VZCZCXRO1909
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHPOD #0273/01 3081646
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 031646Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY PODGORICA
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1007
RUEHPOD/AMEMBASSY PODGORICA 1095

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PODGORICA 000273 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR INL (LYLE/KIMMEL); EUR/SCE (HOUGE) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV SNAR KCRM MW
SUBJECT: MONTENEGRO: INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY REPORT 
(INCSR), DRUGS AND CHEMICAL SECTION, VOLUME 1 
 
REF: STATE 00100992 
 
PODGORICA 00000273  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1. Summary: Organized crime groups use Montenegro as a transit 
country for cannabis from Albania and Kosovo, and smaller 
amounts of other narcotics from the Middle East (heroine) and 
Latin America (cocaine), destined for the western Balkans and 
Western Europe. A small proportion of the smuggled narcotics is 
sold in the small but growing domestic market.  The Government 
of Montenegro is implementing a comprehensive action plan 
against illegal drugs, and is seeking close law enforcement 
relationships with other states in the region.  By using 
improved methods and additional technical capabilities in 
investigating drug trafficking, in cooperation with other 
countries, Montenegrin police disrupted several international 
smuggling operations. Montenegro became an independent state in 
June 2006, and is in the process of becoming a signatory to 
relevant international conventions and agreements. Montenegro is 
a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, as a successor state of 
the Union of Serbia and Montenegro. 
 
 
 
¶2. Status of Country: There were no reports of significant 
production of narcotics, precursor chemicals or synthetic drugs 
in Montenegro. The Government of Montenegro estimates that only 
a small percentage of the illegal drugs entering the country are 
for the domestic market, although the police and press report 
that domestic drug addiction rates have been rising. Information 
on illegal drug use is not systematically recorded, but 
authorities estimate that Montenegro has between 2,000 and 3,000 
addicts. Heroin is the most prevalent drug on the local market, 
but the use of ecstasy and amphetamines is on the rise. Crimes 
connected with narcotics also have increased, and currently 40 
percent of all Montenegrin prison inmates have been convicted 
for narcotics-related offenses. Protection of its borders is a 
national priority for Montenegro.  The United States and other 
international donors have supported efforts to tighten border 
controls.  Recent U.S. donations of ocean and lake patrol craft 
have improved Montenegro's ability to curb water-borne 
smuggling. 
 
 
 
¶3. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2008: 
 
 
 
Policy Initiatives.  To position itself better for future EU 
accession, Montenegro is training more counter-narcotics 
investigators, procuring new equipment, and strengthening its 
inter-agency cooperation. In May 2008, the Montenegrin 
government issued the country's first National Strategy for 
Suppression of Drugs, along with a National Plan to implement 
that strategy.  The government also plans to create a National 
Office, within the Ministry of Health, to coordinate the 
country's anti-drug efforts. 
 
 
 
Law Enforcement Efforts.  The Drug Smuggling Suppression 
Department within the Police's crime division is responsible for 
coordinating cooperation and exchange of information between 
nine counter-drug police units located through Montenegro, the 
Customs Administration, the Ministry of Justice, and Interpol. 
The Ministry of Interior (MUP) compiles data on narcotics 
seizures. The Customs Administration likewise continued to 
strengthen its capacities. Police officials assert that their 
cooperation with Customs has been effective. During first nine 
months of 2008, police filed 338 criminal charges against 278 
individuals for narcotics-related violations and made 280 
seizures.  Police estimated that the street value of confiscated 
drugs was about 2,305,000 euros (equivalent to 2,958,921 U.S. 
dollars). 
 
Police seized: 
 
*       201.8     kg of marijuana 
*         21.630 kg of heroin 
*           7.773 kg of cocaine 
*           0.9     kg MDMA synthetic drug 
*           0.1     kg  amphetamine "speed" 
 
By using improved methods and additional technical capabilities, 
while building cooperation with other countries, Montenegrin 
police disrupted several international smuggling operations. 
Police cooperated actively with their counterparts in Australia, 
Germany, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden, 
Norway, and Denmark. 
 
The investigations are mostly focusing on the organizers of 
criminal groups, users, street dealers, and border seizures; 
 
PODGORICA 00000273  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
major narcotics dealers are rarely arrested. 
 
According to the Chief State Prosecutor's Office, during 2007 
out of 453 cases reported by police, the prosecutor's office 
indicted 391 persons plus 420 pending from the previous years, 
making a total of 811. During the same period, 320 persons were 
convicted for violations of Article 300 of the Criminal Code 
(related to production, storage, and sale of narcotics) and 
Article 301 (related to drug consumption). The sentencing for 
drug law violations in 2007 increased 32.84 percent in 
comparison to the previous five years. 
 
 
 
Corruption.  Corruption and the perception that corruption is 
tolerated are common in Montenegro, and affect both law 
enforcement and the judiciary.  The Government attempts to 
identify, prosecute, and punish instances of official 
corruption, but does not specify whether the acts underlying 
specific disciplinary actions and prosecutions are 
narcotics-related or not. Laws that criminalize corrupt 
activities by government employees address narcotics-related 
corruption. There were no fact based-reports of cases linking 
senior Government officials to the illicit narcotics trade, 
though one senior opposition leader claimed that the Government 
had links to a local "narco-cartel," but we have no information 
to corroborate such allegations.  The Government has 
criminalized the production and distribution of narcotic and 
psychotropic drugs as well as the laundering of proceeds from 
illegal drug transactions, and enforces these laws. However, 
public confidence in the Government's ability to combat 
corruption remained weak. As a matter of government policy, the 
GOM does not encourage or facilitate illicit production or 
distribution of narcotic or psychotropic drugs or other 
controlled substances, or the laundering of proceeds from 
illegal drug transactions. Montenegro is a party to the UN 
Convention against Corruption. 
 
 
 
Agreements and Treaties.  Montenegro became an independent state 
in June 2006, and has acceded to a number of multilateral 
treaties to which the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro was a 
party or signatory, including the 1988 UN Drug Convention, the 
1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1961 UN 
Single Convention, as amended by the 1972 Protocol. Montenegro 
is also party to the UN Convention against Transnational 
Organized Crime and its protocols against migrant smuggling and 
trafficking in persons. The 1902 extradition treaty between the 
United States and the Kingdom of Serbia remains in force between 
the U.S. and Montenegro, and the Law on International Legal Aid 
in Criminal Matters (adopted in January 2008) is in force for 
the matters not covered by the extradition treaty.  Montenegro 
acceded to the UN Convention against Corruption in June 2006. 
Montenegro was admitted in Interpol in June 2006 and in SECI in 
June 2008. In September 2008 Montenegro signed a strategic 
partnership with EUROPOL as a step towards the membership. 
 
 
 
Drug Flow/Transit.  Organized crime groups use Montenegro as a 
transit point for drug smuggling, due to the country's central 
location and its topography-both coastal and mountainous. 
Marijuana/ cannabis is believed to transit Montenegro by several 
well established overland routes in private vehicles, by foot, 
on mules, etc., smuggled from producers in Albania and Kosovo, 
en route to the Western Balkans and Western Europe (primarily 
Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Scandinavia). Heroin from 
Southwest Asia (Afghanistan) transits Albania and Kosovo and is 
smuggled to Montenegro in private vehicles before being 
transported further into Western Europe.  Cocaine is smuggled by 
air and sea from South America (primarily Venezuela).  The 
Montenegrin police report that the summer influx of tourists 
along Montenegro's coast has led to seasonal increases in use of 
illegal drugs. 
 
 
 
Domestic Programs/Demand Reduction.  The Institute for Public 
Health believes that drug use is on the rise, including among 
minors, but has no database to track the number of drug addicts. 
 The number of drug-related crimes is reportedly increasing. In 
Montenegro there is only one psychiatric clinic for treating 
drug addicts, and the facility's capacities are limited. Limited 
treatment and rehabilitation activities also are carried out in 
the hospitals in Podgorica and Niksic. Many patients used to go 
for treatment to Belgrade at their own expense. On March 31, 
2008 the Center for Resocialization and Rehabilitation of Drug 
Addicts was opened in Podgorica. Government run prevention 
programs for primary and secondary schools and NGOs assist with 
 
PODGORICA 00000273  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
some of these efforts. Community police officers visit the 
schools to educate students about the risks associated with 
drugs use. A task force composed of the Ministries of Health, 
Labor and Social Welfare (Institute for Public Health), Interior 
and Public Administration, Culture, Sports and Media, Justice, 
Education and Science, local governments, and NGOs developed a 
National Strategy for the Fight against Drugs. There were only a 
few NGOs in Montenegro during 2008 dealing with drug related 
issues. 
 
 
 
¶4. US Policy Initiatives: 
 
 
 
Bilateral Cooperation.  MOI police and Customs officers 
continued to receive U.S. funded training in anti-organized 
crime operations and techniques. The U.S. continued to provide 
training, technical advice, equipment and other assistance to 
the Customs and MOI border police units.  [ 
 
 
 
The Road Ahead.  Accession to the EU and NATO remain 
Montenegro's primary foreign policy goals, providing a strong 
incentive to build up its criminal justice system to European 
standards. The U.S. coordinates its assistance programs and 
priorities with the EU and other international donors, 
particularly in strengthening the rule of law, combating 
corruption and developing an independent judiciary.  The U.S. 
plans to continue its bilateral assistance for promoting rule of 
law in Montenegro, including suppression of narcotics 
trafficking. 
MOORE