Cablegate: Bermuda's Fight Against Drugs: Prevention and Enforcement

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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HAMILTON 000136

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/WE (JOHN MARBURG AND NIMA ABBASZADEH)
STATE FOR EUR/PPD (LEE MCMANIS AND ALISANDE PIPKIN)
LONDON FOR ROB HUBER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM SOCI PGOV BD
SUBJECT: BERMUDA'S FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS: PREVENTION AND ENFORCEMENT

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Summary

1. (SBU) Bermuda Customs describes Bermuda as a point of
destination for drugs because of the high street value garnered
as compared with street values in the U.S. The Bermuda
Department of National Drug Control (DNDC) has documented an
increasing use of illicit drugs in Bermuda, and a May government
report highlighted drugs as the third concern of Island
residents. The Government of Bermuda (GOB) is addressing the
problem from the standpoint of both prevention/treatment (to be
reported in SEPTEL) and enforcement/interdiction, but has been
less than effective. Although drug use is up, Bermuda Police
Service (BPS) statistics - which the police acknowledge are
inadequate and misleading - delineate a downward trend in
narcotics seizures in Bermuda between 2001 and 2008. In 2008,
the only year for which street value figures are available, law
enforcement agencies seized $7.1 million in drugs. Cannabis was
the primary drug confiscated, followed by cocaine, cocaine
freebase and heroin. The BPS has shifted its focus to the
interdiction of drug shipments before they reach the Island and
works with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Meanwhile, the DNDC
struggles to implement programs to prevent, treat and
rehabilitate drug abusers. End summary.

Government Acknowledges Drug Problem

2. (SBU) Bermuda is a destination for illegal drugs, not
a point of origin or transshipment. H.M. Customs confirmed with
Consulate staff on November 3 that the Island is a destination
of choice for illegal drug trafficking because of the high price
drug dealers can secure on the Island compared to the United
States. Customs' William Pearman, Assistant Collector of
Customs for Enforcement Operations, explained that the high
street value favors the division of the drug trade among
multiple players, or gangs, which have grown increasingly active
and violent in Bermuda. The Chairwoman of the National
Anti-Money Laundering Committee, the independent advisor to the
Ministry of Justice on anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism
financing (AML/ATF), told Consulate staff on November 9 that the
Island's AML/ATF regime is focused almost entirely on the
laundering of drug proceeds. The GOB's first comprehensive
strategy to address drug abuse issues, "A Framework for the
National Drug Control Policies and Master Plan 2007-2011,"
states: "Sufficient evidence exists that points to the fact that
Bermuda is witnessing an unprecedented upsurge in the prevalence
of illicit drug use (marijuana, cocaine and heroin) and
drug-related criminal activities such as violence and illicit
trafficking." The master plan continues: "The drugs phenomenon
is~a major threat to the internal security and public health of
society. The use of drugs, particularly among young people is
at comparatively high levels."

Average Bermudians Too Are Worried

3. (SBU) A government omnibus report in May listed drugs
as the third concern of Bermuda residents. Acting Director of
the Department of National Drug Control (DNDC), Dr. Ken-Garfield
Douglas, told Consulate personnel on October 20 that the use of
marijuana and heroin is of major concern generally in Bermuda
and that men aged 21-35 years are the most at risk. He worried
that drug use increasingly manifests itself at school. In an
example that rocked the community, police locked down one of the
Island's two secondary schools on October 20 when drug-related
violence erupted, sending two students to hospital. Douglas
stated that almost 24 percent of youth have used cannabis at
least once and that 12 percent of students reported using
illicit drugs, other than marijuana, during their lifetimes. He
indicated further that students' use of inhalants as a gateway
drug is of particular concern. He noted that a better picture
of drug use by youth and the general public will become
available after the DNDC and the Bermuda Department of
Statistics collaborate in a November national drug consumption
telephone survey of 1600 randomly-selected households and a
December youth drug survey. Preliminary results will be
available in December and January respectively.

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BPS Focuses on Interdictions, Domestic Drug Seizures Decline
Since 2001

4. (SBU) Paul Wright, Assistant Commissioner of Police
for Serious and Organized Crime and Intelligence - which
includes drug enforcement - provided the consulate with BPS and
Customs seizure statistics for 2001-2008 that show that drug
seizures trended down over the period. Seizures were greatest
in 2003 at 1,022, compared with 672 in 2008 and 508 during the
first nine months of 2009. These figures do not include BPS
disruption operations in the United States, interdicting drug
shipments bound for Bermuda, of which there have been several in
2009 and which form a significant part of the work of the BPS
Intelligence Division. Customs told the Consul General on
November 3 that the primary source of drugs in Bermuda is the
U.S. The BPS works closely with DEA and ICE to interdict drugs
bound for Bermuda. U.S. Customs and Border Protection at L.F.
Wade Airport works closely with its Bermudian counterparts in an
effort to identify those who may be in violation of the laws of
either country. Wright explained to Consulate staff on October
22 that more and more effort is going into overseas interdiction
efforts where drug quantities tend to be larger.

5. (SBU) According to BPS statistics, the greatest number
of police seizures are made on the streets, but those numbers
too have dropped. In 2001, there were 783 street seizures,
compared with only 490 in 2008. The statistics highlight the
growing number of seizures at courier services such as FedEx and
DHL, with 74 such seizures in 2008 and 55 in the first nine
months of 2009, up significantly since 2001 when there were only
three such seizures. Customs' seizures on cruise ship have
dropped off from a high of 185 in 2003 and 157 in 2004 to just
13 in 2008. (Note: Customs attributed some of this to visits
it has made to cruise ship lines in Miami to review drug
activity issues.) However, cruise ship seizures for
January-September 2009 increased to 21. Customs seizures at the
airport have also dropped, from a high of 68 in 2005 to 38 in
2008 and 38 in January-September 2009. On November 12, Pearman
offered his insight into why port seizures are dropping. "We
have found that seizure rates are cyclical with periods of low
and high seizures. This may be caused by a number of factors
such as new smuggling methodologies, increase in seizures
overseas, or financial issues caused by successful seizures.
Perhaps the decline is the result of large shipments being
dropped off by passing vessels, and being picked up by small
local vessels and bypassing our controls." Wright offered a
slightly different view. He theorized that one of the reasons
for the drop-off in seizures at the ports of entry is that
tourism has been trending down over the past several years, with
fewer visitors to Bermuda. With respect to seizures generally,
he suggested that seizures are fewer because drug importers are
increasingly using international courier services, subdividing
their shipments into small amounts among multiple packages and
hoping that most will escape detection. The amount of drugs
being seized on the street has also declined as sellers hold
only small amounts readily available as they seek to avoid being
charged with intent to distribute, according to Wright.

Cannabis Leading Drug Seized

6. (U) BPS figures show that cannabis is the primary drug
seized in Bermuda. This is not surprising as societal views on
the use of marijuana are mixed, with some recently arguing for
its legalization. In 2008, the only full year for which street
value statistics are available, Police seized almost $3 million
worth of cannabis, or 42 percent of the total $7.1 million of
drugs seized. From a high of 473.1 kilos in 2006, the volume of
cannabis seized dropped to 241.2 kilos in 2008 and 145.52 kilos
during the first three quarters of 2009. Police continue to
find cannabis plants on the island. The BPS seized 608 plants in
2008 and 761 plants in January-September 2009, compared to 604
in 2001 and 930 in 2004. Cocaine seizures have shown an overall
reduction, from a high of 40.9 kilos in 2002 to a low of 4.8
kilos in 2008, although the first nine months of 2009 show an
increase to 7.02 kilos. Cocaine freebase seizures have
similarly declined from a high of 4.2 kilos in 2001 to 0.22 in
2008, although for the first three quarters of 2009 the amount

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seized increased to 0.603 kilos. Heroin seizures also declined
to 0.8 kilos in 2008 and .019 kilos in January-September 2009,
down from a high of 2.6 kilos in 2002. Methamphetamine seizures
have been generally low, except for 20,373 seizures in 2006 and
10,508 tablets seized in 2008.

Police Worry that Statistics Don't Reflect Reality

7. (SBU) Assistant Commissioner Wright cautioned in an
October 15 conversation with consulate staff that the BPS
statistics should be interpreted as preliminary only. He called
"data integrity" a real problem - partly because current figures
do not reflect interdiction of drugs headed to the Island. With
respect to the paucity of street value statistics, Wright said
that historically seizures were listed by weight rather than
purity. He explained, "The only way to determine the values
would be to re-examine every analyst's certificate to determine
purity, and that is not practical." He complained that the
daily newspaper does a better job reporting crime statistics
than the BPS itself. In his position only since July, Wright
stated that he has been charged with revamping the data
collection system; the new system should be up and running in
2010.

Comment

8. (SBU) Given declining arrest/seizure statistics that
are acknowledged to be poor, it is difficult to say whether the
BPS and H.M. Customs are doing their jobs effectively. Although
Wright and other police officers are committed, the BPS suffers
from a lack of direction, vision and leadership, which manifests
itself at every level within the service. The current Police
Commissioner will move on in December, so new leadership could
help. Bermuda's intensified focus on preventing drugs from
reaching the island and its cooperation with US enforcement
agencies are positive steps. But it is clear that drug use and
drug-related crime are on the rise, and the GOB is still
struggling to formulate an effective response.SHELTON

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