (JFAT), were 
responsible for the extradition of one major trafficker 
(Donavan Williams) and the Drug King Pin Leebert Ramcharan. 
In addition, the Marshals and the JFAT extradited three 
fugitives.  The U.S. Marshall's current case load is as 
follows:  215 active cases, seven arrests, 55 fugitives 
located awaiting extradition requests, 18 fugitives in 
custody awaiting extradition orders.  Because of the success 
of the JFAT team, the Jamaica Constabulary Force intends to 
double its size and divide JFAT into two units to apprehend 
both domestic and foreign fugitives. 
 
JOHNSON