VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVT #0490/01 3101009
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 061009Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY VALLETTA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2401

UNCLAS VALLETTA 000490 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR INL, JOHN LYLE 
DEPT ALSO FOR EUR/WE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR MT
SUBJECT: MALTA 2009-10 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL 
STRATEGY REPORT (INCSR) PART I 
 
REF: STATE 97228 
 
¶1.  Malta's 2009-10 INCSR Part I is submitted in response to 
reftel. 
 
¶2.  Text follows: 
¶I. Summary 
The Republic of Malta does not play a significant role in the 
transit, processing or production of narcotics and 
psychotropic drugs and other controlled substances. Surveys 
indicate that illicit drug use is confined to a small segment 
of the population. The Maltese Government dedicated 
significant time and effort over the past decade updating 
Malta's laws and criminal codes in preparation for joining 
the European Union in 2004. As a result, Malta's criminal 
code is in alignment with the goals and objectives of the 
1988 United Nations Drug convention, which Malta ratified in 
¶1999. The Malta Police Drug Unit and the National Drug 
Intelligence Unit (NDIU) continue to improve their 
capabilities. Their success is perhaps best illustrated by 
the general upward trend in seizures of controlled substances 
over the last five years. This trend is the result of 
improved coordination and communications among all agencies 
involved in controlling drugs. 
II. Status of Country 
Malta, an island nation of some 413,000 population between 
Sicily and North Africa, is a minor player in global 
production, processing, and transshipment of narcotics and 
other controlled substances. There is no evidence to indicate 
that Malta's role in the worldwide drug trade will change 
significantly in the near future. There is some evidence to 
suggest that on a small scale Malta serves as a transshipment 
point for drugs from Africa to Europe. Malta is not isolated, 
with daily flights, numerous ship calls, a large commercial 
port, the presence of numerous irregular migrants, and 
frequent international travel by a large percentage of 
Maltese, the island has myriad connections with Europe and 
Africa. The drug problem is generally limited to the sale and 
use of consumer quantities of illegal drugs. Consumption is 
generally not high, although there has been over the past 
decade an increase in the proliferation of recreational drugs 
such as Ecstasy and also an increased use and trafficking of 
illicit drugs by persons under eighteen.  Police have 
recently seized quantities of the drug khat, which is 
frequently seen in countries surrounding the Horn of Africa, 
from which a number of asylum seekers have arrived in recent 
years.  Cultivation activity in-country appears to be limited 
to the growing of less than a few hundred cannabis plants per 
year for local consumption. Malta is not a precursor or 
essential chemical source country. There are a number of 
generic pharmaceutical firms operating in Malta but no 
evidence of diversion from the production side. There are 
stringent legislative controls of the pharmaceutical sector 
and the Maltese Health Department conducts inspections and 
review of company records. 
 
III. Country Actions against Drugs in 2009 
 
Policy Initiatives.  In 2004, the Government of Malta and the 
United States successfully negotiated a Maritime 
Counter-Narcotics Cooperation Agreement. This agreement 
concerns "cooperation to suppress illicit traffic in narcotic 
drugs and psychotropic substances by sea" and is intended to 
assist the interdiction of the flow of drugs via Maltese 
flagged shipping. Parliament passed the legislation necessary 
to implement the Counter Narcotics Cooperation Agreement in 
November 2007. The agreement entered into force after the 
exchange of notes in December 2007, and Malta is prepared to 
execute the provisions of the Agreement. 
 
Law Enforcement Efforts.  Since the drug problem in Malta is 
not widespread, enforcement agencies are able to focus a 
substantial percentage of their resources on preventing the 
smuggling of drugs into Malta.  The  Police Drug Squad and 
Customs personnel have had significant success through the 
profiling and targeting of suspected passengers transiting 
the airport.  The Police and the Armed Forces of Malta work 
together to monitor, intercept and interrupt sea borne 
smuggling of illegal drugs. Maltese Custom officials have 
worked to become more adept at detecting and preventing the 
movement of drugs through the Malta Freeport. Port 
authorities have shown the ability to respond quickly when 
notified by foreign law enforcement of intelligence-related 
to transshipment attempts. Maltese law provides the necessary 
provisions for asset forfeiture of those accused of drug 
related crimes. In 2009, the Courts handed down several 
prison sentences and fines related to drug offences and 
ordered the freezing and/or seizure of cash and movable or 
immovable property of several persons found guilty of drug 
trafficking. 
 
 
2009 Drug Statistics: 
 
Drug Seizures (January 1)October 31, 2009): 
A) Coca leaf   =   N/A 
B) Cocaine   =  13 Kg 793.123 g 
C) Opium poppy straw  =   N/A 
D) Opium gum   =   N/A 
E) Heroin   =  8 Kg 323.63 g 
F) Cannabis: 
- Resin   =  23 Kg 319.69 g 
- Grass  =  458 Kg 259.4 g 
- Seeds  =  5 g 
- Plants  =  6 plants 
G) Other 
Police statistics also reveal the seizure of: 
- 21,567 tablets of Ecstasy 
- 780 ml of liquid cocaine 
- 20 Kg 250 g of khat 
- 450 ml of methadone 
- 1 tablet of Amphetamine 
- 3,000 Ecstasy look-alike tablets 
2008 Arrests (January 1*October 31, 2009): 
Total  =  513 (426 males, 87 females) 
Nationals  =  N/A 
Foreign  =  N/A 
 
Corruption.  The Government of Malta does not, as a matter of 
policy, encourage or facilitate illicit production or 
distribution of narcotic or psychotropic drugs or other 
controlled substances, or the laundering of proceeds from 
illegal drug transactions. No senior official is known to 
engage in, encourage, or facilitate narcotics production or 
trafficking, or the laundering of proceeds from illegal drug 
transactions. 
 
Maltese law contains the necessary provisions to deal 
effectively with official corruption. In 2002 the country's 
Chief Justice and a fellow judge, both of whom thereafter 
voluntarily resigned their positions, were arraigned on 
corruption charges for taking bribes from inmates convicted 
on drug charges. Investigative agencies used wiretapping 
authority to identify the judges involved and gather evidence 
that they were planning to accept bribes in exchange for 
reducing the sentences of several individuals appealing the 
terms of their drug convictions. In 2007, one of the accused 
pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to two years 
imprisonment. The case against the former chief justice is 
still pending. In connection with the case, in 2008 an inmate 
and two accomplices were sentenced to four and three years 
imprisonment, respectively. 
 
Agreements and Treaties.  Malta is a party to the 1988 UN 
Drug Convention, the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic 
Drugs, as amended by the 1972 Protocol, and the 1971 UN 
Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Extraditions between 
the United States and Malta are currently covered by the 
Extradition Treaty between the United States and United 
Kingdom, signed on December 22, 1931, and made applicable to 
Malta on June 24, 1935. In May 2006, Malta and the United 
States signed a new extradition treaty pursuant to the 2003 
U.S.-EU extradition agreement. In addition, the U.S. and 
Malta concluded a partial bilateral mutual legal assistance 
instrument governing only those issues regulated by the 
U.S.-EU Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement. The new 
extradition treaty and partial mutual legal assistance 
instrument are pending entry into force.  In 2009, Malta and 
Uzbekistan signed an Agreement on Cooperation in the Fight 
against Organized Crime, Contraband and Illicit Trafficking 
in Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Precursors. 
 
Drug Flow/Transit.  There is no indication that Malta is a 
major trafficking location. The Malta Freeport container port 
is a continuing source of concern due to the high volume of 
containers passing through its vast container terminal. The 
USG has provided equipment and training as part of 
non-proliferation and border security initiatives that also 
have enhanced Malta's ability to monitor illicit trafficking 
through the Freeport. This has improved detection and should 
act as a deterrent to narco-traffickers seeking to use 
container-shipping activity at the Freeport as a platform for 
drug movements internationally. Malta serves as a transfer 
point for travelers between North Africa and Europe. In 2009, 
there were several cases involving heroin and cocaine being 
smuggled into Malta carried by visitors from African, western 
hemisphere and European countries, mostly from Eastern Europe 
and South America. Traditionally, Malta's drug problems 
involved the importation and distribution of small quantities 
of illegal drugs for individual use.  Arrests in 2009 
included, a Slovak national -- apprehended at the Malta 
 
International Airport with a kilo of heroin in the form of 
100 capsules in his stomach; a Bulgarian woman resident in 
the Netherlands  --  860g of cocaine and heroin in capsules; 
a Romanian living in Germany  -- one kilo of cocaine and 
heroin in two large packages; a Ghanaian man and a woman from 
the Dominican Republic both holding Spanish identity cards ) 
one kilo of heroin and 3,000 ecstasy pills; a Bulgarian 
national ) one kilo of cocaine and heroin hidden in a suit 
case; a Panamanian national -- two kilos of cocaine in a 
suitcase; a British national ) 60g of cocaine seized aboard 
a yacht in Malta; and a man from the Dominican Republic who 
had admitted to importing a kilo of cocaine that was found in 
his hotel room. Malta has the world's eighth largest shipping 
flag registry, which makes it a likely player in future ship 
interdiction scenarios. 
 
Domestic Programs/Demand Reduction. A National Drug Policy 
was adopted in January 2008 to "streamline the practices to 
be adopted by the various bodies, governmental and 
non-governmental involved in the provision of services 
related to drug use.8  There are five main drug-treatment 
providers. Three are managed and funded by the government: 
Sedqa, Agency Against Drug and Alcohol Abuse, which falls 
under the Ministry of Social Policy; the prison-based unit 
SATU (Substance Abuse Therapeutic Unit), which falls under 
the Ministry for Justice and Home Affairs; and the DDU (Dual 
Diagnosis Unit) within Mount Carmel Psychiatric Hospital, 
which falls under the Ministry for Social Policy. Caritas and 
OASI are non-governmental voluntary treatment agencies, which 
receive partial support from the government. 
 
IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs 
 
Bilateral Cooperation. U.S. law enforcement and security 
agencies and their Maltese counterparts continue to cooperate 
closely on drug-related crime. U.S. Customs has provided 
several training courses in Malta over the last two years. 
Under the Export Control and Border Security assistance 
program (EXBS) at Embassy Valletta, the U.S. continues to 
work closely with port officials to improve their ability to 
monitor and detect illegal shipments. In 2005, a Coast Guard 
Attach was assigned to Embassy Valletta to improve 
coordination and training with the Maltese Maritime 
Enforcement Squadron. Training focuses on maritime search and 
seizure techniques as well as on the proper utilization and 
operation of two state-of the-art patrol boats. The Embassy's 
Regional Security Officer (RSO) works closely with the DEA 
Country Attach and the FBI Legal Attach based in Rome to 
foster cooperative efforts to strengthen law enforcement. 
 
The Road Ahead.  The joint effort to provide training, 
support and assistance to GOM law enforcement agencies has 
clearly improved the Maltese enforcement ability to profile 
individuals possibly involved with trafficking and/or in 
possession of dangerous drugs. The number of arrests and 
seizures for drug related offenses has steadily increased, 
indicating that Maltese authorities are battling the drug 
problem within their own country and have benefitted from 
close USG cooperation. 
¶3.  Embassy Malta POC is Pol-Econ-Commercial Chief Tom 
Yeager,  356 2561-4167, yeagerta@state.gov. 
KMIEC