VZCZCXRO0494
RR RUEHHT
DE RUEHHT #0136/01 3171523
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 131523Z NOV 09 ZFF4
FM AMCONSUL HAMILTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3925
INFO RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0903
RUEABND/DEA
RUWHTEW/ICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
RUEHHT/AMCONSUL HAMILTON 2102

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HAMILTON 000136 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/WE (JOHN MARBURG AND NIMA ABBASZADEH) 
STATE FOR EUR/PPD (LEE MCMANIS AND ALISANDE PIPKIN) 
LONDON FOR ROB HUBER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM SOCI PGOV BD
SUBJECT: BERMUDA'S FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS:  PREVENTION AND ENFORCEMENT 
 
HAMILTON 00000136  001.17 OF 003 
 
 
Summary 
 
¶1.       (SBU)  Bermuda Customs describes Bermuda as a point of 
destination for drugs because of the high street value garnered 
as compared with street values in the U.S.  The Bermuda 
Department of National Drug Control (DNDC) has documented an 
increasing use of illicit drugs in Bermuda, and a May government 
report highlighted drugs as the third concern of Island 
residents.  The Government of Bermuda (GOB) is addressing the 
problem from the standpoint of both prevention/treatment (to be 
reported in SEPTEL) and enforcement/interdiction, but has been 
less than effective.  Although drug use is up, Bermuda Police 
Service (BPS) statistics - which the police acknowledge are 
inadequate and misleading - delineate a downward trend in 
narcotics seizures in Bermuda between 2001 and 2008.  In 2008, 
the only year for which street value figures are available, law 
enforcement agencies seized $7.1 million in drugs.  Cannabis was 
the primary drug confiscated, followed by cocaine, cocaine 
freebase and heroin.  The BPS has shifted its focus to the 
interdiction of drug shipments before they reach the Island and 
works with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and U.S. 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).  Meanwhile, the DNDC 
struggles to implement programs to prevent, treat and 
rehabilitate drug abusers.  End summary. 
 
 
 
Government Acknowledges Drug Problem 
 
 
 
¶2.       (SBU)  Bermuda is a destination for illegal drugs, not 
a point of origin or transshipment.  H.M. Customs confirmed with 
Consulate staff on November 3 that the Island is a destination 
of choice for illegal drug trafficking because of the high price 
drug dealers can secure on the Island compared to the United 
States.  Customs' William Pearman, Assistant Collector of 
Customs for Enforcement Operations, explained that the high 
street value favors the division of the drug trade among 
multiple players, or gangs, which have grown increasingly active 
and violent in Bermuda.  The Chairwoman of the National 
Anti-Money Laundering Committee, the independent advisor to the 
Ministry of Justice on anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism 
financing (AML/ATF), told Consulate staff on November 9 that the 
Island's AML/ATF regime is focused almost entirely on the 
laundering of drug proceeds.  The GOB's first comprehensive 
strategy to address drug abuse issues, "A Framework for the 
National Drug Control Policies and Master Plan 2007-2011," 
states: "Sufficient evidence exists that points to the fact that 
Bermuda is witnessing an unprecedented upsurge in the prevalence 
of illicit drug use (marijuana, cocaine and heroin) and 
drug-related criminal activities such as violence and illicit 
trafficking."  The master plan continues:  "The drugs phenomenon 
is~a major threat to the internal security and public health of 
society.  The use of drugs, particularly among young people is 
at comparatively high levels." 
 
 
 
Average Bermudians Too Are Worried 
 
 
 
¶3.      (SBU)  A government omnibus report in May listed drugs 
as the third concern of Bermuda residents.  Acting Director of 
the Department of National Drug Control (DNDC), Dr. Ken-Garfield 
Douglas, told Consulate personnel on October 20 that the use of 
marijuana and heroin is of major concern generally in Bermuda 
and that men aged 21-35 years are the most at risk.  He worried 
that drug use increasingly manifests itself at school.  In an 
example that rocked the community, police locked down one of the 
Island's two secondary schools on October 20 when drug-related 
violence erupted, sending two students to hospital.  Douglas 
stated that almost 24 percent of youth have used cannabis at 
least once and that 12 percent of students reported using 
illicit drugs, other than marijuana, during their lifetimes.  He 
indicated further that students' use of inhalants as a gateway 
drug is of particular concern.  He noted that a better picture 
of drug use by youth and the general public will become 
available after the DNDC and the Bermuda Department of 
Statistics collaborate in a November national drug consumption 
telephone survey of 1600 randomly-selected households and a 
December youth drug survey.  Preliminary results will be 
available in December and January respectively. 
 
 
 
HAMILTON 00000136  002.17 OF 003 
 
 
 
BPS Focuses on Interdictions, Domestic Drug Seizures Decline 
Since 2001 
 
 
 
¶4.       (SBU)  Paul Wright, Assistant Commissioner of Police 
for Serious and Organized Crime and Intelligence - which 
includes drug enforcement - provided the consulate with BPS and 
Customs seizure statistics for 2001-2008 that show that drug 
seizures trended down over the period.  Seizures were greatest 
in 2003 at 1,022, compared with 672 in 2008 and 508 during the 
first nine months of 2009.  These figures do not include BPS 
disruption operations in the United States, interdicting drug 
shipments bound for Bermuda, of which there have been several in 
2009 and which form a significant part of the work of the BPS 
Intelligence Division.  Customs told the Consul General on 
November 3 that the primary source of drugs in Bermuda is the 
U.S.  The BPS works closely with DEA and ICE to interdict drugs 
bound for Bermuda.  U.S. Customs and Border Protection at L.F. 
Wade Airport works closely with its Bermudian counterparts in an 
effort to identify those who may be in violation of the laws of 
either country.  Wright explained to Consulate staff on October 
22 that more and more effort is going into overseas interdiction 
efforts where drug quantities tend to be larger. 
 
 
 
¶5.       (SBU)  According to BPS statistics, the greatest number 
of police seizures are made on the streets, but those numbers 
too have dropped. In 2001, there were 783 street seizures, 
compared with only 490 in 2008.  The statistics highlight the 
growing number of seizures at courier services such as FedEx and 
DHL, with 74 such seizures in 2008 and 55 in the first nine 
months of 2009, up significantly since 2001 when there were only 
three such seizures.  Customs' seizures on cruise ship have 
dropped off from a high of 185 in 2003 and 157 in 2004 to just 
13 in 2008.  (Note:  Customs attributed some of this to visits 
it has made to cruise ship lines in Miami to review drug 
activity issues.)  However, cruise ship seizures for 
January-September 2009 increased to 21.  Customs seizures at the 
airport have also dropped, from a high of 68 in 2005 to 38 in 
2008 and 38 in January-September 2009.  On November 12, Pearman 
offered his insight into why port seizures are dropping.  "We 
have found that seizure rates are cyclical with periods of low 
and high seizures. This may be caused by a number of factors 
such as new smuggling methodologies, increase in seizures 
overseas, or financial issues caused by successful seizures. 
Perhaps the decline is the result of large shipments being 
dropped off by passing vessels, and being picked up by small 
local vessels and bypassing our controls."  Wright offered a 
slightly different view.  He theorized that one of the reasons 
for the drop-off in seizures at the ports of entry is that 
tourism has been trending down over the past several years, with 
fewer visitors to Bermuda.  With respect to seizures generally, 
he suggested that seizures are fewer because drug importers are 
increasingly using international courier services, subdividing 
their shipments into small amounts among multiple packages and 
hoping that most will escape detection.  The amount of drugs 
being seized on the street has also declined as sellers hold 
only small amounts readily available as they seek to avoid being 
charged with intent to distribute, according to Wright. 
 
 
 
Cannabis Leading Drug Seized 
 
 
 
¶6.       (U)  BPS figures show that cannabis is the primary drug 
seized in Bermuda.  This is not surprising as societal views on 
the use of marijuana are mixed, with some recently arguing for 
its legalization.  In 2008, the only full year for which street 
value statistics are available, Police seized almost $3 million 
worth of cannabis, or 42 percent of the total $7.1 million of 
drugs seized.  From a high of 473.1 kilos in 2006, the volume of 
cannabis seized dropped to 241.2 kilos in 2008 and 145.52 kilos 
during the first three quarters of 2009.  Police continue to 
find cannabis plants on the island. The BPS seized 608 plants in 
2008 and 761 plants in January-September 2009, compared to 604 
in 2001 and 930 in 2004.  Cocaine seizures have shown an overall 
reduction, from a high of 40.9 kilos in 2002 to a low of 4.8 
kilos in 2008, although the first nine months of 2009 show an 
increase to 7.02 kilos.  Cocaine freebase seizures have 
similarly declined from a high of 4.2 kilos in 2001 to 0.22 in 
2008, although for the first three quarters of 2009 the amount 
 
HAMILTON 00000136  003.17 OF 003 
 
 
seized increased to 0.603 kilos.  Heroin seizures also declined 
to 0.8 kilos in 2008 and .019 kilos in January-September 2009, 
down from a high of 2.6 kilos in 2002.  Methamphetamine seizures 
have been generally low, except for 20,373 seizures in 2006 and 
10,508 tablets seized in 2008. 
 
 
 
Police Worry that Statistics Don't Reflect Reality 
 
 
 
¶7.       (SBU)  Assistant Commissioner Wright cautioned in an 
October 15 conversation with consulate staff that the BPS 
statistics should be interpreted as preliminary only.  He called 
"data integrity" a real problem - partly because current figures 
do not reflect interdiction of drugs headed to the Island.  With 
respect to the paucity of street value statistics, Wright said 
that historically seizures were listed by weight rather than 
purity. He explained, "The only way to determine the values 
would be to re-examine every analyst's certificate to determine 
purity, and that is not practical."  He complained that the 
daily newspaper does a better job reporting crime statistics 
than the BPS itself.  In his position only since July, Wright 
stated that he has been charged with revamping the data 
collection system; the new system should be up and running in 
¶2010. 
 
 
 
Comment 
 
 
 
¶8.       (SBU)  Given declining arrest/seizure statistics that 
are acknowledged to be poor, it is difficult to say whether the 
BPS and H.M. Customs are doing their jobs effectively.  Although 
Wright and other police officers are committed, the BPS suffers 
from a lack of direction, vision and leadership, which manifests 
itself at every level within the service.  The current Police 
Commissioner will move on in December, so new leadership could 
help.  Bermuda's intensified focus on preventing drugs from 
reaching the island and its cooperation with US enforcement 
agencies are positive steps. But it is clear that drug use and 
drug-related crime are on the rise, and the GOB is still 
struggling to formulate an effective response.SHELTON