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RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTL #0384/01 3100602
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 050602Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY TALLINN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0900
RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI 5304
RUEHCP/AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN 1618
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2624
RUEHRA/AMEMBASSY RIGA 3000
RUEHVL/AMEMBASSY VILNIUS 6746
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

UNCLAS TALLINN 000384 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR INL AND EUR/NB 
COPENHAGEN FOR DEA ANTON KOHUT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR EN
SUBJECT:  2008-2009 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS 
CONTROL STRATEGY REPORT (INCSR) PART I, DRUGS AND 
CHEMICAL CONTROL - ESTONIA 
 
REF: A) STATE 100992 
     B) TALLINN 10 
 
¶1. (U) The following is Embassy Tallinn's submission for 
the 2008 - 2009 (EUR) International Narcotics Control 
Strategy Report (INCSR) Part I, Drugs and Chemical 
Control. 
 
---------- 
¶I. SUMMARY 
---------- 
 
¶2. (U) The seizures of record amounts of narcotic 
substances, destruction of cannabis plantations and 
detection of drug trafficking conspiracies, as well as 
arrests of Estonian drug traffickers abroad indicate drug 
production and transit activity are ongoing in Estonia. 
They are also indications of the success of 
counternarcotics efforts by Estonian law enforcement 
agencies.  Except for the higher HIV-infection rate among 
intravenous drug users, the drug situation in Estonia is 
similar to that in other European countries.  Estonia is 
a party to the main international drug control 
conventions, including the UN Convention Against Illicit 
Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances 
(1988). 
 
-------------------------- 
II. STATUS OF THE COUNTRY 
-------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) Trimethylphentanyl- an opiate-synthetic drug 
"White Persian," and heroin continue to be Estonia's most 
popular illegal narcotics in 2008, but ecstasy, 
amphetamines, gammahydroxylbutyrate (GHB), cannabis and 
poppy are also available in Estonia.  The frequent 
arrests of drug traffickers at the border and seizure of 
precursors (see para 14) indicate Estonia's involvement 
in synthetic drugs production.  While its cold climate 
inhibits Estonia from being a major drug cultivator, in 
five months Estonian police detected and destroyed five 
cannabis plantations demonstrating drug dealers' 
intentions to start supplying the domestic market locally 
(see para 11).  Also, in recent years a number of 
Estonian drug traffickers have been arrested in foreign 
countries, showing that Estonian drug traffickers are 
involved in the international illegal drug trade (see 
para 10).  Seizures of large quantities of narcotic 
substances by Estonian law enforcement agencies indicate 
that Estonia is located on a drug transit route in the 
region but also that Estonian Police and Customs and 
Border Guard are making special efforts to reign in the 
illegal drug trade. 
 
¶4. (U) According to Government of Estonia (GOE) and NGO 
estimates, there are about 14,000 intravenous drug users 
(IDUs) in Estonia - about one per cent of the population. 
Due to the large number of IDUs, Estonia has the highest 
growth rate per capita of HIV infections in Europe.  As 
of October 2008, a total of 6,808 cases of HIV have been 
registered nationwide, 444 of which were registered in 
¶2008.  To date, AIDS has been diagnosed in a total of 247 
people, 56 of whom were diagnosed in 2008.  Male IDUs 
still account for the largest share of newly registered 
HIV cases.  However, in 2008, young women made up 32 
percent of new HIV cases, indicating that the HIV 
epidemic is starting to spread to the general population. 
(NOTE: The women making up these new cases come largely 
from among IDUs and their sexual partners.  END NOTE) 
 
----------------------------------- 
III. COUNTRY ACTIONS AGAINST DRUGS 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) POLICY INIATIVES.  Estonia's domestic anti- 
narcotics legal framework is in compliance with 
international drug conventions and European Union (EU) 
narcotics regulations. As of January 1, 2008, the final 
provisions of the Law Amending the Narcotic Drugs and 
Psychotropic Substances Act (LANDPSA) adopted in 2007 
 
 
came into force. The last amendments regulating 
identification of narcotic psychotropic substances and 
precursors brought the domestic law into compliance with 
the United Nations (UN) Convention against Illicit 
Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. 
 
¶6. (U) Following Estonia's accession to the European 
Union  Schengen visa convention in 2008, the number of 
Finnish 'drug-tourists' travelling to Estonia legally to 
buy psychotropic medicines has decreased significantly. 
Under the Schengen regime, a traveler on narcotic or 
psychotropic medication needs a permit from the State 
Agency of Medicine (SAM). Further in 2008, in order to 
eliminate illegal medical drug exportation to neighboring 
countries (primarily Finland), the Minister of Social 
Affairs issued a decree to terminate the sales of the 
narcotic preparation Subotex in drug stores.  After 
January 1, 2009, Subotex will be available only for in- 
patients. 
 
¶7. (U) In 2008, the GOE continued implementation of its 
2007-09 Action Plan based on the National Strategy on 
Prevention of Drug Dependency for 2004-2012, adopted in 
¶2003.  Activities continued in all six objectives of the 
strategy: prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, harm 
reduction, demand reduction, addressing the problem of 
drugs in prisons, and overall monitoring and evaluation 
of the Action Plan. 
 
¶8. (U) Also in 2008, Estonia continued to implement its 
national 2006-2015 anti-HIV/AIDS strategy, which pledges 
to bring about a steady reduction in the spread of HIV 
and improve the quality of life of people with the 
disease.    The strategy pays special attention to 
programs for various at-risk groups, including IDUs, 
which currently form the largest sub-group within the HIV 
positive population. The GOE plans to focus its 
prevention efforts on young people and their parents, 
with the ultimate goal of reducing the number of new 
cases of HIV to the European regional average of 50-70 
cases per one million people per year, or one-tenth the 
current rate. 
 
¶9. (U) After the United Nations Global Fund (GF) to Fight 
HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria finished its four-year program 
in Estonia in 2007, the GOE committed to take over all 
HIV-related activities carried out under Global Fund's 
$10.4 million grant.  (Ref B)  While the Ministry of 
Social Affairs has overall coordinating responsibility, 
each cabinet Minister is responsible for HIV prevention, 
harm reduction and treatment in his or her administrative 
area (i.e., Ministry of Justice - HIV in prisons; 
Ministry of Defense - HIV in defense forces; Ministry of 
Education and Research (MOER) - HIV prevention in schools 
and colleges).  In 2008, all involved ministries except 
for the MOER carried out their responsibilities under the 
anti-HIV strategy.  MOER has not prioritized HIV 
education and has not implemented mandated programs.  As 
the HIV-epidemic in Estonia is predominantly drug-driven, 
narcotics prevention has formed a considerable part of 
the extensive HIV/AIDS prevention programs in the schools 
implemented by NGOs under the GF program.  As these 
programs were put on hold in 2008, there may also be a 
negative impact on drug prevention efforts in schools. 
 
¶10. (U) Under the anti-HIV strategy, the GOE established 
a governmental committee to coordinate HIV and drug abuse 
prevention activities in 2006.  The committee comprises 
representatives from the Ministries of Social Affairs, 
Education and Research, Defense, Internal Affairs, 
Justice, and Finance.  The committee also includes 
representatives of local governments, the World Health 
Organization, organizations for people living with 
HIV/AIDS, and members of the original working groups that 
drafted the GOE's 2005-2015 anti-HIV/AIDS strategy.  It 
reports directly to the Cabinet on a bi-annual basis. 
 
¶11. (U) LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS.  Combating narcotics is 
a major priority for Estonian law enforcement agencies. 
Police, customs officials and the border guard maintain 
 
 
good cooperation on counter-narcotics activities. 
Currently, about 90 police officers work solely on drug 
issues.  Their primary mission is to destroy 
international drug rings, rather than to catch individual 
suppliers.  In addition to these full time counter- 
narcotics officers, all local constables also process 
drug-related misdemeanor acts. From January-August 2007, 
the Estonian police registered 1,034 drug-related 
criminal cases and 4,333 misdemeanor acts.  The year-by- 
year increase in the number of drug related crimes 
investigated by police is evidence that the Estonian 
Police are increasing their efforts to reign in the 
illegal drug trade. As Estonia's major weekly newspaper 
recently reported, the disappearance of cannabis from the 
domestic market was a direct result of several counter- 
narcotics operations carried out by police. From December 
2007 to May 2008, police detected five major cannabis 
plantations and destroyed over 1,200 plants. In May, a 
criminal case was started against two men from Tallinn 
growing cannabis in central Estonia.  During the 
operation the police seized 760 cannabis plants plus 
'ready-made products', the largest number of cannabis 
plants ever seized in Estonia. 
 
¶12. (U) In June, officers of the North Police Prefecture 
drug squad seized 36.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, a 
record amount of this substance confiscated from 
criminals in Estonia.  The seizure amounted to an 
estimated 70,000 doses with a total street value of $1.6 
million.  According to the prosecutor, such a large 
amount was clearly not intended just for the Estonian 
market.  During the same operation 5.2 kilograms of 
hashish were also confiscated.  In September, together 
with the Estonian Tax and Customs Board (ETCB), the drug 
squad of the Northern Prefecture arrested an Estonian who 
had swallowed capsules containing 700 grams of pure 
cocaine with a street value of $250,000.  He had been 
tasked to take the capsules from the West African coast 
to London, but flew to Tallinn instead, where he was 
arrested. 
 
¶13. (U) According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 
from January 2006 to June 2008, 89 Estonian drug 
traffickers have been arrested abroad.  Fifteen of these 
came in the first six months of 2008 (10 in Europe, three 
in South America, two in the U.S.) 
 
¶14. (U) Combating the illicit narcotics trade is also a 
top priority for the ETCB.  All customs, investigation, 
and information officers have received special training 
in narcotics control, and all customs border points are 
equipped with rapid drug tests.  There are about 100 
customs officers working on the Estonia-Russian border 
(the European Union's easternmost border).  About 150 
Customs officers work in mobile units all over Estonia. 
Six customs officers deal with information analysis and 
14 officers from the Investigation Department specialize 
solely on narcotic- related crimes.  All four Customs 
regions have a designated narcotics control liaison 
officer, and are supported by narcotics analysts in the 
Tallinn headquarters.  There are 18 Customs teams with 21 
drug sniffing dogs.  (NOTE: Estonian drug sniffing dogs 
are among the best in Europe.  They recently won prizes 
at an international contest for customs drug dogs.  END 
NOTE) In March, a drug sniffing dog detected 36 bottles 
(about 22 liters) of precursor for amphetamine in the car 
of a Lithuanian citizen.  The seizure prevented up to 20 
kilograms of amphetamine from reaching the streets. 
During several operations from December 2007 through 
April 2008, customs investigators seized about three 
kilos of marijuana with a street value of $90,000 that 
involved the same criminal group acting in different 
sites in Estonia. 
 
¶15. (U) CORRUPTION.  Estonia is a relatively corruption- 
free country, receiving high scores on international 
corruption and economic transparency indices, and out- 
performing all other new EU member states, except for 
Slovenia, and some of the old EU-15 countries.  The GOE 
does not encourage or facilitate illicit production or 
 
 
distribution of narcotics or psychotropic drugs or the 
laundering of proceeds from illegal drug transactions. 
There are no reports of any senior official of the GOE 
engaging in, encouraging, or facilitating the illicit 
production or distribution of narcotic substances. 
 
¶16. (U) AGREEMENTS AND TREATIES.  Estonia is party to the 
main international drug control conventions: the UN 
Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961), the UN 
Convention on Psychotropic Substances (1971), the UN 
Convention against Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs 
and Psychotropic Substances (1988), and the Council of 
Europe Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure, and 
Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime (1990).  A 1924 
extradition treaty, supplemented in 1934, remains in 
force between the United States and Estonia, and a mutual 
legal assistance treaty in criminal matters was entered 
into by the countries in 2000.  In 2006, the Estonian 
Parliament ratified a new Estonian-U.S. extradition 
agreement and a revised agreement on mutual legal 
assistance in criminal matters.  The new agreement is in 
compliance with agreements previously signed between the 
EU and the United States as well as a 2002 decision of 
the EU Council concerning arrest warrants and transfer 
procedures.  The agreement is not yet in force, as 
ratification is pending in U.S. Senate.  Estonia is a 
party to the UN Convention against Transnational 
Organized Crime and its three protocols.  Estonia's 
domestic drug legislation is consistent with 
international laws combating illicit drugs. 
 
¶17. (U) CULTIVATION/PRODUCTION.  Estonia's cold climate 
precludes it from becoming a major drug cultivator. 
However, the recent destruction of cannabis plantations 
show Estonians' involvement in small scale marijuana 
production for the domestic market (see para 11). Also, 
in northeastern Estonia small amounts of poppies are 
grown for domestic consumption.  Nevertheless, seized 
precursors at the border indicate that synthetic 
narcotics production is ongoing in Estonia.  According to 
drug-prevention NGOs, most of the labs are very small and 
mobile, making it difficult to detect and close them.  In 
addition to production for domestic consumption, 
synthetic drugs produced in Estonia are exported to 
neighboring countries, including the Nordic countries and 
northwestern Russia.  According to press reports, 90 
percent of amphetamine available on the Finnish market 
comes from or via Estonia. 
 
¶18. (U) DRUG FLOW/TRANSIT.  Estonia's geographical 
position makes it attractive to drug smugglers.  Frequent 
arrests of drug traffickers and seizures of narcotic 
substances at the border indicate Estonia's involvement 
in the international drug trade, but also demonstrate the 
high performance level of Estonian law enforcement 
agencies.  Frequent arrests of Estonian drug traffickers 
around the world show their involvement in the 
international drug trade. 
 
¶19. (U) DOMESTIC PROGRAMS/DEMAND REDUCTION.  In 2008, 
Estonia continued to implement its 2004-2012 National 
Strategy on the Prevention of Drug Dependency.  Combating 
the drug trade and reigning in domestic consumption 
continue to be high priorities for all Estonian law 
enforcement agencies and for key government ministries. 
There are more than 60 governmental, non-governmental, 
and private entities in Estonia working with IDUs to 
provide services to decrease demand and reduce harm. 
Currently, there are six voluntary HIV testing and 
counseling centers providing services at ten sites.  The 
GOE and local governments fund these centers.  A needle 
exchange program is operational in 43 sites, including 13 
field work areas and a number of mobile needle exchange 
stations are in operation in Tallinn and northeast 
Estonia.  Six organizations provide methadone treatment 
at eight sites in Tallinn and northeast Estonia.  A toll- 
free helpline for drug addicts is operational 24 hours a 
day. 18 organizations provide drug rehabilitation 
services. There are 11 major rehabilitation centers 
nationwide, four of which are church-sponsored. 
 
 
 
---------------------------------------- 
IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶20. (U) In 2008, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) 
negotiated with the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) the 
second phase of a project entitled "DOD HIV/AIDS 
Prevention Program" to raise the awareness of military 
personnel and to assist in the creation of a sustainable 
EDF HIV/AIDS prevention system. In the second phase the 
EDF will procure rapid tests to map the HIV situation 
among conscripts.  In June 2008, post's Office of Defense 
Cooperation issued a USD 200,000 grant under its 
humanitarian assistance program, to complete construction 
of the first ever rehabilitation center for drug-addicted 
women. 
 
¶21. (U) Post utilized the Department's International 
Visitors Program on HIV in 2008 to familiarize Estonian 
experts with U.S. practices in the fight against 
HIV/AIDS. In October, under the Department's Voluntary 
Visitors Program, six Estonian HIV case management 
experts visited the best HIV case management program 
sites in the United States. 
 
---------------------- 
¶V. Statistical Tables 
---------------------- 
 
¶22.  N/A 
 
---------------------------- 
VI. CHEMICAL CONTROL ISSUES 
---------------------------- 
 
¶23. (U) Estonia's principal legislation on chemical 
controls - the Act on Narcotic and Psychotropic 
Substances and Precursors (ANPSP) - implements the 1988 
UN Drug Convention objectives and is in full compliance 
with EU legislation on drug precursors.  In accordance 
with the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and 
the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substance, the 
ANPSP categorizes chemical substances into three 
categories.  None of the substances in any of the three 
categories are produced in Estonia. 
 
¶24. (U) The first specified controlled substance category 
under the ANPSP includes ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. 
Under the law, a license is needed to possess, market, 
import, export, or broker these substances.  The Bureau 
of Import, Export, Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic 
Substances of the State Agency of Medicine (SAM) is 
responsible for chemical control in Estonia.  Currently, 
the SAM has issued one ephedrine handling license to a 
wholesaler who obtains the substance from within the EU 
common market.  The SAM has not issued any licenses to 
import or export ephedrine to or from third countries. 
The annual use of ephedrine in Estonia is about six 
kilograms.  The GOE has a pre-export notification 
procedure even though Estonia does not manufacture 
medicines that contain ephedrine or pseudoephedrine. 
 
¶25. (U) Potassium permanganate and acetic anhydride are 
included in the ANPSP's second category of controlled 
substances.  Annual use in Estonia for both substances is 
less than one hundred kilos, although SAM contacts tell 
us that in the future they may have to refer USG requests 
for such data to Brussels for a centralized EU response. 
In order to handle, market, import, or export potassium 
permanganate and acetic anhydride, the producing and 
marketing venue must be registered with the SAM. 
Currently, the SAM registry includes 15 companies that 
process potassium permanganate, and eight companies that 
process acetic anhydride.  These companies are primarily 
involved in importing these substances from the EU or 
marketing them within the EU.  In order to export 
potassium permanganate and acetic anhydride, an export 
license and a pre-export notification are required. 
Neither potassium permanganate nor acetic anhydride is 
 
 
produced in Estonia, and the SAM has not issued any 
licenses to export these substances to third countries. 
The third category of drugs under the ANPSP is not 
relevant to this report. 
 
PHILLIPS