Customs and Drugs Report 2011 - wcoomd.org

WORLD CUSTOMS ORGANIZATION

Customs andDrugs Report 2011

Table of contentsFOREWORD 2

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4

INTRODUCTION 7

GLOBAL OVERVIEW OF MAJOR DRUG TYPES 8

REGIONAL OVERVIEWS – EUROPE 17

REGIONAL OVERVIEWS – ASIA/PACIFIC 32

REGIONAL OVERVIEWS – THE AMERICAS 36

REGIONAL OVERVIEWS – AFRICA 41

REGIONAL OVERVIEWS – MIDDLE EAST 44

SPECIAL ITEMS 46

OPERATION COCAIR 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

PROJECT AIRCOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST DRUG ABUSE AND ILLICIT TRAFFICKING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

GLOBAL FORUM ON COMBATING ILLICIT DRUG TRAFFICKING AND RELATED THREATS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

STATISTICAL APPENDICES 56

CONTACT 61

WCO VISION STATEMENT 64

WCO MISSION STATEMENT 64

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 64

Copyright © 2012 World Customs Organization.All rights reserved. Requests and inquiries concerning translation, reproduction and adaptation rights should be addressed to [email protected].

D/2012/0448/6

WCO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

Table of contents

1

Foreword

2 WCO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

It is a great honour to present to you the WorldCustoms Organization’s (WCO) Report on in-ternational trafficking in drugs and precursorsfor 2011.

This Report, which takes stock of and analysesdrug seizures made by Customs services andjoint teams in 2011, forms part of a dynamicdrug enforcement approach which I wished toimplement.

2011 afforded me several opportunities topoint out that the drug phenomenon as awhole currently remains a complex socialissue affecting many diverse yet complemen-tary, interconnected and therefore inseparableareas: prevention, information, communica-tion, research, security, safety, enforcementand international action.

As a result, if we want to be effective then it isvital that our action be concerted, holistic andconsistent and that it offer a response to themajor developments now emerging.

Consequently, on 26 June 2011, the WCOSecretariat celebrated International Day againstDrug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, an eventlaunched by the United Nations Office on Drugsand Crime (UNODC). To that end, I asked allDirectors General of WCO Member countries toorganize a variety of activities on that day. Thisincluded operations to destroy drugs and chem-ical precursors seized by Customs; actions toraise public awareness about drug-related prob-lems; heightened controls; and symposiums toshow how Customs and other law enforcementagencies are marshalling their forces to combatillicit drug trafficking.

In operational terms, given the success ofOperations COCAIR 1 and COCAIR 2, not

only in terms of positive results but also of theenthusiasm generated and the motivation theyinspired, a decision was made to organize anew operation reprising the same overall objec-tives as the first two: Operation “COCAIR 3”.

This latest operation set in motion by the WCO,in partnership with INTERPOL, the EuropeanCommission and the UNODC, also falls withinthe scope of Project “AIRCOP” aimed at im-proving controls in international airports, espe-cially by enhancing co-operation between drugenforcement services and by establishing effectiveand secure communication systems: CENcommfor Customs and I-24/7 for the Police.

In addition, the Container Control Programme(CCP), initiated by the UNODC and theWCO, continues to expand its activities bybuilding on the excellent results achieved aswell as on the practical knowledge and experi-ence gained by the experts working in the ex-isting Port Control Units.

In the near future, new Joint Port Control Unitsare to be set up in Azerbaijan, Georgia, theIslamic Republic of Iran, Jamaica and Morocco.

Other drug enforcement operations are al-ready scheduled and will be rolled out in thesecond half of 2012. These are Operation CO-CAIR 4, which will follow on from previousoperations; joint international Operation “Sky-Net” aimed at combating drug trafficking viapostal and express mail parcels (implementedby China Customs in close co-operation withthe WCO Secretariat); and joint internationalOperation “Westerlies”, proposed by JapanCustoms (in partnership with the WCO),aimed at fighting the traffic in methampheta-mines bound for the Asia/Pacific region.

In keeping with this dynamic approach, theSecretariat organized the first Global Forumon combating illicit drug trafficking and re-lated threats. This event was held from 25 to27 January 2012 as part of the celebrations tomark International Customs Day. The primaryobjective of this Forum was to bring togetherall the actors from Member countries and in-ternational and regional organizations dedi-cated to combating the traffic in drugs andchemical precursors and to share informationon best practices and schemes in progress.

This first Global Forum on combating drugswas also preceded by an "InternationalConference on the fight against illicit drugtraff icking" organized by the CustomsAdministration of the Republic of Azerbaijanin partnership with the WCO and in close col-laboration with the UNODC. This Conferencewas held in Baku on 17 and 18 October 2011.

It is also worth highlighting that on 30 March2012, the WCO and the Vienna-basedInternational Narcotics Control Board (INCB)signed a Memorandum of Understanding toformalize the co-operation developed by thetwo Organizations over many years and to en-hance international drug control efforts withintheir respective mandates, thus ensuring ahealthier and safer environment for citizensthroughout the world.

The 2011 Customs and Drugs Report is di-vided into three main parts with statistical ap-pendices. The first part gives an overview ofthe major drug types intercepted worldwide.The regional approach in terms of the resultsachieved and the key trends noted byMembers are covered in the second part.Finally, the third part presents special items,with particular emphasis on initiatives and

FOREWORD

ficking in particular, carried out using theWCO’s secure communication tool have beenincreasing since 2005, the year it entered intoservice. Some 33 operations relating to variousareas of crime, but essentially drugs, as well aslong-term projects were conducted in 2011.

I would like to extend my sincere appreciationt o WCO Memb e r s a n d t h e R e g i o n a lIntelligence Liaison Offices (RILOs) whichhave made a contribution to this Report by en-tering cases and validating seizure data.Indeed, analysis is only as valuable as thequantity and quality of data on which it isbased and, in this respect, greater involvementby certain Members or RILOs would unques-tionably enhance the quality of the globalanalyses carried out.

I hope that this Report will provide assistance,on a daily basis, to Customs officers respon-sible for combating trafficking in drugs andprecursors, especially by providing them withinformation on the latest trends or routingsused by traffickers and by giving them agreater overall picture of the phenomenon.

Kunio MikuriyaSecretary GeneralWorld Customs Organization

3

Foreword


projects implemented by the WCO Secretariatfor its Members.

A total of 113 Members (for the period 2009-2011) reported seizures of drugs to the CustomsEnforcement Network (CEN) database, relatingto 47,776 cases. The analysis was based on dataover the minimum limit : this encompasses datafrom 111 Members totalling 32,035 cases.

Overall, in 2011, both the number of drugseizures reported by WCO Members and thetotal amount of drugs intercepted increasedsubstantially compared to 2010.

In point of fact, there has been a rise from21,079 seizure reports involving 837 tonnes ofdrugs, irrespective of category, in 2010 to32,035 reports involving over 1,865 tonnes ofdrugs in 2011. This steep increase is largelyattributable to the United States.

Over the course of 2011, seizures of all formsof cannabis (resin, herbal and oil) amounted toa total of 1,615 tonnes, an increase of over twoand a half times the amount intercepted in2010. The United States remains the most ef-fective country in terms of seizures of herbalcannabis, principally consigned in Mexico.Spain is still the country having seized mostcannabis resin, and Morocco is the primarysource country of this substance.

A little over 73 tonnes of cocaine were inter-cepted during 2011, compared to over 79tonnes in 2010, equating to a decrease of ap-proximately 7 %.

In keeping with what was noted in 2010, themain markets for cocaine consumption are lo-cated in Western Europe (47 % of quantitiesseized) and in North America (32 % of quanti-ties seized).

Over 83 tonnes of opiate products were inter-cepted by Customs in 2011, compared to only33 tonnes in 2010. This significant increasecan be explained for the most part by excep-tional seizures of poppy straw reported byPakistan Customs officers.

With respect to psychotropic substances, theovera l l quant i ty of amphetamines andmethamphetamines seized by Customs serv-ices increased slightly (20 tonnes of productsin 2011, against 17 in 2010).

The countries of the Middle East were the mosteffective in terms of amphetamine seizures, to-gether with the United States and Asian coun-tries in the case of methamphetamines.

The RILO Eastern and Central Europe was re-cently tasked with carrying out a researchproject, known as “Project SMART”, on the issueof new psychoactive substances. The results arecurrently being analysed and will subsequentlybe loaded onto the CEN site. These “legal highs”undoubtedly pose a real threat to society andthere is an urgent need to put in place measuresto counter this scourge effectively.

The data in this Report was compiled using in-formation contained in the CEN database,which has been operational since July 2000.Today, 165 WCO Member administrationshave access to the CEN database (over 513,000entries on all manner of Customs offences), aninformation and communication system, adedicated enforcement website and a data bankof places of concealment. The growing numberof Customs officers using this network on adaily basis bears witness to its effectiveness.

Additionally, regional or international opera-tions to combat Customs fraud, and drug traf-

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

� 1,730 marijuana plants (indoor cultivation)discovered by Czech Republic Customs.

(Photos courtesy of Czech Republic Customs)

A total of 113 Members (from 2009-2011) reported drug seizures to the CEN database, relating to 47,776 cases. Thefollowing analysis is based on data over the minimum limit: this encompasses data from 111 Members totalling32,035 cases.


Executive Summary

In its World Drug Report for 2011, theUNODC establishes that Afghanistan is themain source country for illegal opiates pro-duced internationally. The cultivation of thepoppy has declined however in the past threeyears, standing at some 123,000 hectares in2010 (the same level as in 2009), which is tosay 63 % of what is cultivated worldwide.Cultivation has significantly increased in theRepublic of the Union of Myanmar and to alesser degree in Lao People's DemocraticRepublic.

World opium production amounted to 4,860million tonnes in 2010, compared to 7,853million tonnes the previous year.

A study of the most important seizures inEurope shows that the amounts transportedvia the traditional "Balkan Route" (overlandvia Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and

Austria) were greater than those via the"Southern Balkan Route" (to Italy via Greece,Albania or The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMacedonia). The use of the "Silk Route" (viathe Central Asian Republics of Turkmenistan,Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, andKazakhstan) remains as important as ever.

Regarding cocaine seized worldwide, datashows that the number of seizures and theamounts seized in 2011 remain relativelystable in comparison with the year 2010. Theslight reduction in quantity is especially dueto some reductions in the Caribbean region(Jamaica was not able to include its seizurescarried out in 2011, although it seized morethan two tonnes of cocaine in the reportingyear), as well as in the regions of Eastern andCentral Europe and Western Africa, which in2010 made some exceptional seizures whichstrongly affected global results.

It can also be very clearly seen that the mainmarkets for cocaine consumption are inWestern Europe (47 % of quantities seized)and in North America (32 % of quantitiesseized). This is a constant that has held truefor at least five years.

From 2005 to 2008, Africa has been a veryimportant transit point for cocaine shipmentscoming from South America, with Europe astheir f inal destination. This trend haschanged since 2009, or at least has been atten-uated. Countries from the Caribbean region,and especially the Dominican Republic, havebegun to play a more important role as coun-tries of secondary distribution for cocaineshipments bound for Europe.

Mozambique intercepted 12 cocaine ship-ments for a total of 65 kg in 2011. All of theseseizures were carried out at Maputo interna-

tional airport, on a route going from India toEthiopia then Mozambique.

Ships remain the most popular mode of trans-port for consignments of cocaine. Althoughconsignments sent by sea only represent 4 %of the number of seizures carried out in 2011,they nevertheless make up more than 54 % ofthe amounts of cocaine that were intercepted.Shipping containers or specially contrivedhiding places in commercial shipping craft,fishing boats or yachts are the preferredmethod of concealment for shipping largequantities of drugs.

Even though the number of seizures ofcannabis resin has remained more or lessstable (5 % less), the amounts have continuedto decrease noticeably; 241 tonnes in 2010versus 184 tonnes in 2011 (-25 %).

As was already the case already in both 2009and 2010, Morocco remains the referencesource country for cannabis resin, especiallyfor the European market. Approximately 116tonnes of the product (65 % of the totalamount seized) come from this country whenconsidering the data included in the CEN.The trends regarding trafficking in Europe re-main similar to what they were in previousyears, with most of the drugs being trans-ported overland to Spain and then France,the Nether lands, Belg ium, the UnitedKingdom and Germany.

Production of herbal cannabis remains wide-spread around the globe, as the climate of mostregions is conducive to growing the plant.

The very sharp increase in terms of thenumber of seizures carried out and theamounts of product seized, as illustrated inthe graphs, is mainly due to the fact that theUnited States began to include its drugseizures in the CEN database in 2009. In re-gard to herbal cannabis, the United Statesseized a total amount of more than 1,357tonnes in 2011, which is to say three times theamount seized worldwide in 2009 and 2010.The majority of seizures carried out by theUnited States were made in-country, and a sig-


Executive Summary

5

nificant number of the shipments that wereintercepted came from Mexico.

For the year 2011 alone, the United States in-tercepted 42 shipments of herbal cannabisthat each exceeded 2,000 kg of product.

After a significant decline in 2010, thenumber of seizures and the amounts of ec-s t a sy se ized showed s t rong increasesthroughout 2011. The amounts seized never-theless remain well below those recorded atthe beginning of the new millennium (be-tween 3 and 5 tonnes per year).

The reason for this decrease lies mainly in thefact that ecstasy production is increasinglytaking place in countries where the drug isconsumed, therefore border seizures byCustoms services are progressively decreasingin number.

The number of seizures of GBL fell sharply in2011, but the quantities apprehended in-creased significantly, strongly influenced by anunusually large seizure of one tonne of GBL on09/02/2011 by Finnish Customs in Porvoo.The GBL arrived by ship from China.

As had already been the case in 2009 and2010, Norway remains the best performingcountry in the fight against this drug whichrepresents a real danger to our society.

With regard to Customs seizures involvingamphetamines, the situation remains virtuallystable both in the number of interceptions andthe quantities seized in 2010 and in 2011.

The number of seizures and the volume ofamphetamines seized by Customs officers orby joint units of the Members of the MiddleEast region experienced strong growth in2011 compared to 2010 (256 cases with avolume of 21,832 kg, compared to 124 caseswith a volume of 10,009 kg).

The number of seizures and the volume ofamphetamines seized by Customs servicesaround the world has been growing con-stantly and significantly from 2009 onwards,

reaching more than 7 tonnes of productseized in 2011.

As had already been the case in 2010, theUnited States is well ahead of other countries,not only in terms of the number of seizuresmade, but also the volume of products seizedin 2011 (1 ,096 se izures for a to ta l o f6,334 kg). The Asia/Pacific region is insecond place with a total of 315 seizures in-volving an overall amount of 690 kg, althoughthis is down on 2010.

The Western Europe and Middle East regionsoccupy the third and fourth places, respec-tively, but with the amounts seized beingmuch lower than in 2010.

It should be noted that for the year 2011, inparticular, 14 African countries emerged assource countries or transit countries for ship-ments of methamphetamines bound for theAsia/Pacific region. In descending order,these are Côte d’Ivoire (20 kg), South Africa(18 kg), Nigeria (17 kg), Benin (16 kg), Mali(8 kg), Senegal (7 kg), Mozambique (5 kg),Cameroon (5 kg), Ghana (4 kg), Burundi(4 kg), Burkina Faso (3 kg), Kenya (3 kg),Togo (1 kg) and Gambia (1 kg).Therefore, methamphetamine shipmentscoming from "Africa" and heading to theAsia/Pacific region can be considered as anemerging trend.

Khat is mainly grown in East Africa (Somaliaand Kenya) and in the Arabian Peninsula. Thelegal status of khat is not standard acrossEurope. It is legally exported mainly to theNetherlands and the United Kingdom, coun-tries which do not consider this drug to be il-legal. Secondary distribution then takes placefrom these countries, chiefly to Scandinaviaand the United States.

The number of Customs seizures involvingkhat has continuously fallen from 2009 on-wards, with the quantities seized in 2011 nev-ertheless being 8 % higher than in 2010,amounting to almost 72 tonnes.

With regard to secondary distribution coun-

tries, what is also clear is that the volume ofkhat coming from European countries has re-mained relatively stable.

As in 2009 and 2010, the ranking of sec-ondary distribution countries in Europe is asfollows: the Netherlands with 27,747 kg,Denmark with 13,096 kg, Sweden with4,232 kg and the United Kingdom with3,643 kg.

As was the case in 2010, the United Kingdomremains the main source for khat shipmentsintercepted in the United States.

It is interesting to note that 92 % of khatseizures and 87 % of the total volume inter-cepted took place in the postal packages orexpress packages sector with an averageamount of 50 kg per package.

Executive Summary


� 247 kg of cocaine, Dunkirk (Rouencoast guard). On 17 July 2011, officersfrom the Boulogne-Sur-Mer patrol boat,assisted by officers from the Dunkirkspecial intervention unit (BSI) after a shipcoming from Maracaibo (Venezuela) hadbeen flagged by Rouen maritime CROC,proceeded to monitor a cargo shipdeclared as transporting coal. The finaldestination of the cargo ship comingfrom Venezuela was France.

After discovering 11 kg of cocaine splitamong five DHL packages under theberth of an unoccupied cabin, theofficers followed up with a search of thetiller room and seized a further 247 kghidden in seven cloth bags suspendedby snap hooks to the bars of the serviceladder over the rudder well (an openingin the roof of a ship where the ruddershaft goes through and to which the tilleris attached), located towards the stern ofthe ship.(Photos courtesy of France Customs)

61

Contact


WCO CEN TEAM – BelgiumWorld Customs OrganizationRue du Marché 30B-1210 Brussels, BelgiumTel : 32 2 209 9211Fax : 32 2 209 9493E-Mail : [email protected]

WESTERN EUROPE - GERMANYZKA - Bergisch Gladbacher Str. 837D-51069 Cologne, GermanyTel : 49 221 672 4112Fax : 49 221 672 4111E-mail : [email protected]

EASTERN AND CENTRAL EUROPE -POLANDPOLISH CUSTOMS SERVICE /MINISTRY OF FINANCE12 Swietokrzyska Str.00-916 Warsaw, PologneTel : 48 22 694 3591Fax : 48 22 694 3543E-mail : [email protected]

CIS – RUSSIAN FEDERATIONFEDERAL CUSTOMS SERVICE OF RUSSIANovozavodskaj Street 11/5121087 Moscou, Fédération de RussieTel: 7 495 449 8686 /449 8656Fax: 7 495 449 8620E-mail : [email protected]

ASIA AND PACIFIC - KOREA20, Eonju-ro 129, Gangnam-gu,Seoul 135-996, Korea (Republic of)Tel: 82-2-510-1630Fax: 82-2-512-7539E-mail : [email protected]

NORTH AFRICA - MOROCCOADMINISTRATION DES DOUANES ETIMPOTS INDIRECTSAvenue Ennakhil, Hay RyadRabatTel : 212 5 37 71 7838 / 5 37 57 9442Fax : 212 5 37 71 7838E-mail : [email protected]

EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA -KENYAKENYA REVENUE AUTHORITYForodha House1st Floor, Ngong Road, Upper HillP.O.Box 7223600200 Nairobi, KenyaTel : 254 20 271 9234Fax : 254 20 271 7720E-mail : [email protected]

CENTRAL AFRICA - CAMEROONDIRECTION GENERALE DES DOUANES5, Quai de la marineB.P. 4049 Douala, CameroonTel : 237 99 84 8663Fax: 237 222 03 771E-mail : [email protected]

WEST AFRICA - SENEGALRue René Ndiaye, angle CardeB.P. 4033Dakar, SenegalTel : 221 33 822 1185Fax : 221 33 821 5569 E-mail : [email protected]

MIDDLE EAST – SAUDI ARABIACUSTOMS SERVICEP.O. Box 2263111416 Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaTel : 966 1 478 7889Fax : 966 1 478 5887E-mail : [email protected]

SOUTH AMERICA - CHILEDIRECCION NACIONAL DE ADUANASPlaza Sotomayor, 60Valparaiso, ChiliTel : 56 32 213 4841Fax : 56 32 220 0639E-mail : [email protected]

JOINT INTELLIGENCE OFFICE (JIO)CARIBBEAN4, Manoel StreetP.O.Box 1030Castries, St. LuciaTel : 1 758 453 2556Fax : 1 758 453 2563E-mail : [email protected] ou [email protected]

CONTACT

Senegal

Belgium

St. Lucia

Cameroon

Morocco

WCO CEN Team BelgiumRILO Eastern and Central Europe PolandRILO Western Europe GermanyRILO CIS countries Russian FederationRILO Asia and the Pacific Republic of KoreaRILO South America ChileRILO North Africa MoroccoRILO West Africa SenegalRILO Central Africa CameroonRILO Eastern and Southern Africa KenyaRILO Middle East Saudi ArabiaJIO Caribbean St. Lucia


The WCO RILO Network

Chili

Kenya

Saudi Arabia

Russian Federation

Poland

Germany

Cameroon

Morocco

63WCO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

The WCO RILO Network

Republic of Korea


The World Customs Organization is inter-nationally acknowledged as the globalcentre of Customs expertise and plays aleading role in the discussion, development,promotion and implementation of modernand secure Customs systems and proce-dures. It is responsive to the needs of itsMembers and its strategic environment, andits instruments and best-practice ap-proaches are recognized as the basis forsound Customs administration throughoutthe world.

The World Customs Organization is verygrateful for the specific contributions to thisannual report provided by: All RegionalIntelligence Liaison Offices and theirNational Contact Points including use oftheir bulletins; International NarcoticsControl Board (INCB). ICPO/INTERPOLand United Nations Office on Drugs andCrime (UNODC).

Acknowledgements

The World Customs Organization is an in-dependent intergovernmental body whosemission is to enhance the efficiency and ef-fectiveness of Member Customs administra-tions, thereby assisting them to contributesuccessfully to national development goals,particularly in the areas of trade facilitation,revenue collection, community protectionand national security.

WCO MissionStatement

WCO VisionStatement

RightsÊandÊpermissionsCopyrightÊ©Ê2012ÊWorldÊCustomsÊOrganization.AllÊrightsÊreserved.ÊÊRequestsÊandÊinquiriesÊconcerningÊtranslation,ÊreproductionÊandÊadaptationÊrightsÊshouldÊbeÊaddressedÊtoÊÊ[email protected]/2012/0448/6

For official use only

Customs andDrugs Report

Publisher

WorldÊCustomsÊOrganization

RueÊduÊmarchŽÊ30

B-1210ÊBrussels

Belgium

Tel.Ê:Ê+32Ê(0)2Ê209Ê92Ê11

Fax.Ê:Ê+32Ê(0)2Ê209Ê92Ê92

E-mailÊ:Ê[email protected]

WebÊsiteÊ:Êwww.wcoomd.org

DateÊofÊpublication

JuneÊ2012

Documents

Customs and Drugs Report 2011 - wcoomd.org