VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPE #1686/01 2942046
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 202046Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY LIMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9462
INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 6073
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 3489
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1243
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ OCT MEXICO 3732
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 2127
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 2032

UNCLAS LIMA 001686 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INL/LP NAD WHA/PPC 
ONDCP FOR LT COL RONALD GARNER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR KCRM ASEC PREL PE
SUBJECT: LIMA NAS MONTHLY REPORT - SEPTEMBER 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: 
* NAS Director completes Field Orientation 
* New Solicitor for Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture 
Position  Created 
* SL Threat Grounds UH-2s in Santa Lucia 
* FAP Budget Cuts Will Negatively Impact VRAE Operations 
* NAS Aviation Update 
* DIRANDRO Activities 
* Pre-Academies Conduct Practice Exams 
* SUNAT Statistics 
* NAS Sponsored Canine Course completed 
* NAS/DEA Sponsored Chemical Interdiction Unit 
* CORAH Statistics 
* Anti-Drug Community Coalitions Exhibition 
 
 
---------------------------------------- 
NAS Director completes Field Orientation 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) NAS Director Arias,  accompanied by the Director of 
DIRANDRO and other NAS officers, conducted an orientation 
visit to PNP bases in Ayacucho, Santa Lucia, Palma 
Pampa, and Mazamari. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
New Solicitor for Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture 
Position Created 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶3. (U) The GOP has designated a new specialized Solicitor for 
Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture within the 
Prosecutor's Office.  This new specialized Solicitor will 
have responsibility for all non-drug or terrorism related 
Money Laundering cases, both of which will stay with their 
respective departments.  The position is expected to be 
filled by early October. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
SL Threat Grounds UH-2s in Santa Lucia 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) At the end of September, Sendero Luminoso elements 
threatened to down UH-2 eradication support helicopters in 
Santa Lucia.  All helicopters were grounded  save one 
flight of food and water for the eradication forces still 
in the field.  Regular operations resumed the following 
morning. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
FAP Budget Cuts Will Negatively Impact VRAE Operations 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶5. (U) The Peruvian Air Force (FAP) faces a 90 percent budget 
reduction by the Ministry of Finance.  This looming budget 
cut comes at a critical time for the FAP, who until 
recently had very few fixed wing aircraft and flyable 
helicopters.  However, though the aircraft is now properly 
maintained, there are no funds to purchase fuel.  NAS' FAP 
contacts insist that this cut will negatively impact the 
ability of the FAP to continue the escalation of  counter 
terrorism operations in the VRAE. 
 
------------------- 
NAS Aviation Update 
------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) The FLIR and Digital Camera for the C-26s used to 
support 
ongoing CN/CT operations in the VRAE are expected to be 
repaired and fully operational by the first week of 
October.  FAP leadership are anxious to be able to use the 
FLIR and Digital Camera in support of VRAE operations. 
 
¶7. (U) The need for repairs for the  runway at Palma Pampa in 
the 
VRAE remains critical.  At this moment, and for the past 
year, only UH-2s are able to land on what is the only fixed 
wing aircraft runway for the VRAE.  The local mayor remains 
an obstacle due to his preoccupation with the possibility 
of resistance by the narco-traffickers and the local 
population.  The closest usable runway for fixed wing 
aircraft is located in Mazamari, an hour and fifteen 
minutes by helicopter from Palma Pampa.  NAS Lima continues 
to work with the FAP and other local authorities to obtainpermission to begin the repairs.  The FAP is interested in 
establishing a detachment of their own at Palma Pampa and 
therefore has worked closely with NAS to move the repairs 
forward.  The FAP Commander for the region has spoken with 
the Joint Services Commander and the Minister of Defense 
who has committed to meeting with the Prime Minister 
to seek support for the repairs. 
 
-------------------- 
DIRANDRO Activities 
-------------------- 
 
¶8. (U) Overall, DIRANDRO reports the destruction of 940 
cocaine 
base and 16 HCL laboratories and the seizure of 381,751.933 
kilos of precursor chemicals and 22,992.706 kilos of drugs 
for the month of September.  In the Huallaga Valley alone, 
DIRANDRO reports the destruction of 22 cocaine base 
laboratories  and 15 rustic cocaine laboratories.  In Tingo 
Maria, the Special Operation Division destroyed a large HCL 
laboratory and confiscated 2.5 MT of precursor chemicals and 
67 kilograms of HCL.  Finally, the Ayacucho Road 
Interdiction Group intercepted two inter-city buses headed 
to Lima from Ayacucho seizing 51 hand grenades and 9 kilos 
of cocaine paste.  The price of coca leaf per arroba has 
increased slightly in the Huallaga Valley to 35 USD as 
well as in the VRAE to 40 USD.  This increase is in 
anticipation of the beginning of the rainy season. 
 
------------------------------------ 
Pre-Academies Conduct Practice Exams 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶9. (U) NAS sponsored Pre-Academies conducted a practice exam 
for 
600 students to evaluate their knowledge prior to the 
Police Academy entrance exams which are due to begin in 
December.  Had this been the real exam, approximately 40 
percent of the students would have passed.  This is a 
marked improvement from last year when only 30 percent of 
the students performed well on the practice exam. 
 
---------------- 
SUNAT Statistics 
---------------- 
 
¶10. (U) Peruvian Customs at Jorge Chavez International 
Airport, 
Lima (SUNAT) and the main international post office 
(SERPOST) seized 93.05 kilos of cocaine HCL and detained 12 
internal carriers (each carrying nearly one kilo).  At the 
Port of Callao, SUNAT scanned 13,078 sea-going containers 
and physically inspected 278 containers.  SUNAT detained a 
passenger traveling from Madrid into Lima carrying 108,000 
Euros in the lining of his jacket and is now under 
investigation for money laundering. 
 
------------------------------------- 
Canine Course completed 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶11. (U) Thirteen SUNAT canines and 11 handlers completed the 
13 
week training course at the Colombian National Police 
canine training facilities in Facatativa, Columbia.  The 
newly produced SUNAT Canine Manual was used by the USCBP 
and SUNAT instructors to conduct the training.  In 
coordination with NAS Bogota, four Colombian Police 
handlers/canines also participated.  With the addition of 
the 11 new handlers and canines, the SUNAT interdiction 
capability is expected to increase significantly 
considering that the current unit of 8 canines has 
discovered over 30 MT of cocaine since 2006.  The new units 
are expected to be deployed and fully operational by 
November 2008. 
 
-------------------------- 
Chemical Interdiction Unit 
-------------------------- 
 
¶12. (U) The NAS sponsored Chemical Interdiction Unit 
uncovered a 
large scale laboratory and equipment in the Sendero 
Luminoso stronghold of Alto Union and Bajo 
Cotomono-Aucayacu in Tingo Maria.  Four microwave ovens, 
five hydraulic metal presses, six metal molds for cocaine 
brick production, large air compressor, a generator, two 
acetone recyclers, and seven scales were seized as was 2.5 
metric tons of acetone, ten kilos of potassium 
permanganate, 200 gallons of alcohol and 77 kilos of 
cocaine HCL.  It is estimated that this laboratory was 
producing approximately 1,000 kilos of HCL monthly. 
Additionally, the Chemical Unit interdicted a cargo truck 
outside the northern city limits of Lima, en route to the 
VRAE, seizing two MT of hydrochloric acid and making five 
arrests. 
 
---------------- 
CORAH Statistics 
---------------- 
 
¶13. (U) CORAH eradicated 713.3 hectares during the month of 
September brining the yearly total to 7,613.8.  During 
eradication, 22 maceration pits were uncovered at a ratio 
of 3.56 aceration pits every 100 hectares eradicated. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Anti-Drug Community Coalitions Exhibition 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶14. (U) NAS Programs Office has identified the lack of public 
information and visibility of the 11 NAS sponsored Lima 
Anti-drug Community Coalitions (CAC) as a serious obstacle 
to sustainability.  As such,  NAS programs organized a CAC 
exhibition and presentation for local authorities and 
media.   Each of the 11 CACs designed a table top 
informative presentation of their CAC activities which were 
displayed during a larger presentation about the Lima CACs, 
their work and activities in the communities.  The event 
was used to launch a new informative video about the CACs 
and the new CAC website.  In addition to local police and 
community leadership, the audience also included four 
regional Mayors, representatives from the Ministry of the 
Interior, Ministry of Health, local schools, church 
representatives, a representative from the Army, a 
representative from the Municipality of Lima, the regional 
government of Callao, among others.  The event was heavily 
covered by both local and national press in print, online, 
radio and television.  Additionally, the deputy director of 
the Secretaria Ejecutiva de la commission contra de las 
Adicciones y el Trafico Ilicito de Drogas (SECCATID) in 
Guatemala attended the event and expressed deep interest in 
replicating the Lima CAC experience in Guatemala. 
MCKINLEY