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DE RUEHBW #1316/01 3101643
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R 061642Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0359
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 BELGRADE 001316 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE (P. PETERSON), INL (J. LYLE) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SNAR KCRM SR
SUBJECT: SERBIA: 2009 INCSR PART 1 SUBMISSION 
 
REF: STATE 097228 
 
¶1. The following is the International Narcotics Control Strategy 
Report, 2009-2010, Part 1 for Serbia. 
 
 
 
BEGIN TEXT. 
 
 
 
Serbia 
 
 
 
¶I. Summary 
 
 
 
The Republic of Serbia is a major transit country for narcotics and 
other drugs along the Balkan smuggling corridor from Turkey to 
Central and Western Europe. In 2009, Serbia took measures to 
improve its capacity to combat drug trafficking through new laws 
and law enforcement initiatives that tightened the regulations on 
narcotics, corruption, and organized crime, including legislation 
authorizing plea bargaining and the use of witness collaborators. 
Serbia's drug laws are adequate, but strategic coordination among 
law enforcement and judicial bodies is problematic. A small amount 
of smuggled narcotics remains in Serbia for domestic consumption. 
As Yugoslavia's successor state, the Republic of Serbia is party to 
the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
 
 
 
II. Status of Country 
 
 
 
Serbia is primarily a transit country for the movement of 
narcotics. The number of seizures in the first part of 2009 
appeared to decrease slightly in comparison with 2008.  Serbia's 
borders remain porous, but Serbia has increased border cooperation 
with many of its neighbors. Increased international law enforcement 
cooperation has led to some important arrests, but cooperation with 
Kosovo remains low. Heroin is the most prevalent narcotic, 
transported from Central Asia along the Balkan Route. Marijuana is 
grown in and transported from Albania. Serbian organized crime 
groups are smuggling cocaine from South America directly to Western 
Europe, although some comes to Serbia overland or through the 
postal system. The Serbian government estimates that relatively 
small amounts of narcotics, mostly heroin, remain in the country 
for domestic consumption. 
 
 
 
III. Country Actions against Drugs in 2009 
 
 
 
Policy Initiatives. Serbia's Parliament passed amendments to the 
Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure code in August 2009 to enhance 
Serbian law enforcement's efforts to combat narcotics smuggling, 
organized crime, and corruption, including the use of plea 
bargaining and increased use of witness collaborators and special 
investigative techniques such as wiretapping. Parliament is 
considering draft versions of a new Customs Law and a new Customs 
Service Law to replace the current Customs Law. The new laws, if 
adopted, would bring Serbia's Customs Service into accordance with 
European Union standards, most importantly by giving the Customs 
Service law enforcement status and the ability to testify in court. 
The government also adopted a National Strategy for the Fight 
against Drugs in February 2009. The government created a 
minister-level coordinating body to fight organized crime in 2009. 
Serbia established in 2009 an Anti-Corruption Agency, which will 
investigate allegations of official corruption.  The Agency will be 
operational in 2010. 
 
 
 
Law Enforcement Efforts. A number of law enforcement agencies are 
responsible for combating drug-related crimes, including the 
Interior Ministry's Drug Smuggling Suppression Department, Border 
Police, and Drug Addiction Suppression Department; and the Finance 
Ministry's Customs Administration. While these agencies report 
 
BELGRADE 00001316  002 OF 005 
 
 
generally good operational cooperation, there is no government-wide 
coordinating body that addresses anti-narcotics trafficking law 
enforcement efforts. The Interior Ministry is currently going 
through a strategic planning process that could result in improved 
formal cooperation. The Commission for the Fight against Drugs, 
composed of the Ministries of Health, Education and Sport, 
Interior, Social Welfare, and Justice, meets to develop activities 
to implement the National Strategy for the Fight against Drugs, but 
there is no clear lead ministry. 
 
 
 
Serbia's cooperation with police in other countries has been 
intensifying. Serbia hosts law enforcement liaison officers from 
Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Italy, and Australia. In March 2009, 
Serbia hosted a regional UN Office on Drugs and Crime conference on 
"Promoting the Rule of Law Human Security in South Eastern Europe," 
and in September 2009 the Ministries of Justice and Interior hosted 
a regional organized crime conference. Serbia also continued to 
participate in Southeastern Europe Cooperative Initiative (SECI) 
Regional Center for Combating Trans-border Crime activities, such 
as a September 2009 organized crime conference. In May 2009, Serbia 
and Croatia signed an agreement on police cooperation. 
 
The Interior Ministry conducts joint investigations with 
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Croatia and provides 
intelligence to other neighbors and Western European countries, 
which aids in seizures and arrests in those countries. 
Increasingly, Serbia is working with South American countries with 
U.S. assistance. Serbian law enforcement in October 2009 
participated in a Drug Enforcement Agency seizure of 2.8 tons of 
cocaine in international waters near Uruguay.  Serbian authorities 
arrested three Serbian citizens in connection with the case, and 
they are in detention in Serbia awaiting trial. 
 
 
 
Cooperation with the Republic of Kosovo remains an exception to 
this trend. The government does not recognize Kosovo as an 
independent country and therefore will not cooperate directly with 
representatives of Kosovo's government, permit them to attend 
conferences that Serbia hosts, or participate in multilateral 
events with Kosovo representatives. The Interior Ministry signed an 
agreement with the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo 
(EULEX) in September to cooperate on law enforcement issues, and 
the Customs Service cooperates informally with EULEX, but both 
forms of interaction need to increase significantly. 
 
 
 
Serbia's Customs Administration Law Enforcement Directorate and all 
Interior Ministry agencies made a total of 3,634 seizures from 
January to September 2009.  During this period, Serbia interdicted 
a total of 655.3 kg of drugs including 107.4 kg of heroin, 501.3 kg 
of marijuana, 9.9 kg of cocaine, 15.4 kg of hashish, 7.6 kg plus 
202 tablets of Ecstasy, 91 tablets of LSD, 5.5 kg plus 204 tablets 
of amphetamines, and 8.2 kg plus 14,607 tablets of other illegal 
drugs. This is a decrease in quantity of drugs seized compared to 
the first part of 2008, but law enforcement officials note that 
total quantity of drugs seized is not indicative of success, since 
many seizures involve small quantities and other seizures yield 
unexpectedly high results. 
 
 
 
Serbian law enforcement agencies report that while most 
interdictions to date have been the result of good investigative 
work, the government is introducing equipment to aid in border 
inspections, such as the upcoming purchase of 10 mobile x-ray 
systems for the Customs Administration. 
 
 
 
In October 2009, the government launched the nationwide "Operation 
Morava," targeting drug dealers. The government reported during the 
initial phase of the operation on October 31 that police 
temporarily detained 500 individuals throughout Serbia, with 100 
taken into custody. It is anticipated that approximately 80 will be 
charged with narcotics-related offenses. The Interior Ministry 
reported seizing $1.05 million in counterfeit U.S. dollars, 
currency, weapons, luxury vehicles, stolen vehicles, several 
kilograms of illegal drugs, and other items. 
 
BELGRADE 00001316  003 OF 005 
 
 
Under Article 246 of the Criminal Code, Production, Distribution, 
and Possession of Narcotics, in the first nine months of 2009, 
police arrested and charged 3,592 individuals. Under Article 247, 
Facilitating the Consumption of Narcotics, police arrested and 
charged 155 individuals.  In 2008, 4,178 individuals were tried 
under Article 246, and 3,870 were convicted. More than half of the 
sentences were probation, fines, or community service, and most 
prison sentences were three years or less. The majority of 
prosecutions (70% in 2008) were for possession, which carries more 
lenient sentences than for production or distribution (29% of cases 
in 2008). 
 
 
 
Corruption. Corruption within Serbia's law enforcement agencies 
responsible for counter narcotics remains a problem, in large part 
due to low pay. The Customs Administration reported that there was 
no organized crime influence but that there were continued 
instances of officers accepting small bribes from drug dealers or 
users. The Customs Administration reported that it investigated and 
referred for prosecution 10% more officials suspected of corruption 
in 2009 than in 2008. The Drug Smuggling Suppression Department 
reported reduced corruption and noted that there were no police 
investigated for narcotics-related corruption in the first nine 
months of 2009. 
 
 
 
No evidence exists that the Serbian government encourages the 
illicit production or distribution of narcotics or actively 
launders proceeds from illegal drug transactions. There is no 
evidence that any senior government official engages in, 
encourages, or facilitates the illicit production or distribution 
of drugs. The Republic of Serbia is a party to the 2003 UN 
Convention against Corruption. 
 
 
 
Agreements and Treaties. Serbia became the legal successor state to 
the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro on June 3, 2006. All 
international treaties and agreements continue in force, including 
the 1988 UN Drug Convention, the 1961 UN Single Convention as 
amended by the 1972 Protocol, the 1971 UN Convention on 
Psychotropic Substances, and the UN Convention against 
Transnational Organized Crime, and its protocols against 
trafficking in persons, migrant smuggling and trafficking in 
illegal firearms. Serbia has cooperative agreements with Slovenia, 
Croatia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina on issues relating to cross-border 
narcotics trafficking. Serbia signed a trilateral agreement with 
Romania and Bulgaria for counter-narcotics cooperation in 2008. The 
1902 Extradition Treaty between the United States and the Kingdom 
of Serbia remains in force between the United States and Serbia. In 
2009, the Parliament passed a law on international cooperation in 
criminal matters that permits the extradition of Serbian nationals 
if a binding international treaty exists. 
 
 
 
Drug Flow/Transit: Serbia sits directly on the Balkan narcotics 
trafficking route. The UNODC estimates that over 80 tons of heroin 
travels along this route each year. Serbia's location and porous 
borders make it attractive for transit. There is no inspection of 
transit cargo entering on boats traveling on the Danube and only 
inspection of container seals and documents for cargo destined for 
Serbia. The Customs Administration reports greater flows of drugs 
from Montenegro and Kosovo this year. 
 
Heroin grown and processed in Afghanistan is smuggled through 
Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, and Kosovo into Serbia, and onward into 
Western Europe. Police reported an increase in the street price of 
heroin at the end of October, likely a reaction to recent large 
interdictions; it is too early to tell if this is a trend. An 
estimated 5-10 % of heroin stays in the country, but Serbia 
primarily serves as a transit point. Large amounts of marijuana 
flow from Albania through Montenegro and onward through Serbia to 
Western Europe. Some cocaine also transits Serbia along the Balkan 
route. The Customs Administration reported a significant seizure of 
cocaine at a border crossing with Bulgaria, where it is more common 
to discover heroin; it is too early to tell if this represents a 
trend. The Drug Smuggling Suppression Department believes that 
Serbian organized crime groups are bypassing Serbia and smuggling 
cocaine directly from South America to Western Europe. Some of this 
cocaine comes overland to Serbia, and police have recently 
 
BELGRADE 00001316  004 OF 005 
 
 
discovered that some is sent to Serbia through the postal system 
and commercial courier services. There is an increase in 
trafficking of synthetic drugs and precursors from Western Europe, 
either for the domestic market or transiting to Turkey. 
 
 
 
Domestic Programs/Demand Reduction. The government conducts an 
addiction prevention program in primary and secondary schools, 
"Drug Zero, Life One," which includes lectures for students, 
parents, and teachers and referrals for families who seek help, but 
the program is not mandatory and individual schools choose whether 
to participate. The National Network for the Fight against Drugs, a 
network of anti-drug NGOs, maintains a website with information 
about drug addiction and prevention. 
 
 
 
According to the Public Health Service, there were 60,000 drug 
users in Serbia in 2008. According to a 2009 Public Health Service 
study, 15% of high school freshmen have tried narcotics. Serbia's 
only dedicated government-run drug and alcohol rehabilitation 
clinic treats about 1,100 patients per year. The clinic provides 
emergency services and inpatient and outpatient detoxification, 
using opiate receptor blockers or methadone, psychotherapy, and 
reintegration skills workshops to treat patients. Public hospitals, 
including prison hospitals, run outpatient and inpatient drug 
rehabilitation programs, and the Health Ministry has a pilot 
project to provide methadone substitution in primary care clinics. 
The Serbian Orthodox Church also operates several drug 
rehabilitation centers. In May 2009, there were allegations of 
patient abuse at a center in Crna Reka in Serbia's Sandzak region. 
The Church dismissed the head of the center, and the district 
prosecutor requested an investigation of the center's two top 
officials on charges of abuse and torture. 
 
 
 
IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs 
 
 
 
Bilateral Cooperation. The Serbian Government works closely with 
the United States, the OSCE, and EU countries to reform and improve 
its law enforcement and judicial capacity. The United States has 
provided extensive technical assistance and equipment donations to 
the police, customs services, border police, and judiciary. Several 
USG agencies have programs that directly or indirectly support 
counter-narcotics activities in Serbia, including the Department of 
Justice International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance 
Program (ICITAP), the Drug Enforcement Agency, Department of 
Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Department of the 
Treasury, and Department of State. The Departments of State and 
Justice Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and 
Training (OPDAT) have also been instrumental in supporting the 
Special Court for Organized Crime and War Crimes. The programs are 
aimed at professionalizing the police and customs services, 
building skills for new prosecution and investigation techniques 
provided for in new legislation, improving the ability of Serbia to 
prosecute corruption and organized crime, including money 
laundering and illicit trafficking, and increasing the ability of 
the judiciary to effectively address serious crime. 
 
 
 
In 2009, DOJ ICITAP assisted in the formation of Serbia's first 
undercover police unit by addressing personnel selection issues, 
training, and mentoring. The unit chief attended additional FBI 
undercover agent selection process training. In March, the 
Departments of State and Justice instructed in an OSCE undercover 
operations training course. An undercover officer successfully 
completed the unit's first undercover purchase of illegal narcotics 
in April 2009, leading to charges against two drug traffickers.  In 
November, ICITAP and OPDAT held an international narcotics 
trafficking course for police and prosecutors. 
 
 
 
The Road Ahead. The United States will continue to support the 
efforts of Serbian law enforcement to combat narcotics smuggling in 
the region. During the next year the United States would like to 
see Serbia increase its cooperation with Kosovo and EULEX.  Serbia 
should also continue progress on judicial and law enforcement 
reform, strengthen interagency coordination, and fully define the 
 
BELGRADE 00001316  005 OF 005 
 
 
structure and activities of the Commission for the Fight against 
Drugs. Increased public awareness campaigns could decrease domestic 
demand. 
 
 
 
END TEXT. 
BRUSH