VZCZCXRO3942
PP RUEHIK
DE RUEHSM #0703/01 3131329
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 011329Z DEC 09 ZDK CTG NUM SVCS
FM AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4867
RUEAWJB/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 16 STOCKHOLM 000703 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR PGOV PREL KSEP SW
SUBJECT:  SWEDEN: 2009-2010 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY 
REPORT (INSCR), PART I 
 
STOCKHOLM 00000703  001.6 OF 016 
 
 
¶I. Summary 
---------- 
 
¶1. Sweden is not a significant illicit drug producing country. 
However, police report that Sweden is increasingly becoming a 
transit country for illegal drugs to other Nordic countries and 
Eastern European states.  The fight against illegal drugs is an 
important government priority and enjoys strong public support. 
There are an estimated 26,000 serious drug (viz., heroin, cocaine) 
users in Sweden, and the overall quantities of narcotics seized in 
2009 did not change significantly from 2008.  Amphetamine and 
cannabis remain the most popular illegal drugs and during the year, 
the influx of methamphetamine increased.  Total heroin usage did not 
change from 2008, although the abuse of anabolic steroids continued 
to rise.  The quantity of narcotics ordered over the internet 
increased in 2009.  The number of high school aged boys and girls 
who claim to have tried drugs increased two percentage points, 
cannabis being the most common drug.  To combat these trends, law 
enforcement and customs entities have been active in several 
domestic and international counter-narcotic projects in the last 
year. 
 
¶2. The majority of narcotics in Sweden originates in South America, 
West Africa, Eastern Europe, China, and Afghanistan and is smuggled 
via other EU countries.  Khat usage remains restricted to specific 
immigrant communities.  Limited residential cultivation of cannabis 
occurs, along with a limited number of small kitchen labs producing 
methamphetamine and anabolic steroids.  Sweden is not believed to 
have any industrial narcotics laboratories.  Sweden is a party to 
the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
 
II. Status of Country 
--------------------- 
 
¶3. Relative to other European countries, Sweden (both government and 
society) is highly intolerant of illegal drugs.  Sweden places 
strong focus on prevention and education.  According to government 
statistics, 12 percent of the adult population (15-75 years old) has 
tried drugs at some point during their lives.  According to the 
latest available figure, Sweden continues to have approximately 
26,000 serious drug addicts (i.e. regular intravenous use and/or 
daily need for narcotics).  Some 25 percent of serious drug users 
are women (in both 2008 and 2009).  The most common drugs addicts 
use are amphetamines, heroine and cannabis. 
 
¶4. The National Institute of Public Health notes an increase in 
drug-related deaths in 2009 from an average of 300 per year to 
approximately 350 in 2009.  According to police reports, Sweden is 
both a destination and transit country for amphetamines.  The 
seizure of Methamphetamine has increased significantly in 2009 due 
to new methods of productions.  According to the Swedish Customs a 
new trend is that the drug is trafficked to Sweden from so called 
"BMK labs" in Lithuania. 
 
¶5. The government-sponsored Organization for Information on Drugs 
and Alcohol (CAN) reports that the overall number of young people 
who have used drugs increased compared to that of 2008.  The 
percentage of high school aged boys (15-16 years old) who claim to 
have been offered drugs increased to 21 percent in 2009, compared to 
19 percent in 2008.  Corresponding statistics for girls remained at 
19 percent in 2009.  High school aged boys who claim to have tried 
drugs increased two percentage points to nine percent for high 
school aged girls increased from five to seven percent. 
Approximately 80 percent of those who try drugs for the first time 
do so with cannabis.  Amphetamines and Ecstasy resembling drugs are 
the second and third most commonly used drugs. 
 
¶6. There are regional differences in drug use.  The use of narcotics 
is predominately concentrated in urban areas, and the southern parts 
of the country, but is growing in rural areas.  The police have 
observed a countrywide increase in the use of cocaine.  Previously 
considered a "luxury" drug and mainly used in fashionable bars and 
restaurants, cocaine has become more common due to a significant 
drop in price.  In 2000, one gram of cocaine cost the equivalent of 
$200, today the price is as low as $55-120 in Stockholm and $110-140 
in southern Sweden.  Cocaine is mainly smuggled to Sweden through 
the major European ports, such as Rotterdam, and then by land or 
air.  South American smugglers and dealers have long dominated the 
drug trade, however competition from other criminal groups, such as 
Serbians and Russians, have lead to a price decrease. 
 
¶7. Cannabis is one of the most commonly used narcotics in Sweden. 
Some 80 percent of the cannabis in Sweden comes from Morocco, the 
remainder from the Middle East and Central Asia.  Cannabis is 
becoming more common in Sweden; the plant has been refined and can 
now be cultivated in cooler climates.  Cannabis users can be found 
all over Sweden in all socio-economic groups. 
 
¶8. The use of khat is exclusive to immigrant communities such as 
 
STOCKHOLM 00000703  002.6 OF 016 
 
 
Somalis and Ethiopians, who are continuing a practice of their birth 
countries.  Khat is often smuggled into the country concealed in 
fruit and vegetable packages.  In 2008, the police and customs hired 
more personnel with in-depth knowledge of khat to combat the influx. 
 The project has resulted in increased seizures of khat and the 
project will continue during 2009.  The Swedish Customs and the 
Police are also working to a change the narcotics law to reduce the 
possession amount of khat that is legally punishable.  Today 
possession of khat must reach 200 kilo to be considered a serious 
violation. 
 
¶9. Last year's trend of an increase in the ordering of illicit drugs 
over the internet continued.  Mephedrone, GBL, Methylon and Salvia 
are the drugs most commonly smuggled via parcels ordered over the 
Internet.  Other Internet-ordered drugs confiscated by the Customs 
also include heroin, steroids and illegal pharmaceuticals such as 
Tramadol.  Ecstasy use has decreased significantly during 2009 to 
the advantage of drugs with similar characteristics.  Most packages 
originate from the EU, usually smuggled in from China.  Combating 
the Internet narcotics trade is a priority and Swedish law 
enforcement is coordinating closely with Interpol and Europol to 
develop methods to prevent teenagers from purchasing drugs online. 
 
¶10. The occurrence of doping continues to increase.  According to a 
new study from the National Police Board the number of people using 
steroids on a regular basis is 10,000 - 12,000 people.  The 
University Hospital Karolinska in Stockholm estimates the number of 
users is around 50,000.  The seizure of steroids -- both in powder 
form and pills -- increased during 2009.  The drugs are smuggled to 
Sweden as powder and are formed to pills in small drug pharmacies in 
the country. 
 
III. Country Actions against Drugs in 2009 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶11. Policy Initiatives and Accomplishments: The government's 
National Action Plan on Narcotics runs through 2010.  Demand 
reduction and supply restriction figure prominently, and the plan 
includes provisions to increase treatment for prison inmates with 
drug addictions.  Four ministries share the primary responsibility 
for drug policy: the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, the 
Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry for 
Foreign Affairs.  Together, officials from these ministries form an 
independent working group called The Government's Coordination Body 
in Drug Related Issues (SAMNARK), which coordinates the 
implementation of the Action Plan.  A governmental investigative 
commission established to review current narcotics legislation 
presented its recommendations on December 31, 2008.  The commission 
suggested Swedish authorities monitor the supply of drugs on the 
internet, and to give the authorities the right to purchase 
unclassified substances for analysis to speed up the classification 
process of new drugs.  The commission also suggested harsher 
penalties for doping crimes. 
 
¶12. Sweden participates in a three-year, Denmark-led project 
targeting West African cocaine and heroin networks.  Continued 
cooperation with Baltic countries, where significant drug 
trafficking routes exist, constitutes an ongoing and important 
element in Sweden's counternarcotics efforts.  Sweden participates 
in the EU Council of Ministers working group for overall narcotic 
drugs issues, the Horizontal Working Party on Drugs (HDG).  HDG 
deals primarily with domestic issues, legal problems and positions 
as well as the situation in countries outside the EU.  Sweden also 
participates in the Western Balkans and drug combating projects 
spearheaded by COSPOL, a counternarcotics EU task force led by 
national police commissioners. 
 
¶13. In September the government classified seven substances similar 
to cannabis as narcotics, among them the popular internet drug 
"Spice."  In May, Mephedrone was classified as a narcotic.  Fighting 
drugs also remain a high priority area for Sweden's official 
development assistance.  In 2008 Sweden allocated over $12.6 million 
for the UN Office of Drugs and Crime's general and special-purpose 
programs. 
 
¶14. The Swedish EU Presidency, July - December 2009, has meant 
increased opportunities to cooperate with countries to combat 
narcotics.  In the negotiations on the EU Framework Decision on 
Drugs, which was signed in 2004, Sweden was proactive and 
contributed to a provision to the effect that a deeper evaluation 
should be made.  The import of this was that the European Commission 
will not only look at how Member States have implemented the 
framework decision, but also how the provisions are applied.  The 
Commission presented its evaluation report in May 2009.  The work of 
the Council on analyzing the report took place on November 2-3, 2009 
when the drug coordinators of the Member States met in Stockholm. 
 
¶15. Law Enforcement Efforts: In 2009, authorities did not uncover 
any major drug processing labs.  Police reported 58,403 
 
STOCKHOLM 00000703  003.4 OF 016 
 
 
narcotics-related crimes from January to September 2009.  This 
represents a three percent increase compared to the corresponding 
period of 2008 when 56,735 cases were reported.  In 2008 a total of 
78,200 narcotics related crimes were reported to the police. 
Approximately 21 percent of the arrests under the Narcotics Act led 
to convictions, which on an average resulted in seven months in 
jail.  The majority of the crimes involved consumption and 
possession.  Two percent of all convictions are considered serious 
violations and the average conviction is four years and eight months 
imprisonment. 
 
¶16. In March 2009, the police made a large drug bust of 447 buyers 
UNCLASSIFIED 
PROG 11/09/09 
POL:BOlsen 
POL:HWaluszewski 
POLD 
 
AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 
SECSTATE WASHDC, PRIORITY 
DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC 
DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC 
DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC 
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR PGOV PREL KSEP SW
SUBJECT:  SWEDEN: 2009-2010 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY 
REPORT (INSCR), PART I 
 
¶I. Summary 
---------- 
 
¶1. Sweden is not a significant illicit drug producing country. 
However, police report that Sweden is increasingly becoming a 
transit country for illegal drugs to other Nordic countries and 
Eastern European states.  The fight against illegal drugs is an 
important government priority and enjoys strong public support. 
There are an estimated 26,000 serious drug (viz., heroin, cocaine) 
users in Sweden, and the overall quantities of narcotics seized in 
2009 did not change significantly from 2008.  Amphetamine and 
cannabis remain the most popular illegal drugs and during the year, 
the influx of methamphetamine increased.  Total heroin usage did not 
change from 2008, although the abuse of anabolic steroids continued 
to rise.  The quantity of narcotics ordered over the internet 
increased in 2009.  The number of high school aged boys and girls 
who claim to have tried drugs increased two percentage points, 
cannabis being the most common drug.  To combat these trends, law 
enforcement and customs entities have been active in several 
domestic and international counter-narcotic projects in the last 
year. 
 
¶2. The majority of narcotics in Sweden originates in South America, 
West Africa, Eastern Europe, China, and Afghanistan and is smuggled 
via other EU countries.  Khat usage remains restricted to specific 
immigrant communities.  Limited residential cultivation of cannabis 
occurs, along with a limited number of small kitchen labs producing 
methamphetamine and anabolic steroids.  Sweden is not believed to 
have any industrial narcotics laboratories.  Sweden is a party to 
the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
 
II. Status of Country 
--------------------- 
 
¶3. Relative to other European countries, Sweden (both government and 
society) is highly intolerant of illegal drugs.  Sweden places 
strong focus on prevention and education.  According to government 
statistics, 12 percent of the adult population (15-75 years old) has 
tried drugs at some point during their lives.  According to the 
latest available figure, Sweden continues to have approximately 
26,000 serious drug addicts (i.e. regular intravenous use and/or 
daily need for narcotics).  Some 25 percent of serious drug users 
are women (in both 2008 and 2009).  The most common drugs addicts 
use are amphetamines, heroine and cannabis. 
 
¶4. The National Institute of Public Health notes an increase in 
drug-related deaths in 2009 from an average of 300 per year to 
approximately 350 in 2009.  According to police reports, Sweden is 
both a destination and transit country for amphetamines.  The 
seizure of Methamphetamine has increased significantly in 2009 due 
to new methods of productions.  According to the Swedish Customs a 
new trend is that the drug is trafficked to Sweden from so called 
"BMK labs" in Lithuania. 
 
¶5. The government-sponsored Organization for Information on Drugs 
and Alcohol (CAN) reports that the overall number of young people 
who have used drugs increased compared to that of 2008.  The 
 
STOCKHOLM 00000703  004.6 OF 016 
 
 
percentage of high school aged boys (15-16 years old) who claim to 
have been offered drugs increased to 21 percent in 2009, compared to 
19 percent in 2008.  Corresponding statistics for girls remained at 
19 percent in 2009.  High school aged boys who claim to have tried 
drugs increased two percentage points to nine percent for high 
school aged girls increased from five to seven percent. 
Approximately 80 percent of those who try drugs for the first time 
do so with cannabis.  Amphetamines and Ecstasy resembling drugs are 
the second and third most commonly used drugs. 
 
¶6. There are regional differences in drug use.  The use of narcotics 
is predominately concentrated in urban areas, and the southern parts 
of the country, but is growing in rural areas.  The police have 
observed a countrywide increase in the use of cocaine.  Previously 
considered a "luxury" drug and mainly used in fashionable bars and 
restaurants, cocaine has become more common due to a significant 
drop in price.  In 2000, one gram of cocaine cost the equivalent of 
$200, today the price is as low as $55-120 in Stockholm and $110-140 
in southern Sweden.  Cocaine is mainly smuggled to Sweden through 
the major European ports, such as Rotterdam, and then by land or 
air.  South American smugglers and dealers have long dominated the 
drug trade, however competition from other criminal groups, such as 
Serbians and Russians, have lead to a price decrease. 
 
¶7. Cannabis is one of the most commonly used narcotics in Sweden. 
Some 80 percent of the cannabis in Sweden comes from Morocco, the 
remainder from the Middle East and Central Asia.  Cannabis is 
becoming more common in Sweden; the plant has been refined and can 
now be cultivated in cooler climates.  Cannabis users can be found 
all over Sweden in all socio-economic groups. 
 
¶8. The use of khat is exclusive to immigrant communities such as 
Somalis and Ethiopians, who are continuing a practice of their birth 
countries.  Khat is often smuggled into the country concealed in 
fruit and vegetable packages.  In 2008, the police and customs hired 
more personnel with in-depth knowledge of khat to combat the influx. 
 The project has resulted in increased seizures of khat and the 
project will continue during 2009.  The Swedish Customs and the 
Police are also working to a change the narcotics law to reduce the 
possession amount of khat that is legally punishable.  Today 
possession of khat must reach 200 kilo to be considered a serious 
violation. 
 
¶9. Last year's trend of an increase in the ordering of illicit drugs 
over the internet continued.  Mephedrone, GBL, Methylon and Salvia 
are the drugs most commonly smuggled via parcels ordered over the 
Internet.  Other Internet-ordered drugs confiscated by the Customs 
also include heroin, steroids and illegal pharmaceuticals such as 
Tramadol.  Ecstasy use has decreased significantly during 2009 to 
the advantage of drugs with similar characteristics.  Most packages 
originate from the EU, usually smuggled in from China.  Combating 
the Internet narcotics trade is a priority and Swedish law 
enforcement is coordinating closely with Interpol and Europol to 
develop methods to prevent teenagers from purchasing drugs online. 
 
¶10. The occurrence of doping continues to increase.  According to a 
new study from the National Police Board the number of people using 
steroids on a regular basis is 10,000 - 12,000 people.  The 
University Hospital Karolinska in Stockholm estimates the number of 
users is around 50,000.  The seizure of steroids -- both in powder 
form and pills -- increased during 2009.  The drugs are smuggled to 
Sweden as powder and are formed to pills in small drug pharmacies in 
the country. 
 
III. Country Actions against Drugs in 2009 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶11. Policy Initiatives and Accomplishments: The government's 
National Action Plan on Narcotics runs through 2010.  Demand 
reduction and supply restriction figure prominently, and the plan 
includes provisions to increase treatment for prison inmates with 
drug addictions.  Four ministries share the primary responsibility 
for drug policy: the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, the 
Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry for 
Foreign Affairs.  Together, officials from these ministries form an 
independent working group called The Government's Coordination Body 
in Drug Related Issues (SAMNARK), which coordinates the 
implementation of the Action Plan.  A governmental investigative 
commission established to review current narcotics legislation 
presented its recommendations on December 31, 2008.  The commission 
suggested Swedish authorities monitor the supply of drugs on the 
internet, and to give the authorities the right to purchase 
unclassified substances for analysis to speed up the classification 
process of new drugs.  The commission also suggested harsher 
penalties for doping crimes. 
 
¶12. Sweden participates in a three-year, Denmark-led project 
targeting West African cocaine and heroin networks.  Continued 
cooperation with Baltic countries, where significant drug 
 
STOCKHOLM 00000703  005.6 OF 016 
 
 
trafficking routes exist, constitutes an ongoing and important 
element in Sweden's counternarcotics efforts.  Sweden participates 
in the EU Council of Ministers working group for overall narcotic 
drugs issues, the Horizontal Working Party on Drugs (HDG).  HDG 
deals primarily with domestic issues, legal problems and positions 
as well as the situation in countries outside the EU.  Sweden also 
participates in the Western Balkans and drug combating projects 
spearheaded by COSPOL, a counternarcotics EU task force led by 
national police commissioners. 
 
¶13. In September the government classified seven substances similar 
to cannabis as narcotics, among them the popular internet drug 
"Spice."  In May, Mephedrone was classified as a narcotic.  Fighting 
drugs also remain a high priority area for Sweden's official 
development assistance.  In 2008 Sweden allocated over $12.6 million 
for the UN Office of Drugs and Crime's general and special-purpose 
programs. 
 
¶14. The Swedish EU Presidency, July - December 2009, has meant 
increased opportunities to cooperate with countries to combat 
narcotics.  In the negotiations on the EU Framework Decision on 
Drugs, which was signed in 2004, Sweden was proactive and 
contributed to a provision to the effect that a deeper evaluation 
should be made.  The import of this was that the European Commission 
will not only look at how Member States have implemented the 
framework decision, but also how the provisions are applied.  The 
Commission presented its evaluation report in May 2009.  The work of 
the Council on analyzing the report took place on November 2-3, 2009 
when the drug coordinators of the Member States met in Stockholm. 
 
¶15. Law Enforcement Efforts: In 2009, authorities did not uncover 
any major drug processing labs.  Police reported 58,403 
narcotics-related crimes from January to September 2009.  This 
represents a three percent increase compared to the corresponding 
period of 2008 when 56,735 cases were reported.  In 2008 a total of 
78,200 narcotics related crimes were reported to the police. 
Approximately 21 percent of the arrests under the Narcotics Act led 
to convictions, which on an average resulted in seven months in 
jail.  The majority of the crimes involved consumption and 
possession.  Two percent of all convictions are considered serious 
violations and the average conviction is four years and eight months 
imprisonment. 
 
¶16. In March 2009, the police made a large drug bust of 447 buyers 
UNCLASSIFIED 
PROG 11/09/09 
POL:BOlsen 
POL:HWaluszewski 
POLD 
 
AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 
SECSTATE WASHDC, PRIORITY 
DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC 
DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC 
DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC 
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR PGOV PREL KSEP SW
SUBJECT:  SWEDEN: 2009-2010 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY 
REPORT (INSCR), PART I 
 
¶I. Summary 
---------- 
 
¶1. Sweden is not a significant illicit drug producing country. 
However, police report that Sweden is increasingly becoming a 
transit country for illegal drugs to other Nordic countries and 
Eastern European states.  The fight against illegal drugs is an 
important government priority and enjoys strong public support. 
There are an estimated 26,000 serious drug (viz., heroin, cocaine) 
users in Sweden, and the overall quantities of narcotics seized in 
2009 did not change significantly from 2008.  Amphetamine and 
cannabis remain the most popular illegal drugs and during the year, 
the influx of methamphetamine increased.  Total heroin usage did not 
change from 2008, although the abuse of anabolic steroids continued 
to rise.  The quantity of narcotics ordered over the internet 
increased in 2009.  The number of high school aged boys and girls 
who claim to have tried drugs increased two percentage points, 
cannabis being the most common drug.  To combat these trends, law 
enforcement and customs entities have been active in several 
domestic and international counter-narcotic projects in the last 
year. 
 
¶2. The majority of narcotics in Sweden originates in South America, 
West Africa, Eastern Europe, China, and Afghanistan and is smuggled 
via other EU countries.  Khat usage remains restricted to specific 
 
STOCKHOLM 00000703  006.6 OF 016 
 
 
immigrant communities.  Limited residential cultivation of cannabis 
occurs, along with a limited number of small kitchen labs producing 
methamphetamine and anabolic steroids.  Sweden is not believed to 
have any industrial narcotics laboratories.  Sweden is a party to 
the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
 
II. Status of Country 
--------------------- 
 
¶3. Relative to other European countries, Sweden (both government and 
society) is highly intolerant of illegal drugs.  Sweden places 
strong focus on prevention and education.  According to government 
statistics, 12 percent of the adult population (15-75 years old) has 
tried drugs at some point during their lives.  According to the 
latest available figure, Sweden continues to have approximately 
26,000 serious drug addicts (i.e. regular intravenous use and/or 
daily need for narcotics).  Some 25 percent of serious drug users 
are women (in both 2008 and 2009).  The most common drugs addicts 
use are amphetamines, heroine and cannabis. 
 
¶4. The National Institute of Public Health notes an increase in 
drug-related deaths in 2009 from an average of 300 per year to 
approximately 350 in 2009.  According to police reports, Sweden is 
both a destination and transit country for amphetamines.  The 
seizure of Methamphetamine has increased significantly in 2009 due 
to new methods of productions.  According to the Swedish Customs a 
new trend is that the drug is trafficked to Sweden from so called 
"BMK labs" in Lithuania. 
 
¶5. The government-sponsored Organization for Information on Drugs 
and Alcohol (CAN) reports that the overall number of young people 
who have used drugs increased compared to that of 2008.  The 
percentage of high school aged boys (15-16 years old) who claim to 
have been offered drugs increased to 21 percent in 2009, compared to 
19 percent in 2008.  Corresponding statistics for girls remained at 
19 percent in 2009.  High school aged boys who claim to have tried 
drugs increased two percentage points to nine percent for high 
school aged girls increased from five to seven percent. 
Approximately 80 percent of those who try drugs for the first time 
do so with cannabis.  Amphetamines and Ecstasy resembling drugs are 
the second and third most commonly used drugs. 
 
¶6. There are regional differences in drug use.  The use of narcotics 
is predominately concentrated in urban areas, and the southern parts 
of the country, but is growing in rural areas.  The police have 
observed a countrywide increase in the use of cocaine.  Previously 
considered a "luxury" drug and mainly used in fashionable bars and 
restaurants, cocaine has become more common due to a significant 
drop in price.  In 2000, one gram of cocaine cost the equivalent of 
$200, today the price is as low as $55-120 in Stockholm and $110-140 
in southern Sweden.  Cocaine is mainly smuggled to Sweden through 
the major European ports, such as Rotterdam, and then by land or 
air.  South American smugglers and dealers have long dominated the 
drug trade, however competition from other criminal groups, such as 
Serbians and Russians, have lead to a price decrease. 
 
¶7. Cannabis is one of the most commonly used narcotics in Sweden. 
Some 80 percent of the cannabis in Sweden comes from Morocco, the 
remainder from the Middle East and Central Asia.  Cannabis is 
becoming more common in Sweden; the plant has been refined and can 
now be cultivated in cooler climates.  Cannabis users can be found 
all over Sweden in all socio-economic groups. 
 
¶8. The use of khat is exclusive to immigrant communities such as 
Somalis and Ethiopians, who are continuing a practice of their birth 
countries.  Khat is often smuggled into the country concealed in 
fruit and vegetable packages.  In 2008, the police and customs hired 
more personnel with in-depth knowledge of khat to combat the influx. 
 The project has resulted in increased seizures of khat and the 
project will continue during 2009.  The Swedish Customs and the 
Police are also working to a change the narcotics law to reduce the 
possession amount of khat that is legally punishable.  Today 
possession of khat must reach 200 kilo to be considered a serious 
violation. 
 
¶9. Last year's trend of an increase in the ordering of illicit drugs 
over the internet continued.  Mephedrone, GBL, Methylon and Salvia 
are the drugs most commonly smuggled via parcels ordered over the 
Internet.  Other Internet-ordered drugs confiscated by the Customs 
also include heroin, steroids and illegal pharmaceuticals such as 
Tramadol.  Ecstasy use has decreased significantly during 2009 to 
the advantage of drugs with similar characteristics.  Most packages 
originate from the EU, usually smuggled in from China.  Combating 
the Internet narcotics trade is a priority and Swedish law 
enforcement is coordinating closely with Interpol and Europol to 
develop methods to prevent teenagers from purchasing drugs online. 
 
¶10. The occurrence of doping continues to increase.  According to a 
new study from the National Police Board the number of people using 
 
STOCKHOLM 00000703  007.6 OF 016 
 
 
steroids on a regular basis is 10,000 - 12,000 people.  The 
University Hospital Karolinska in Stockholm estimates the number of 
users is around 50,000.  The seizure of steroids -- both in powder 
form and pills -- increased during 2009.  The drugs are smuggled to 
Sweden as powder and are formed to pills in small drug pharmacies in 
the country. 
 
III. Country Actions against Drugs in 2009 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶11. Policy Initiatives and Accomplishments: The government's 
National Action Plan on Narcotics runs through 2010.  Demand 
reduction and supply restriction figure prominently, and the plan 
includes provisions to increase treatment for prison inmates with 
drug addictions.  Four ministries share the primary responsibility 
for drug policy: the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, the 
Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry for 
Foreign Affairs.  Together, officials from these ministries form an 
independent working group called The Government's Coordination Body 
in Drug Related Issues (SAMNARK), which coordinates the 
implementation of the Action Plan.  A governmental investigative 
commission established to review current narcotics legislation 
presented its recommendations on December 31, 2008.  The commission 
suggested Swedish authorities monitor the supply of drugs on the 
internet, and to give the authorities the right to purchase 
unclassified substances for analysis to speed up the classification 
process of new drugs.  The commission also suggested harsher 
penalties for doping crimes. 
 
¶12. Sweden participates in a three-year, Denmark-led project 
targeting West African cocaine and heroin networks.  Continued 
cooperation with Baltic countries, where significant drug 
trafficking routes exist, constitutes an ongoing and important 
element in Sweden's counternarcotics efforts.  Sweden participates 
in the EU Council of Ministers working group for overall narcotic 
drugs issues, the Horizontal Working Party on Drugs (HDG).  HDG 
deals primarily with domestic issues, legal problems and positions 
as well as the situation in countries outside the EU.  Sweden also 
participates in the Western Balkans and drug combating projects 
spearheaded by COSPOL, a counternarcotics EU task force led by 
national police commissioners. 
 
¶13. In September the government classified seven substances similar 
to cannabis as narcotics, among them the popular internet drug 
"Spice."  In May, Mephedrone was classified as a narcotic.  Fighting 
drugs also remain a high priority area for Sweden's official 
development assistance.  In 2008 Sweden allocated over $12.6 million 
for the UN Office of Drugs and Crime's general and special-purpose 
programs. 
 
¶14. The Swedish EU Presidency, July - December 2009, has meant 
increased opportunities to cooperate with countries to combat 
narcotics.  In the negotiations on the EU Framework Decision on 
Drugs, which was signed in 2004, Sweden was proactive and 
contributed to a provision to the effect that a deeper evaluation 
should be made.  The import of this was that the European Commission 
will not only look at how Member States have implemented the 
framework decision, but also how the provisions are applied.  The 
Commission presented its evaluation report in May 2009.  The work of 
the Council on analyzing the report took place on November 2-3, 2009 
when the drug coordinators of the Member States met in Stockholm. 
 
¶15. Law Enforcement Efforts: In 2009, authorities did not uncover 
any major drug processing labs.  Police reported 58,403 
narcotics-related crimes from January to September 2009.  This 
represents a three percent increase compared to the corresponding 
period of 2008 when 56,735 cases were reported.  In 2008 a total of 
78,200 narcotics related crimes were reported to the police. 
Approximately 21 percent of the arrests under the Narcotics Act led 
to convictions, which on an average resulted in seven months in 
jail.  The majority of the crimes involved consumption and 
possession.  Two percent of all convictions are considered serious 
violations and the average conviction is four years and eight months 
imprisonment. 
 
¶16. In March 2009, the police made a large drug bust of 447 buyers 
UNCLASSIFIED 
PROG 11/09/09 
POL:BOlsen 
POL:HWaluszewski 
POLD 
 
AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 
SECSTATE WASHDC, PRIORITY 
DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC 
DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC 
DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC 
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE 
 
 
STOCKHOLM 00000703  008.6 OF 016 
 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR PGOV PREL KSEP SW
SUBJECT:  SWEDEN: 2009-2010 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY 
REPORT (INSCR), PART I 
 
¶I. Summary 
---------- 
 
¶1. Sweden is not a significant illicit drug producing country. 
However, police report that Sweden is increasingly becoming a 
transit country for illegal drugs to other Nordic countries and 
Eastern European states.  The fight against illegal drugs is an 
important government priority and enjoys strong public support. 
There are an estimated 26,000 serious drug (viz., heroin, cocaine) 
users in Sweden, and the overall quantities of narcotics seized in 
2009 did not change significantly from 2008.  Amphetamine and 
cannabis remain the most popular illegal drugs and during the year, 
the influx of methamphetamine increased.  Total heroin usage did not 
change from 2008, although the abuse of anabolic steroids continued 
to rise.  The quantity of narcotics ordered over the internet 
increased in 2009.  The number of high school aged boys and girls 
who claim to have tried drugs increased two percentage points, 
cannabis being the most common drug.  To combat these trends, law 
enforcement and customs entities have been active in several 
domestic and international counter-narcotic projects in the last 
year. 
 
¶2. The majority of narcotics in Sweden originates in South America, 
West Africa, Eastern Europe, China, and Afghanistan and is smuggled 
via other EU countries.  Khat usage remains restricted to specific 
immigrant communities.  Limited residential cultivation of cannabis 
occurs, along with a limited number of small kitchen labs producing 
methamphetamine and anabolic steroids.  Sweden is not believed to 
have any industrial narcotics laboratories.  Sweden is a party to 
the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
 
II. Status of Country 
--------------------- 
 
¶3. Relative to other European countries, Sweden (both government and 
society) is highly intolerant of illegal drugs.  Sweden places 
strong focus on prevention and education.  According to government 
statistics, 12 percent of the adult population (15-75 years old) has 
tried drugs at some point during their lives.  According to the 
latest available figure, Sweden continues to have approximately 
26,000 serious drug addicts (i.e. regular intravenous use and/or 
daily need for narcotics).  Some 25 percent of serious drug users 
are women (in both 2008 and 2009).  The most common drugs addicts 
use are amphetamines, heroine and cannabis. 
 
¶4. The National Institute of Public Health notes an increase in 
drug-related deaths in 2009 from an average of 300 per year to 
approximately 350 in 2009.  According to police reports, Sweden is 
both a destination and transit country for amphetamines.  The 
seizure of Methamphetamine has increased significantly in 2009 due 
to new methods of productions.  According to the Swedish Customs a 
new trend is that the drug is trafficked to Sweden from so called 
"BMK labs" in Lithuania. 
 
¶5. The government-sponsored Organization for Information on Drugs 
and Alcohol (CAN) reports that the overall number of young people 
who have used drugs increased compared to that of 2008.  The 
percentage of high school aged boys (15-16 years old) who claim to 
have been offered drugs increased to 21 percent in 2009, compared to 
19 percent in 2008.  Corresponding statistics for girls remained at 
19 percent in 2009.  High school aged boys who claim to have tried 
drugs increased two percentage points to nine percent for high 
school aged girls increased from five to seven percent. 
Approximately 80 percent of those who try drugs for the first time 
do so with cannabis.  Amphetamines and Ecstasy resembling drugs are 
the second and third most commonly used drugs. 
 
¶6. There are regional differences in drug use.  The use of narcotics 
is predominately concentrated in urban areas, and the southern parts 
of the country, but is growing in rural areas.  The police have 
observed a countrywide increase in the use of cocaine.  Previously 
considered a "luxury" drug and mainly used in fashionable bars and 
restaurants, cocaine has become more common due to a significant 
drop in price.  In 2000, one gram of cocaine cost the equivalent of 
$200, today the price is as low as $55-120 in Stockholm and $110-140 
in southern Sweden.  Cocaine is mainly smuggled to Sweden through 
the major European ports, such as Rotterdam, and then by land or 
air.  South American smugglers and dealers have long dominated the 
drug trade, however competition from other criminal groups, such as 
Serbians and Russians, have lead to a price decrease. 
 
¶7. Cannabis is one of the most commonly used narcotics in Sweden. 
 
STOCKHOLM 00000703  009.6 OF 016 
 
 
Some 80 percent of the cannabis in Sweden comes from Morocco, the 
remainder from the Middle East and Central Asia.  Cannabis is 
becoming more common in Sweden; the plant has been refined and can 
now be cultivated in cooler climates.  Cannabis users can be found 
all over Sweden in all socio-economic groups. 
 
¶8. The use of khat is exclusive to immigrant communities such as 
Somalis and Ethiopians, who are continuing a practice of their birth 
countries.  Khat is often smuggled into the country concealed in 
fruit and vegetable packages.  In 2008, the police and customs hired 
more personnel with in-depth knowledge of khat to combat the influx. 
 The project has resulted in increased seizures of khat and the 
project will continue during 2009.  The Swedish Customs and the 
Police are also working to a change the narcotics law to reduce the 
possession amount of khat that is legally punishable.  Today 
possession of khat must reach 200 kilo to be considered a serious 
violation. 
 
¶9. Last year's trend of an increase in the ordering of illicit drugs 
over the internet continued.  Mephedrone, GBL, Methylon and Salvia 
are the drugs most commonly smuggled via parcels ordered over the 
Internet.  Other Internet-ordered drugs confiscated by the Customs 
also include heroin, steroids and illegal pharmaceuticals such as 
Tramadol.  Ecstasy use has decreased significantly during 2009 to 
the advantage of drugs with similar characteristics.  Most packages 
originate from the EU, usually smuggled in from China.  Combating 
the Internet narcotics trade is a priority and Swedish law 
enforcement is coordinating closely with Interpol and Europol to 
develop methods to prevent teenagers from purchasing drugs online. 
 
¶10. The occurrence of doping continues to increase.  According to a 
new study from the National Police Board the number of people using 
steroids on a regular basis is 10,000 - 12,000 people.  The 
University Hospital Karolinska in Stockholm estimates the number of 
users is around 50,000.  The seizure of steroids -- both in powder 
form and pills -- increased during 2009.  The drugs are smuggled to 
Sweden as powder and are formed to pills in small drug pharmacies in 
the country. 
 
III. Country Actions against Drugs in 2009 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶11. Policy Initiatives and Accomplishments: The government's 
National Action Plan on Narcotics runs through 2010.  Demand 
reduction and supply restriction figure prominently, and the plan 
includes provisions to increase treatment for prison inmates with 
drug addictions.  Four ministries share the primary responsibility 
for drug policy: the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, the 
Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry for 
Foreign Affairs.  Together, officials from these ministries form an 
independent working group called The Government's Coordination Body 
in Drug Related Issues (SAMNARK), which coordinates the 
implementation of the Action Plan.  A governmental investigative 
commission established to review current narcotics legislation 
presented its recommendations on December 31, 2008.  The commission 
suggested Swedish authorities monitor the supply of drugs on the 
internet, and to give the authorities the right to purchase 
unclassified substances for analysis to speed up the classification 
process of new drugs.  The commission also suggested harsher 
penalties for doping crimes. 
 
¶12. Sweden participates in a three-year, Denmark-led project 
targeting West African cocaine and heroin networks.  Continued 
cooperation with Baltic countries, where significant drug 
trafficking routes exist, constitutes an ongoing and important 
element in Sweden's counternarcotics efforts.  Sweden participates 
in the EU Council of Ministers working group for overall narcotic 
drugs issues, the Horizontal Working Party on Drugs (HDG).  HDG 
deals primarily with domestic issues, legal problems and positions 
as well as the situation in countries outside the EU.  Sweden also 
participates in the Western Balkans and drug combating projects 
spearheaded by COSPOL, a counternarcotics EU task force led by 
national police commissioners. 
 
¶13. In September the government classified seven substances similar 
to cannabis as narcotics, among them the popular internet drug 
"Spice."  In May, Mephedrone was classified as a narcotic.  Fighting 
drugs also remain a high priority area for Sweden's official 
development assistance.  In 2008 Sweden allocated over $12.6 million 
for the UN Office of Drugs and Crime's general and special-purpose 
programs. 
 
¶14. The Swedish EU Presidency, July - December 2009, has meant 
increased opportunities to cooperate with countries to combat 
narcotics.  In the negotiations on the EU Framework Decision on 
Drugs, which was signed in 2004, Sweden was proactive and 
contributed to a provision to the effect that a deeper evaluation 
should be made.  The import of this was that the European Commission 
will not only look at how Member States have implemented the 
 
STOCKHOLM 00000703  010.6 OF 016 
 
 
framework decision, but also how the provisions are applied.  The 
Commission presented its evaluation report in May 2009.  The work of 
the Council on analyzing the report took place on November 2-3, 2009 
when the drug coordinators of the Member States met in Stockholm. 
 
¶15. Law Enforcement Efforts: In 2009, authorities did not uncover 
any major drug processing labs.  Police reported 58,403 
narcotics-related crimes from January to September 2009.  This 
represents a three percent increase compared to the corresponding 
period of 2008 when 56,735 cases were reported.  In 2008 a total of 
78,200 narcotics related crimes were reported to the police. 
Approximately 21 percent of the arrests under the Narcotics Act led 
to convictions, which on an average resulted in seven months in 
jail.  The majority of the crimes involved consumption and 
possession.  Two percent of all convictions are considered serious 
violations and the average conviction is four years and eight months 
imprisonment. 
 
¶16. In March 2009, the police made a large drug bust of 447 buyers 
UNCLASSIFIED 
PROG 11/09/09 
POL:BOlsen 
POL:HWaluszewski 
POLD 
 
AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 
SECSTATE WASHDC, PRIORITY 
DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC 
DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC 
DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC 
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR PGOV PREL KSEP SW
SUBJECT:  SWEDEN: 2009-2010 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY 
REPORT (INSCR), PART I 
 
¶I. Summary 
---------- 
 
¶1. Sweden is not a significant illicit drug producing country. 
However, police report that Sweden is increasingly becoming a 
transit country for illegal drugs to other Nordic countries and 
Eastern European states.  The fight against illegal drugs is an 
important government priority and enjoys strong public support. 
There are an estimated 26,000 serious drug (viz., heroin, cocaine) 
users in Sweden, and the overall quantities of narcotics seized in 
2009 did not change significantly from 2008.  Amphetamine and 
cannabis remain the most popular illegal drugs and during the year, 
the influx of methamphetamine increased.  Total heroin usage did not 
change from 2008, although the abuse of anabolic steroids continued 
to rise.  The quantity of narcotics ordered over the internet 
increased in 2009.  The number of high school aged boys and girls 
who claim to have tried drugs increased two percentage points, 
cannabis being the most common drug.  To combat these trends, law 
enforcement and customs entities have been active in several 
domestic and international counter-narcotic projects in the last 
year. 
 
¶2. The majority of narcotics in Sweden originates in South America, 
West Africa, Eastern Europe, China, and Afghanistan and is smuggled 
via other EU countries.  Khat usage remains restricted to specific 
immigrant communities.  Limited residential cultivation of cannabis 
occurs, along with a limited number of small kitchen labs producing 
methamphetamine and anabolic steroids.  Sweden is not believed to 
have any industrial narcotics laboratories.  Sweden is a party to 
the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
 
II. Status of Country 
--------------------- 
 
¶3. Relative to other European countries, Sweden (both government and 
society) is highly intolerant of illegal drugs.  Sweden places 
strong focus on prevention and education.  According to government 
statistics, 12 percent of the adult population (15-75 years old) has 
tried drugs at some point during their lives.  According to the 
latest available figure, Sweden continues to have approximately 
26,000 serious drug addicts (i.e. regular intravenous use and/or 
daily need for narcotics).  Some 25 percent of serious drug users 
are women (in both 2008 and 2009).  The most common drugs addicts 
use are amphetamines, heroine and cannabis. 
 
¶4. The National Institute of Public Health notes an increase in 
drug-related deaths in 2009 from an average of 300 per year to 
approximately 350 in 2009.  According to police reports, Sweden is 
both a destination and transit country for amphetamines.  The 
seizure of Methamphetamine has increased significantly in 2009 due 
 
STOCKHOLM 00000703  011.6 OF 016 
 
 
to new methods of productions.  According to the Swedish Customs a 
new trend is that the drug is trafficked to Sweden from so called 
"BMK labs" in Lithuania. 
 
¶5. The government-sponsored Organization for Information on Drugs 
and Alcohol (CAN) reports that the overall number of young people 
who have used drugs increased compared to that of 2008.  The 
percentage of high school aged boys (15-16 years old) who claim to 
have been offered drugs increased to 21 percent in 2009, compared to 
19 percent in 2008.  Corresponding statistics for girls remained at 
19 percent in 2009.  High school aged boys who claim to have tried 
drugs increased two percentage points to nine percent for high 
school aged girls increased from five to seven percent. 
Approximately 80 percent of those who try drugs for the first time 
do so with cannabis.  Amphetamines and Ecstasy resembling drugs are 
the second and third most commonly used drugs. 
 
¶6. There are regional differences in drug use.  The use of narcotics 
is predominately concentrated in urban areas, and the southern parts 
of the country, but is growing in rural areas.  The police have 
observed a countrywide increase in the use of cocaine.  Previously 
considered a "luxury" drug and mainly used in fashionable bars and 
restaurants, cocaine has become more common due to a significant 
drop in price.  In 2000, one gram of cocaine cost the equivalent of 
$200, today the price is as low as $55-120 in Stockholm and $110-140 
in southern Sweden.  Cocaine is mainly smuggled to Sweden through 
the major European ports, such as Rotterdam, and then by land or 
air.  South American smugglers and dealers have long dominated the 
drug trade, however competition from other criminal groups, such as 
Serbians and Russians, have lead to a price decrease. 
 
¶7. Cannabis is one of the most commonly used narcotics in Sweden. 
Some 80 percent of the cannabis in Sweden comes from Morocco, the 
remainder from the Middle East and Central Asia.  Cannabis is 
becoming more common in Sweden; the plant has been refined and can 
now be cultivated in cooler climates.  Cannabis users can be found 
all over Sweden in all socio-economic groups. 
 
¶8. The use of khat is exclusive to immigrant communities such as 
Somalis and Ethiopians, who are continuing a practice of their birth 
countries.  Khat is often smuggled into the country concealed in 
fruit and vegetable packages.  In 2008, the police and customs hired 
more personnel with in-depth knowledge of khat to combat the influx. 
 The project has resulted in increased seizures of khat and the 
project will continue during 2009.  The Swedish Customs and the 
Police are also working to a change the narcotics law to reduce the 
possession amount of khat that is legally punishable.  Today 
possession of khat must reach 200 kilo to be considered a serious 
violation. 
 
¶9. Last year's trend of an increase in the ordering of illicit drugs 
over the internet continued.  Mephedrone, GBL, Methylon and Salvia 
are the drugs most commonly smuggled via parcels ordered over the 
Internet.  Other Internet-ordered drugs confiscated by the Customs 
also include heroin, steroids and illegal pharmaceuticals such as 
Tramadol.  Ecstasy use has decreased significantly during 2009 to 
the advantage of drugs with similar characteristics.  Most packages 
originate from the EU, usually smuggled in from China.  Combating 
the Internet narcotics trade is a priority and Swedish law 
enforcement is coordinating closely with Interpol and Europol to 
develop methods to prevent teenagers from purchasing drugs online. 
 
¶10. The occurrence of doping continues to increase.  According to a 
new study from the National Police Board the number of people using 
steroids on a regular basis is 10,000 - 12,000 people.  The 
University Hospital Karolinska in Stockholm estimates the number of 
users is around 50,000.  The seizure of steroids -- both in powder 
form and pills -- increased during 2009.  The drugs are smuggled to 
Sweden as powder and are formed to pills in small drug pharmacies in 
the country. 
 
III. Country Actions against Drugs in 2009 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶11. Policy Initiatives and Accomplishments: The government's 
National Action Plan on Narcotics runs through 2010.  Demand 
reduction and supply restriction figure prominently, and the plan 
includes provisions to increase treatment for prison inmates with 
drug addictions.  Four ministries share the primary responsibility 
for drug policy: the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, the 
Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry for 
Foreign Affairs.  Together, officials from these ministries form an 
independent working group called The Government's Coordination Body 
in Drug Related Issues (SAMNARK), which coordinates the 
implementation of the Action Plan.  A governmental investigative 
commission established to review current narcotics legislation 
presented its recommendations on December 31, 2008.  The commission 
suggested Swedish authorities monitor the supply of drugs on the 
internet, and to give the authorities the right to purchase 
 
STOCKHOLM 00000703  012.4 OF 016 
 
 
INT ZFR IMI ZFR STOCKHOLM 703 
 
 
STOCKHOLM 00000703  013.6 OF 016 
 
 
enforcement and customs entities have been active in several 
domestic and international counter-narcotic projects in the last 
year. 
 
¶2. The majority of narcotics in Sweden originates in South America, 
West Africa, Eastern Europe, China, and Afghanistan and is smuggled 
via other EU countries.  Khat usage remains restricted to specific 
immigrant communities.  Limited residential cultivation of cannabis 
occurs, along with a limited number of small kitchen labs producing 
methamphetamine and anabolic steroids.  Sweden is not believed to 
have any industrial narcotics laboratories.  Sweden is a party to 
the 1988 UN Drug Convention. 
 
II. Status of Country 
--------------------- 
 
¶3. Relative to other European countries, Sweden (both government and 
society) is highly intolerant of illegal drugs.  Sweden places 
strong focus on prevention and education.  According to government 
statistics, 12 percent of the adult population (15-75 years old) has 
tried drugs at some point during their lives.  According to the 
latest available figure, Sweden continues to have approximately 
26,000 serious drug addicts (i.e. regular intravenous use and/or 
daily need for narcotics).  Some 25 percent of serious drug users 
are women (in both 2008 and 2009).  The most common drugs addicts 
use are amphetamines, heroine and cannabis. 
 
¶4. The National Institute of Public Health notes an increase in 
drug-related deaths in 2009 from an average of 300 per year to 
approximately 350 in 2009.  According to police reports, Sweden is 
both a destination and transit country for amphetamines.  The 
seizure of Methamphetamine has increased significantly in 2009 due 
to new methods of productions.  According to the Swedish Customs a 
new trend is that the drug is trafficked to Sweden from so called 
"BMK labs" in Lithuania. 
 
¶5. The government-sponsored Organization for Information on Drugs 
and Alcohol (CAN) reports that the overall number of young people 
who have used drugs increased compared to that of 2008.  The 
percentage of high school aged boys (15-16 years old) who claim to 
have been offered drugs increased to 21 percent in 2009, compared to 
19 percent in 2008.  Corresponding statistics for girls remained at 
19 percent in 2009.  High school aged boys who claim to have tried 
drugs increased two percentage points to nine percent for high 
school aged girls increased from five to seven percent. 
Approximately 80 percent of those who try drugs for the first time 
do so with cannabis.  Amphetamines and Ecstasy resembling drugs are 
the second and third most commonly used drugs. 
 
¶6. There are regional differences in drug use.  The use of narcotics 
is predominately concentrated in urban areas, and the southern parts 
of the country, but is growing in rural areas.  The police have 
observed a countrywide increase in the use of cocaine.  Previously 
considered a "luxury" drug and mainly used in fashionable bars and 
restaurants, cocaine has become more common due to a significant 
drop in price.  In 2000, one gram of cocaine cost the equivalent of 
$200, today the price is as low as $55-120 in Stockholm and $110-140 
in southern Sweden.  Cocaine is mainly smuggled to Sweden through 
the major European ports, such as Rotterdam, and then by land or 
air.  South American smugglers and dealers have long dominated the 
drug trade, however competition from other criminal groups, such as 
Serbians and Russians, have lead to a price decrease. 
 
¶7. Cannabis is one of the most commonly used narcotics in Sweden. 
Some 80 percent of the cannabis in Sweden comes from Morocco, the 
remainder from the Middle East and Central Asia.  Cannabis is 
becoming more common in Sweden; the plant has been refined and can 
now be cultivated in cooler climates.  Cannabis users can be found 
all over Sweden in all socio-economic groups. 
 
¶8. The use of khat is exclusive to immigrant communities such as 
Somalis and Ethiopians, who are continuing a practice of their birth 
countries.  Khat is often smuggled into the country concealed in 
fruit and vegetable packages.  In 2008, the police and customs hired 
more personnel with in-depth knowledge of khat to combat the influx. 
 The project has resulted in increased seizures of khat and the 
project will continue during 2009.  The Swedish Customs and the 
Police are also working to a change the narcotics law to reduce the 
possession amount of khat that is legally punishable.  Today 
possession of khat must reach 200 kilo to be considered a serious 
violation. 
 
¶9. Last year's trend of an increase in the ordering of illicit drugs 
over the internet continued.  Mephedrone, GBL, Methylon and Salvia 
are the drugs most commonly smuggled via parcels ordered over the 
Internet.  Other Internet-ordered drugs confiscated by the Customs 
also include heroin, steroids and illegal pharmaceuticals such as 
Tramadol.  Ecstasy use has decreased significantly during 2009 to 
the advantage of drugs with similar characteristics.  Most packages 
 
STOCKHOLM 00000703  014.6 OF 016 
 
 
originate from the EU, usually smuggled in from China.  Combating 
the Internet narcotics trade is a priority and Swedish law 
enforcement is coordinating closely with Interpol and Europol to 
develop methods to prevent teenagers from purchasing drugs online. 
 
¶10. The occurrence of doping continues to increase.  According to a 
new study from the National Police Board the number of people using 
steroids on a regular basis is 10,000 - 12,000 people.  The 
University Hospital Karolinska in Stockholm estimates the number of 
users is around 50,000.  The seizure of steroids -- both in powder 
form and pills -- increased during 2009.  The drugs are smuggled to 
Sweden as powder and are formed to pills in small drug pharmacies in 
the country. 
 
III. Country Actions against Drugs in 2009 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶11. Policy Initiatives and Accomplishments: The government's 
National Action Plan on Narcotics runs through 2010.  Demand 
reduction and supply restriction figure prominently, and the plan 
includes provisions to increase treatment for prison inmates with 
drug addictions.  Four ministries share the primary responsibility 
for drug policy: the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, the 
Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry for 
Foreign Affairs.  Together, officials from these ministries form an 
independent working group called The Government's Coordination Body 
in Drug Related Issues (SAMNARK), which coordinates the 
implementation of the Action Plan.  A governmental investigative 
commission established to review current narcotics legislation 
presented its recommendations on December 31, 2008.  The commission 
suggested Swedish authorities monitor the supply of drugs on the 
internet, and to give the authorities the right to purchase 
unclassified substances for analysis to speed up the classification 
process of new drugs.  The commission also suggested harsher 
penalties for doping crimes. 
 
¶12. Sweden participates in a three-year, Denmark-led project 
targeting West African cocaine and heroin networks.  Continued 
cooperation with Baltic countries, where significant drug 
trafficking routes exist, constitutes an ongoing and important 
element in Sweden's counternarcotics efforts.  Sweden participates 
in the EU Council of Ministers working group for overall narcotic 
drugs issues, the Horizontal Working Party on Drugs (HDG).  HDG 
deals primarily with domestic issues, legal problems and positions 
as well as the situation in countries outside the EU.  Sweden also 
participates in the Western Balkans and drug combating projects 
spearheaded by COSPOL, a counternarcotics EU task force led by 
national police commissioners. 
 
¶13. In September the government classified seven substances similar 
to cannabis as narcotics, among them the popular internet drug 
"Spice."  In May, Mephedrone was classified as a narcotic.  Fighting 
drugs also remain a high priority area for Sweden's official 
development assistance.  In 2008 Sweden allocated over $12.6 million 
for the UN Office of Drugs and Crime's general and special-purpose 
programs. 
 
¶14. The Swedish EU Presidency, July - December 2009, has meant 
increased opportunities to cooperate with countries to combat 
narcotics.  In the negotiations on the EU Framework Decision on 
Drugs, which was signed in 2004, Sweden was proactive and 
contributed to a provision to the effect that a deeper evaluation 
should be made.  The import of this was that the European Commission 
will not only look at how Member States have implemented the 
framework decision, but also how the provisions are applied.  The 
Commission presented its evaluation report in May 2009.  The work of 
the Council on analyzing the report took place on November 2-3, 2009 
when the drug coordinators of the Member States met in Stockholm. 
 
¶15. Law Enforcement Efforts: In 2009, authorities did not uncover 
any major drug processing labs.  Police reported 58,403 
narcotics-related crimes from January to September 2009.  This 
represents a three percent increase compared to the corresponding 
period of 2008 when 56,735 cases were reported.  In 2008 a total of 
78,200 narcotics related crimes were reported to the police. 
Approximately 21 percent of the arrests under the Narcotics Act led 
to convictions, which on an average resulted in seven months in 
jail.  The majority of the crimes involved consumption and 
possession.  Two percent of all convictions are considered serious 
violations and the average conviction is four years and eight months 
imprisonment. 
 
¶16. In March 2009, the police made a large drug bust of 447 buyers 
UNCLASSIFIED 
PROG 11/06/2098 
ECON:LKIRKCONNELL 
ECON:AHENNINGSSON, EHOFVERBERG 
NONE 
 
 
STOCKHOLM 00000703  015.4 OF 016 
 
 
INT ZFR IMI ZFR STOCKHOLM 703 
 
 
STOCKHOLM 00000703  016.4 OF 016 
 
 
INT ZFR IMI ZFR STOCKHOLM 703 
 
BARZUN