VZCZCXRO4941
RR RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHNEH RUEHPW RUEHSK RUEHVK
RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #0105/01 0261136
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 261136Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1403
INFO RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE VIENNA AU
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0267
RUCNCLS/SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC 0294
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEABND/DEA HQ WASHINGTON DC
RUEAWJA/DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC//ICITAP
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 000105 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN (HUSHEK) 
INL/AAE FOR BUHLER 
JUSTICE FOR DUCOT 
DEFENSE FOR OSD/P 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: SNAR KCRM KJUS PGOV PREL RF TI
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN: SUPPORT TO TAJIK DRUG LIAISON OFFICERS IN 
AFGHANISTAN 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  INL Dushanbe requests INL Washington to conclude 
an interagency agreement to provide $70,000 to the Drug Enforcement 
Administration to support the Tajik Drug Control Agency drug liaison 
officers in Afghanistan.  Funding will be available upon signing of 
the next Amended Letter of Agreement with the Government of 
Tajikistan.  End summary. 
 
BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) The Tajik Drug Liaison Office, a unit of the Tajik Drug 
Control Agency (the Agency), began operations in September of 2007 
in the Takhar Province of Afghanistan.  The liaison office consists 
of a team of four officers (Colonel, Lt. Colonel, and two lower 
ranking officers) based in the town of Taloqan.  According to the 
Agency, this province is one of the most frequently utilized areas 
in northern Afghanistan by major Tajik and Afghan drug trafficking 
organizations responsible for shipping large quantities of Afghan 
opiates via the Northern Route to Russia and other European 
countries. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Since commencing operations, the drug liaison office has 
successfully recruited sources which have provided actionable 
information that has led to seizures of heroin in Afghanistan.  In 
addition to seizures, the sources have assisted the officers in: 
¶A. identifying significant traffickers operating in the region and 
provided intelligence regarding the transportation methods and the 
smuggling routes used by drug trafficking organizations; 
¶B. identifying the owners of processing laboratories in Takhar 
Province; 
¶C. identifying corrupt Tajik public officials involved in 
trafficking Afghan opiates; 
¶D. providing the Agency with information about individuals targeting 
U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Recently, the liaison officers developed a confidential 
source which they later passed to the Kabul office of the Drug 
Enforcement Administration (DEA).  Based upon the source's 
information and services, officers of the DEA Kabul office and 
Afghan counterparts subsequently initiated an investigation of a 
group of Afghan traffickers which resulted in the seizure of 20 kg 
of heroin and the arrest of two traffickers. 
 
DESCRIPTION OF LIAISON OFFICER SUPPORT OPERATION AND TIME FRAME 
 
¶5. (U) Funding for this ongoing project should enable the Tajik 
liaison officers to continue operations through the end of FY 2009. 
The liaison office should be able to build upon past successes and 
enhance cultivation of sources.  As the DEA Kabul office expands and 
DEA FAST (Foreign Deployed Advisory Support Teams) deployments 
increase in northern Afghanistan, the liaison office will become an 
even more valuable intelligence collection asset.  In addition to 
the above DEA country offices, leads will also be sent to other 
applicable DEA foreign and domestic offices, as well as the El Paso 
Intelligence Center (EPIC) and DEA's Special Operations Division 
(SOD). 
 
FUNDING REQUIREMENTS 
 
¶6. (U) Below are funding requirements to support liaison office from 
January 1, 2009 through September 30, 2009.  A spreadsheet has been 
emailed to INL/AAE.  Funding for future support will be considered 
when Congress completes FY 2009 appropriations. 
 
 
Description               Quarterly     Last 9 months  Annual 
QDescription               Quarterly     Last 9 months  Annual 
                                         of FY-2009     costs 
 
Tajik DLO Officers 
Salary & Bonus            11,100         33,300        44,400 
 
Rent of House/Office      2,400          7,200         9,600 
 
Fuel Expenses 
for vehicle & heat        700            2,100         2,800 
 
Communication Expenses    300            900           1,200 
 
 
DUSHANBE 00000105  002 OF 002 
 
 
Security Expenses 
for House/Office          300            900           1,200 
 
Afghan Visas Expense      240            720           960 
 
Vehicle Repair/ 
Maintenance Expenses      300            900           1,200 
 
Per Diem for DLO Officers 
(Traveling Away from DLO) 2,000          6,000         8,000 
 
Total                     17,340         52,020        69,360 
 
 
 
JACOBSON