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UNCLAS CAIRO 002351 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ELA, INR-LYLE 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SNAR ECON EG
SUBJECT:  Egypt's 2009-2010 International Narcotics Control Strategy 
Report (INSCR) PART I 
 
REF: STATE 97309 
 
Per REFTEL, the 2009-2010 International Narcotics Control Strategy 
Report for Egypt, Part 1, follows below: 
 
¶I. SUMMARY 
 
The Arab Republic of Egypt is not a major producer, supplier, or 
consumer of narcotics or precursor chemicals. Heroin and cannabis 
are transported through Egypt, but presumed levels have not risen in 
recent years. The Anti-Narcotics General Administration (ANGA) 
oversees most of the counternarcotics operations in Egypt. The ANGA 
is considered a competent and progressive organization, and 
cooperates fully with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) 
office in Cairo. In the past, DEA and ANGA have worked together to 
uncover and destroy narcotic laboratories, as well as identify 
millions of dollars of drug related proceeds.  Egypt is a party to 
several international treaties and agreements regarding narcotics 
trafficking. 
 
II. STATUS OF COUNTRY 
 
Egypt is not a significant producer or consumer of narcotics or 
precursor chemicals, despite the fact that opium poppy and cannabis 
plants are grown in Egypt. The substances that are most commonly 
abused are cannabis derivatives, which are commonly known in Egypt 
as "bango," and legitimate pharmaceuticals. However, Egypt is 
considered a transit point for transnational shipments of narcotics 
from Africa to Europe.   Egypt's long and mostly uninhabited borders 
with Libya and Sudan, combined with the high level of trade shipping 
passing through the Suez Canal Zone, make Egypt prone to the 
transshipment of Afghan heroin and narcotics from countries such as 
Morocco. Other types of narcotics periodically pass through Cairo 
International Airport. The narcotics primarily are destined for 
Western Europe, with only small amounts headed to the United States. 
Trafficking has diminished considerably in recent years due to the 
elevation of security measures in Egypt at the airports, borders, 
and ports, and the region as a whole. 
 
The ANGA is the oldest counternarcotics unit in the Arab world. In 
Egypt, the ANGA has jurisdiction over all criminal matters 
pertaining to narcotics and maintains offices in all major Egyptian 
cities and ports of entry. Despite limited resources, ANGA 
continually strives to improve its capabilities. Over the past two 
years, ANGA successfully shifted resources, based on drug 
trafficking trends, from eastern border areas in the Sinai to the 
western border area with Libya. Additionally, ANGA increased their 
manpower by 8% during the past two years and updated their equipment 
to include vehicles and communication equipment capable of operating 
in the western border area, which is mainly a desert region. 
Furthermore, ANGA has initiated coordination efforts with the 
Egyptian Special Forces and Frontier Guards during operations in the 
western border areas. 
 
III. COUNTRY ACTION AGAINST DRUGS POLICY INITIATIVES 
 
The Government of Egypt (GOE) continues to aggressively pursue a 
comprehensive drug control strategy that was developed in 1998. 
ANGA, as the primary Egyptian drug enforcement agency, coordinates 
with the Egyptian Ministry of Interior (MOI), the Coast Guard, the 
Customs Service, and select military units on all aspects of drug 
law enforcement. Government and private sector demand reduction 
efforts exist, but are hampered by financial constraints and 
logistical challenges. 
 
ACCOMPLISHMENTS/LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS. Internal security and 
combating terrorism are the major foci of Egyptian law enforcement 
efforts. Despite these priorities, ANGA is able to operate an 
effective program against narcotics trafficking that primarily 
focuses on narcotics transiting Egypt rather than narcotics grown 
locally. ANGA investigates and targets significant drug traffickers, 
intercepts narcotics shipments via land and sea, and detects and 
eradicates illegal local crops. Large-scale seizures and arrests are 
rare, primarily because Egypt does not have a significant narcotics 
market or narcotics abuse culture. ANGA operates its own drug 
awareness campaign in addition to other government and private 
sector demand reduction programs. ANGA's Eradication Unit conducts 
monthly operations against cannabis and opium crops in the Sinai, 
the primary domestic region for growing these products in Egypt. 
 
According to the GOE, drug seizures in recent years have included 
cannabis, hashish, and smaller amounts of heroin, opium, 
psychotropic drugs, and cocaine. Significant amounts of prescription 
and "designer" drugs such as Ecstasy, amphetamines, and codeine were 
also seized. With the passage of the first anti-money laundering law 
in 2002, which criminalized the laundering of proceeds derived from 
trafficking in narcotics and numerous other crimes, seizures of 
currency in drug-related cases have increased significantly over the 
past several years. 
 
CORRUPTION. As a matter of government policy, the GOE does not 
encourage or facilitate illicit production or distribution of 
narcotic or psychotropic drugs or other controlled substances, or 
the laundering of proceeds from illegal transactions. The GOE has 
strict laws and harsh penalties for government officials convicted 
of involvement in narcotics trafficking or related activities. In 
the last few years, a limited number of local low-level police 
officials involved in narcotics-related activity or corruption were 
identified and arrested. 
 
AGREEMENTS AND TREATIES. Egypt is a party to the 1988 UN Drug 
Convention, the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and 
the 1961 UN Single Convention as amended by the 1972 Protocol. Egypt 
is a party to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized 
Crime and its protocols on migrant smuggling and trafficking in 
persons and the UN Corruption Convention. Egypt and the United 
States cooperate in law enforcement matters under a 1998 MLAT and an 
1874 extradition treaty. The 1988 UN Drug Convention, coupled with 
the 1874 extradition agreement with the former Ottoman Empire, 
provides the United States and Egypt with a basis to seek 
extradition of narcotics traffickers. 
 
CULTIVATION AND PRODUCTION. Cannabis is grown year round in the 
northern and southern Sinai and in Upper Egypt, while opium poppy is 
grown in the southern Sinai only from November through March. Rugged 
terrain means that plots of illegal crops are small and irregularly 
shaped. ANGA combats this production by using aerial observation and 
confidential informants to identify illegal plots. Once the crops 
are located, ANGA conducts daylight eradication operations that 
consist of cutting and burning the plants. ANGA has yet to implement 
a planned herbicide eradication program. No heroin processing 
laboratories were discovered in Egypt within the last 15 years and 
no evidence is available indicating that opiates or cannabis grown 
in Egypt reach the United States in sufficient quantities to have a 
significant impact. Furthermore, Egypt has had success in uncovering 
and eliminating narcotics laboratories before they reached 
significant production capabilities. 
 
DOMESTIC PROGRAMS (DEMAND REDUCTION). As of 2009, the National 
Council for Combating and Treating Addiction continued to be the 
GOE's focal point for domestic demand reduction programs.  The 
Council falls under the responsibility of the Ministry of Family and 
Population.  Previously, the Council was independent from the 
Ministry and head by the Prime Minister.  The Council receives all 
of its funding from the MOI seizures of drug-related assets. 
Therefore, the Council's budget fluctuates from year to year and is 
dependent upon MOI financial records, which the MOI does not release 
to the Council.   While the Council enjoys high-level leadership, 
its actual capabilities and influence within Egypt are minimal.  The 
Council primarily funds training for drug addiction workers and drug 
awareness prevention campaigns, but is not actively involved in 
rehabilitation programs or harm reduction programs.   The Ministry 
of Communications provides the Council with television time for its 
awareness campaigns. 
 
The MOH has an annual budget of 150 million Egyptian pounds for the 
treatment of all mental health diseases, including addiction related 
conditions.  The MOH state hospitals provide free treatment for drug 
addicts.  The MOH flagship state-sponsored drug rehabilitation 
program is located at the State Airport Hospital in Heliopolis, 
Cairo, Egypt.   The MOH also works with foreign entities and 
companies, such as the Red Cross, to provide training to drug 
rehabilitation workers in Egypt.  The majority of foreign assistance 
is coordinated through the State Airport Hospital.  Neither the 
Council nor the MOH sponsor harm reduction education programs in 
Egypt to help reduce the crime rate related to narcotics abuse or 
provide awareness about the numerous health hazards associated with 
drug addiction such as the spread of HIV through dirty needles. 
 
Egyptian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are actively involved 
in demand reduction programs; however, the majority of the NGO 
funding is used for the training of drug rehabilitation workers 
instead of the treatment of drug addicts.  The Narcotics Anonymous 
Group was founded in 1987 in Egypt.  Within the last four years, the 
MOH has begun to offer Narcotics Anonymous Group meetings at all 
government hospitals. 
 
Private Egyptian companies operate halfway houses and drug 
rehabilitation centers throughout the country, and the number of 
rehabilitation centers is increasing every year.  The GOE does not 
require licenses for rehabilitation centers, has no governmental 
standards for these private programs, or government oversight of the 
rehabilitation centers.  While drug treatment at the State Airport 
Hospital and some private facilities, such as the Behman Hospital, 
is provided only to individuals volunteering for treatment, the vast 
majority of drug rehabilitation centers allow for nonconsensual 
admissions.  The majority of the private rehabilitation facilities 
do not allow the families to have access to the addicts once they 
enter a program, which can last several weeks to months.  Addicts 
often suffer from both sexual and physical abuse at the private 
 
rehabilitation centers.  At this time, the GOE and the Council have 
no programs to help educate and provide community awareness to the 
Egyptian population on proper standards and treatment methods for 
drug addiction in order to help addicts' families select qualified 
rehabilitation centers and counter the abuses at some of the private 
companies. 
 
IV. U.S. POLICY INITIATIVES AND PROGRAMS 
 
POLICY INITIATIVES/BILATERAL COOPERATION. The current U.S. 
counternarcotics policy is to engage the GOE through bilateral 
programs to reduce narcotics transshipments and decrease opium poppy 
and cannabis cultivation. The policy includes the following specific 
objectives: increase training to ANGA and other government offices 
responsible for narcotics enforcement; assist with the 
identification of illegal crop eradication targets; improve 
narcotics interdiction methodology; and improve intelligence 
collection and analysis. Of note, the Department of Homeland 
Security, through U.S. Customs and Border Protection, has engaged 
the GOE in customs capacity building efforts with training focused 
on airport and land border enforcement techniques. 
 
THE ROAD AHEAD. The U.S. continues to work on plans to increase 
joint operations with ANGA in an effort to move beyond the 
previously predominant focus on monitoring the narcotics problem 
only.  The GOE is receptive to DEA assistance in narcotics 
operations and joint investigations around the country.   The DEA 
also is providing training on improving interdiction and eradication 
techniques, as well as developing additional sources of information 
on trafficking and production.  The counternarcotics cooperation 
between the U.S. and the GOE is considered an important and 
beneficial bilateral relationship for the two countries. 
 
Scobey