RIA Novosti, Russia
Dec 2 2004

FOREIGN DRUGS THREATEN RUSSIA

MOSCOW, (RIA Novosti commentator Vyacheslav Lashkul)

The Russian Federal Service for Drug Control recently announced that
the Moscow region’s law enforcers had broken up 38 organized crime
gangs involved in drug trafficking in the last six months. Experts
have estimated that ten metric tons of heroin a year are sold in the
Moscow region. Most of the narcotics come from abroad. What are the
major drug-trafficking channels? Our correspondent started an
interview with the head of the Russian Federal Service for Drug
Control, Viktor Cherkesov, with this question.

Answer: We are particularly concerned about Central Asia. This year,
we tightened control over the Armenian-Georgian, Armenian-Iranian and
Belarussian sectors of the border. The latter is a major conduit for
synthetic drugs from Europe.

Question: You have mentioned on numerous occasions that if we erect
the barriers to drug trafficking further away from our borders, then
we will have to make fewer efforts to combat the drug threat inside
the country. In essence, this means “preventive strikes.”

A: In our opinion, a preventive strike means strong operational
positions on remote approaches to our borders. So far, we have been
more successful in combating drug trafficking inside the country than
on the perimeter of Russia’s borders. This stretches our forces too
thin. We cannot detain every drug dealer in Russia, although we
normally seize major shipments of illicit drugs.

Q: When you say “remote approaches,” you are, of course, referring to
Afghanistan, above all. As early as this spring, you announced that
your service would open an office in Kabul…

A: Russia has worked out all the procedures…We deal directly with
the Afghan Foreign Ministry, the Security Council of Afghanistan and
receive their full understanding. I believe that a representative
office in Kabul will be opened very soon. Everything depends now on
diplomatic procedures. Time will show how quick they willbe. It makes
sense to open a large bureau in a location that allows us to
establish stable communications with our colleagues from local law
enforcement bodies around the country and so receive constant
operational information to use it immediately for our purposes.
Unfortunately, the current situation in Afghanistan means we cannot
establish this kind of network throughout the country. So far, we are
limited to Kabul.

Q: The US-led coalition forces do not seem to have been very
successful in combating the narcotics threat from Afghanistan?

A: Until last year, the countries involved in the counter-terrorist
operation in Afghanistan basically ignored our concerns about the
constant growth of drugs production in the country. Moreover, if in
the past Afghanistan largely produced raw opium, today local drug
dealers are manufacturing high-quality heroin. Recently, there was a
case of massive heroin poisoning involving young people in the town
of Rubtsovsk in the Altai territory. Twelve have already died and
dozens of other are still in hospital. Our colleagues from Kazakhstan
report that at approximately the same time 20 people in the republic
died from heroin overdoses. Investigators believe both cases might
have originated from the same heroin shipment from Afghanistan.

Q: So, you are saying that Russia has been left to fight the Afghan
drug threat on its own?

A: No, this is not the case. Law enforcement structures from the
member-nations of the Collective Security Treaty – Russia, Belarus,
Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – recently conducted a
joint counter-narcotics operation called “Channel-2004.” It showed
that no matter how great the scope of one country’s capabilities
might be in the fight against drugs, it cannot fight this evil alone.
In addition, we recently saw some positive developments in this
sphere. For example, the United Nations and several countries under
its aegis were included in the agenda of serious talks. In thesummer,
the UN conducted a series of high-level expert discussions, which
helped to draft joint tactics in combating drug trafficking at the
regional level. As a result, we have a model of an “anti-drugs
security belt.” At present, all the countries bordering on
Afghanistan have signed a political declaration on their readiness to
create a tight security ring around that country. It is extremely
important because we cannot count on drastic changes in the internal
situation in Afghanistan. The central authorities have virtually no
control over the situation in the provinces. Meanwhile, the majority
of Afghans are involved in drug production one way or another. It
seems that the coalition members only now are starting to realize the
potential threat of an Afghan economy based solely on narcotics
production. At least, there have been some recent cases when
coalition forces destroyed heroin production labs. A year ago, this
did not happen.

Q: Do you think it is possible to conduct joint anti-drugs operations
with coalition forces in the future?

A: We do not have the right to operate in Afghanistan. However, we
can exchange useful operational information about the activities of
certain criminal gangs in Afghanistan and identify new
drug-trafficking channels.

Q: What is the level of drug trafficking to Russia through the North
Caucasus?

A: I cannot give you exact figures. Everything is calculated using
expert estimates. I will try to give you a general idea. Narcotics
arrive in this region through territories around the Caspian Sea. The
worst situation is in Chechnya and neighboring regions. In the first
half of September alone, federal forces broke up two large criminal
gangs involved in the illicit drug trade. Officers seized several
kilograms of heroin and an entire arsenal of weapons. The result of
the operation serves as further proof that drug money is used to
finance terrorists.

Q: When your agency was established, you stated that one of its major
tasks was to undermine the financial foundations of the drug
business. Are you succeeding in accomplishing this task?

A: Today, we have a different outlook on the problem of identifying
the channels of drug money laundering as compared with a year ago. It
is true that we have never had a $10-20 million case, but this year
alone we filed over a hundred criminal cases involving dirty money
laundering. Half of them have already reached the courts.