VZCZCXRO0933
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAH #1344/01 3471336
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 131336Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9863
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 3093
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0908
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0782
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1358
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1346
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1983

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001344 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN AND INL, MOSCOW ALSO FOR DEA, DUSHANBE 
ALSO FOR DEA, ISLAMABAD ALSO FOR DEA, ANKARA ALSO FOR DEA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL SNAR TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN TAKES UNPRECENDENTED STEP, ANNOUNCES 
STATISTICS AT UNODC PARIS PACT MEETING 
 
 
 ¶1.  (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  On December 11, officials of the United 
Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) discussed U.S. 
support of U.S.-funded UNODC border crossing projects with 
the Charge.  In a major policy change, Turkmenistan's 
Chairman of the State Counternarcotics Commission, Myrat 
Yslamov, for the first time ever gave several statistics on 
Turkmenistan's narcotics problem at the December 3 UNODC 
Paris Pact Strategic Policy meeting in Vienna.  Pending 
funding, UNODC envisages implementing new operational and 
drug demand projects in Turkmenistan.  UNODC Executive 
Director Antonio Maria Costa will discuss Iranian trafficking 
issues with President Berdimuhamedov January 8-11.  All of 
these signs are encouraging, so much so that UNODC hopes the 
United States will make additional funding available in 2008. 
 END SUMMARY. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) On December 11, officials of the United Nations 
Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) discussed U.S. support of 
U.S.-funded UNODC Turkmenistan border crossing projects with 
the Charge.  Ercan Saka, Project Coordinator of UNODC's 
Turkmenistan office, stated that Turkmenistan's Chairman of 
the State Counternarcotics Commission, Myrat Yslamov, stated 
at the Paris Pact Strategic Policy meeting in Vienna on 
December 3 that there are approximately 33,000 drug abusers 
in Turkmenistan.  (COMMENT:  It is unclear how Turkmenistan's 
authorities determined this number.  It could be the number 
of people apprehended for narcotics possession, the number of 
registered drug abusers, or perhaps an estimate.  However, 
Turkmenistan's admission and the fact that an official named 
a specific number is a step forward.  END COMMENT.)  Yslamov 
also listed many other statistics for the first ten months of 
2007: 
 
-- The State Border Services prevented 41 cases of border 
infringement (18 from Iran, 23 from Afghanistan), seizing 
1,612 kilograms of narcotics (616 kilograms from Iran, 996 
kilograms from Afghanistan). 
 
-- The State Customs Service stopped 47 cases of drug 
smuggling, seizing 24.766 kilograms (6.453 kilograms of 
heroin, 18.313 kilograms of opium, and 13,107 tablets of 
"strong medicinal preparations"). 
 
-- The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of 
National Security seized 239.906 kilograms of heroin and 
2147.668 kilograms of opium. 
 
-- In 2006, judicial bodies reviewed 1,403 criminal cases 
linked to illicit drug trafficking.  In 2007, these judicial 
bodies reviewed 1,450 criminal cases connected to illicit 
drug trafficking and sentenced 2,902 people for these 
offenses. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) UNODC's Central Asia Regional Representative, James 
Callahan, said that UNODC wants to increase protection of the 
"green borders" -- the unmanned border areas between border 
posts -- including by introducing mobile interdiction teams, 
and increasing cooperation between interagency teams on both 
sides of the border.  The interagency teams would surveil the 
green borders using SUV's or ATV's and could use the gathered 
intelligence in other operations.  Callahan said that UNODC 
is currently leading similar pilot projects in Kyrgyzstan and 
Tajikistan. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Callahan said that UNODC Executive Director Antonio 
Maria Costa will discuss Iranian trafficking issues with 
President Berdimuhamedov during Costa's January 8-11 visit to 
Turkmenistan.  It was the Turkmenistan government that raised 
this problem with UNODC.    Callahan added that 
 
ASHGABAT 00001344  002 OF 002 
 
 
Berdimuhamedov is concerned about the Iranian/Afghan border 
in general, and said that UNODC will look for funding for a 
mobile unit. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Callahan said that the Government of Turkmenistan 
expressed interest in establishing an organization similar to 
the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), with an umbrella role over 
Turkmenistan's counternarcotics effort.  If this agency comes 
to fruition, UNODC would assist with training, equipment, the 
vetting process, and the policy structure.  UNODC has also 
proposed a drug demand reduction project in Turkmenistan, 
similar to one introduced in Uzbekistan, aimed at school 
children. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Callahan said that UNODC was still planning on 
introducing a Coordination and Analysis Unit as part of the 
Caspian Sea Initiative, and which would be located in 
Ashgabat.  The office would have a seconded officer and local 
analyst. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) COMMENT:  Counternarcotics remains a fruitful area 
of cooperation both for international organizations such as 
UNODC and for the United States.  Yslamov noted cooperation 
with the United States in his December 3 speech several 
times.  His announcement of 2007 statistics is unheard of and 
a welcome development.  If anything, this is a sign that 
increased DEA engagement with Turkmenistan would not be a 
waste.  END COMMENT. 
CURRAN