CAUTION: The following review of the regional drug situation has been excerpted, as background
information only, from the 1995 Annual Report of the International
Narcotics Control Board, which is under embargo until 9 a.m.
(European Time) on 28 February 1996. The Board annually assesses
the drug situation in each region, based on information obtained
from a variety of sources, including Government authorities. No
part of the report or this excerpt may be used before its official
release:
Since the last report of the Board was published, Belgium has acceded to the 1971 Convention and the 1988 Convention, Norway has acceded to the 1988 Convention and the Republic of Moldova has acceded to the 1961 Convention, the 1971 Convention and the 1988 Convention. Only a few States in Europe are not parties to the three main international drug control treaties.
Since its last report the Board has sent missions to Bulgaria, Switzerland and Ukraine.
General
The Board appreciates that the European Union has concluded bilateral agreements with a great number of States and intergovernmental organizations in order to increase cooperation in activities aimed at countering money laundering, the diversion of precursors and other chemicals, and illicit drug manufacture and trafficking. The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, established at Lisbon by the European Council in 1994, will be operational in 1995. The Board notes with satisfaction that the Centre intends to cooperate with the United Nations.
The Board appreciates that the Agreement on Illicit Traffic by Sea, Implementing Article 17 of the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, was concluded by the States members of the Council of Europe and was opened for signature at Strasbourg in January 1995.
The Board regrets that, despite the growing concern over drug-related problems, no comprehensive drug legislation has been enacted in any of the formerly socialist countries in eastern Europe. In several countries, such legislation has been drafted and has even been proposed to Governments and parliaments, but has not yet been adopted. The Board urges the Governments and parliaments of those countries to accelerate the adoption of new drug legislation, including legislation that takes into account the provisions of the 1988 Convention.
The Board welcomes the establishment of close contacts between the UNDCP and the inter-parliamentary assembly of member States of Commonwealth of Independent States with a view to providing technical assistance to parliaments of States in the process of adopting new drug control legislation.
A governmental commission to combat drug abuse and illicit trafficking was set up in the Russian Federation, and an interministerial drug coordination body was created in Estonia in 1994. Lithuania established a national narcotics control committee in 1995; the highest priority of the committee is the redrafting of legislation to ensure compliance with the provisions of the 1988 Convention and subsequently the accession of Lithuania to that Convention.
Following the ratification of the three international drug control treaties, a standing committee on drug control was established in the Republic of Moldova in 1995. The Board notes recent initiatives taken by the Government of the Netherlands in an effort to bring its drug policy more in line with the international drug control treaties. It notes with satisfaction that the Government and the parliament of the Netherlands are taking into consideration, during their discussions, the provisions of the international drug control treaties, the impact of their decisions on the drug control policy of other States and on the illicit traffic situation and the views expressed in the report of the Board for 1993.
At the same time, however, the Board expresses its continued concern at the persistence of certain practices, only slightly altered, which call into question the Government of the Netherlands' fidelity to its treaty obligations. This includes continuing the failed policy of "separation of markets", tolerating the continued cultivation of nederwiet provided that it is of lower THC content, permitting the operation of so-called coffee shops, many of which have fallen under the control of criminal elements, and continuing to stockpile narcotic drugs for non-medical purposes. The Board will continue to observe closely the progress made by the Government of the Netherlands in fulfilling its treaty obligations.
The Government of the United Kingdom launched a tough new drive against drug abuse in 1995 in a white paper entitled "Tackling drugs together", combining vigorous law enforcement, drug prevention in schools, action in communities and initiatives in prisons. he Government also set up a toll-free confidential national drug help-line, which provides information and advice about drugs and inhalants 24 hours a day. The Board appreciates the firm stand of the Government of the United Kingdom against the legalization of the non-medical use of drugs.
Rise in Criminality
The incidence of crimes connected with illicit drug trafficking is increasing in Europe, in particular in the Central and Eastern parts of the region. Drug-related problems in Eastern Europe are closely connected with the overall rise in criminality in the formerly socialist countries, which are suffering from major economic and social problems. The increasing use of the territories of Central and Eastern European countries as transit routes for narcotic drugs is a factor contributing to the increase in drug-related crimes and to the propagation of local drug abuse.
The adverse impact of the activities of criminal organizations on the political, economic and social stability has been strongest in CIS member States, where the interdiction capability of law enforcement services has been limited, the justice system has been slow, corruption has hindered the proper functioning of administrations, and democratic institutions have been fragile. Illicit drug trafficking is often facilitated by a lack of border controls. The relations between individual trafficking groups have grown and _ with the assistance of some nationals of CIS member States who have recently settled in Austria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland and other countries _ have succeeded in establishing international links.
The Board welcomes the UNDCP assistance programmes focusing on the prevention of drug-related crime in CIS member States, which are being undertaken in cooperation with the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Branch of the Secretariat.
Money Laundering
There are close links between drug trafficking and money laundering in the Russian Federation. Money laundering in that country, which is not a criminal offence under current national legislation, is frequently conducted through private businesses, insurance companies, financial institutions, exchange offices and real estate agencies and through newly privatized factories, companies, hotels etc.
The ongoing privatization of State-owned properties and weaknesses in the supervision of the increasing number of financial institutions provide plenty of opportunities for criminals to engage in money laundering in formerly socialist countries in Europe. The Board welcomes the adoption of a law against money laundering in Hungary and urges other States to follow that example as soon as possible.
The Board appreciates the efforts of the European Commission aimed at the implementation of the provisions of its directives against money laundering and congratulates the authorities of France, Germany, Italy and other European countries who have conducted successful operations against money laundering, leading to the arrest of important cocaine and heroin traffickers.
Some Positive Signs
In Sweden, the experimental abuse of drugs among 16-year-old pupils has decreased from about 14 per cent to about 5 per cent in the past 20 years. In 1980, 19 per cent of 18-year-old males signing on for military service had tried drugs; that proportion diminished to 9 per cent in 1994. In 1979, 37 per cent of severe drug abusers were under 25 years old, compared with only 10 per cent in 1992. The Board appreciates the accomplishment of the Government of Sweden, which can be considered to be the result of its clearly defined and constantly followed policy, based on maintaining a balance between demand reduction and supply reduction, achieving political consensus and on striving for the participation of the entire society.
The Board also appreciates the assistance provided by UNDCP, the European Union and the Pompidou Group to Central and Eastern European countries in demand reduction.
Cannabis
The Netherlands has become a significant producer of cannabis cultivated indoors. In 1994, about 500,000 such plants were seized by law enforcement authorities in that country. According to ICPO/Interpol, the THC content of cannabis in the Netherlands ranges from 9 per cent to 22 per cent.
Seeds are exported to countries in Western and Eastern Europe, where they are used for the indoor cultivation of highly potent cannabis. In the opinion of the Board, the export of such seeds for illicit cultivation purposes is against the provisions of the 1961 Convention and the 1988 Convention and is contrary to the regulations of the European Commission and the Council of the European Union. The export of technical expertise from the Netherlands to other countries plays an important role in the propagation of illicit indoor cannabis cultivation in Europe.
Cannabis grows wild and is illicitly cultivated in the CIS member States in Europe (Belarus, the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation and Ukraine) and illicit cannabis cultivation has been reported in Eastern Europe.
Although there have been no major changes in the situation in Europe with regard to the illicit traffic in cannabis and cannabis resin, cannabis seizures increased substantially, from 440 tonnes to 783 tonnes, between 1993 and 1994. The main supplier States continue to be in Africa (Morocco and Nigeria), Central America and the Caribbean (Jamaica), South America (Colombia) and West Asia (Afghanistan and Pakistan).
Cannabis remains the main drug of abuse in Europe. An increase in cannabis abuse has been reported mainly in the eastern part of the region.
Opium/Heroin/Poppy Straw
In Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, despite a ban on all poppy cultivation, illicit poppy cultivation continues. The Board notes with concern that in the Republic of Moldova, the cultivation of poppy is not yet regulated. In other central and eastern European countries, poppy cultivation for the production of seeds is permitted, but opium production, traffic in poppy straw and the use of poppy straw for the preparation of abusable extracts are punishable offences. There is considerable illicit traffic in poppy straw in CIS member States and in the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania). In 1994, an opium-processing laboratory was dismantled in Lithuania.
Changing Transit Routes
In 1994, 10 tonnes of heroin were seized in Europe; 80 per cent of it was estimated to have originated in south-west Asia and most of it had been transported along the Balkan route. The armed conflict in former republics of Yugoslavia has disrupted the traditional Balkan route and, as a result, the routes used by international traffickers have become more diverse. The territories of CIS member States are increasingly being used as transit points by traffickers of heroin and cannabis resin. In addition to Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania have become more important as transit countries. Albania and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are frequently used as transshipment points. South-east Asian heroin is smuggled by sea through Vladivostok and by land in transport international routier (TIR) trucks through Mongolia and the Russian Federation. Rail containers originating in the CIS member States in central Asia, countries in south-west Asia, Turkey and the countries in the Caucasus are increasingly being used for smuggling heroin into Western Europe through the Russian Federation.
Shift from Opiates to Synthetics
Most of the heroin smuggled into Europe is abused in countries in the western part of the region, but there are signs that heroin abuse is also emerging in some countries in central and eastern Europe. The abuse of poppy straw extracts remains a major problem in CIS member States and in the Baltic States, where the abuse of synthetic opioids has also become a problem. In Poland, there has been a decline in the abuse of poppy straw extracts, accompanied by an increase in amphetamine abuse. A similar shift from opiates to amphetamine had been observed earlier in other countries in the region.
In the opinion of the Board, the dismantling of a growing number of clandestine laboratories engaged in the manufacture of synthetic opioids, mainly methylfentanyl, in the Russian Federation and the propagation of the abuse of such synthetic drugs in that country and in neighbouring countries, above all in the Baltic States, constitute a major threat to the entire European region. The synthetic opioid methylfentanyl is several hundred times more potent than heroin and can be easily synthesized. Considering the fact that the existing manufacturing capacity in the Russian Federation, other CIS member States, the Baltic States and other central and eastern European countries is no longer fully used for legal industrial purposes, there is a real risk that methylfentanyl and other synthetic opioids will appear on illicit markets in western European countries.
Cocaine
Cocaine seizures increased significantly in Europe. Central and eastern European countries are increasingly being used by South American cartels as transit States for cocaine destined for illicit markets in western Europe. Increasing seizures indicate that Poland has become an important transit point for cocaine traffickers. Cocaine is smuggled into Europe through the Russian Federation and Ukraine and through several countries in south-eastern Europe. Despite the emergence of new trafficking routes, the Iberian peninsula continues to be the most important point of entry into Europe for cocaine from South America; however, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom are also making seizures of that drug in increasing amounts. Nationals of countries in western Africa continue to be used as couriers to smuggle cocaine out of South America and into Europe via airports in western Africa.
The abuse of cocaine is on the increase in Europe, mainly in the western part of the continent, but there are signs that such abuse is also spreading in some countries in eastern Europe. In 1994, crack was involved in 50 per cent of the cocaine seizures in the United Kingdom. Crack continues to be a matter of concern to authorities in that country, especially considering the violent criminality associated with its abuse.
Psychotropics
Problems connected with the abuse of psychotropic substances are increasing in the European region. In the opinion of the Board, the abuse of synthetic stimulants (amphetamine, methamphetamine and methcathinone) and hallucinogens ("ecstasy"-type hallucinogenic amphetamines and LSD) merits special attention.
Amphetamine is widely available in most countries in Europe; large quantities of amphetamine originating mainly in the Netherlands but also in Poland have been seized in several countries in western Europe and in the Nordic States. In Poland, four large-scale clandestine amphetamine laboratories were dismantled in 1994 and two more were dismantled in the first half of 1995. There are signs that illicit amphetamine and methamphetamine manufacture is taking place, on a smaller scale, in several other European countries. The black market for metamphetamine in the Czech Republic is supplied by a large number of small, clandestine "home laboratories": in 1994, 70 such laboratories were seized by the authorities.
Increasing amphetamine abuse has been reported from a number of countries but, in some cases, no distinction has been made between amphetamine and hallucinogenic amphetamine-derivatives (MDMA etc.) in seizure reports or drug abuse statistics.
Considerable increases in cases involving the seizure or abuse of MDMA and similar hallucinogenic amphetamines have been reported in France, Italy, Spain and some other countries. In Spain, in the first three months of 1995, more than 200,000 units of such drugs were seized, nearly twice the figure for the entire year in 1994. In 1994, the largest ever MDMA laboratory was seized at Amsterdam. The Netherlands remains the major supplier of hallucinogenic amphetamines, but substantial amounts of such drugs originate in eastern European countries. There are signs that the manufacture of synthetic drugs has continued in the Baltic States, where control and detection of illicit drug manufacture and trafficking are hindered by the large number of chemical and pharmaceutical companies.
LSD abuse is growing in Spain and the United Kingdom, and several countries in central and eastern Europe (Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovenia) have reported increased trafficking in and abuse of LSD, to the extent that LSD has become one of the most abused drugs in the Czech Republic and Slovenia. Most of the LSD found in Europe originates in the United States.
Hallucenogenic Mushrooms
Growing abuse of hallucinogenic mushrooms has been reported in Estonia and in the Russian Federation, where control measures have been introduced for the prevention of that form of abuse. The Board invites Governments and regional and international organizations to monitor the new trends in the abuse of hallucinogens. The Board highly appreciates the cooperation of Governments in the control of ephedrine shipments, which has led to prevention of the diversion of substantial amounts of that compound.
Khat
The smuggling of large quantities of khat (Catha edulis) into Europe is creating problems for the authorities of several countries. Khat is not under international control but its use is considered to be a form of abuse in several European countries where preventive measures have been taken against its import.
Fact-finding Missions
The Board sent a mission to Bulgaria in October 1995 to assess the action undertaken by the Government of Bulgaria pursuant to the recommendations made by the Board during its mission in April 1993. The Board appreciates the initial steps undertaken by the Government of Bulgaria in establishing an interministerial drug control committee, introducing control mechanisms for precursors and other chemicals and reinforcing some law enforcement services. The Board has noted that the Government of Bulgaria is elaborating a special law to counter money laundering.
The Board urges the Government of Bulgaria to ratify the 1972 Protocol amending the 1961 Convention, to adopt comprehensive drug control legislation, to undertake steps for the destruction of seized drugs and to improve the functioning of its criminal justice system in the prosecution of drug-related criminal cases.
In February 1995, the Board sent a mission to Switzerland to follow up its mission to that country in February 1994. Such missions are an integral part of the continuing dialogue of the Board with the Government of Switzerland on two extremely important issues: the accession of Switzerland to the 1971 Convention and the 1988 Convention; and the drug control policy of that country, including the ongoing heroin project.
Switzerland is still not a party to the 1971 Convention, but since the return of the mission the Board has been assured by the Government that all of the legislative and administrative arrangements are in place for the ratification and implementation of that Convention in 1996. The Board understands that that implementation will include the application of the export-import authorization system in accordance with the relevant Economic and Social Council resolutions, which could serve as an example for some other countries that are also major manufacturers and exporters of psychotropic substances.
In the past, the territory of Switzerland was frequently used for the diversion of precursors of psychotropic substances (ephedrine, in particular). The Board regrets that Switzerland is not yet prepared to ratify the 1988 Convention, but it appreciates the active cooperation of the Swiss authorities in the prevention and detection of cases involving such diversion cases and it is confident that the new regulation of precursor control and the new law on money laundering which are expected to be adopted in 1995, will strengthen the international control system.
Until recently, there were a number of open drug scenes in various cities in Switzerland, including one in Zurich that was frequented by about 3,000 drug abusers (and dealers) each day _ in peak times, by up to 8,000. According to the Swiss authorities, all those sites have been closed. In addition to the increasing drug abuse problem, Switzerland had experienced the rapid spread of HIV infection (until recently, the country had the highest HIV infection rate among European countries). The Board appreciates that the Swiss Government has acknowledged that, due to that policy, the drug problem has reached a level where it has become uncontrollable.
In the opinion of the Swiss authorities, the project on the prescription of heroin to drug addicts should be considered one element of their efforts to find solutions to the country's drug problems. Simultaneously with that controversial experiment, the Government of Switzerland has undertaken concrete steps towards the improvement of prevention, therapy, repression and rehabilitation (which are considered to be the four pillars of its national policy). In the therapeutic field, for example, existing facilities for long-term clinical treatment, which can currently accommodate 1,500 persons, will be increased by 380 additional places, and about 13,000-15,000 drug dependent persons are currently receiving methadone substitution therapy. The aim of the heroin project is to explore new possibilities for the treatment of heavily addicted persons for whom other forms of treatment have failed.
The Board reiterates its concerns in respect of the experiments with heroin for maintenance purposes; however, it welcomes the prompt compliance of the Government of Switzerland with the Board's recommendation to invite WHO to conduct an independent assessment of the medical and scientific aspects of the project. The Board also appreciates the willingness of WHO to undertake that assessment and it hopes that the findings of WHO will be made available in the near future.
In September 1995, the Board sent a mission to Ukraine. The Board is aware of the difficulties encountered by the drug control and law enforcement services of the country, where criminality, including drug-related criminality, and drug abuse are on the increase. The Board appreciates the commitment of the Government of Ukraine to meet its obligations under the international drug control treaties; however, it urges the Government to speed up the development of a comprehensive national drug control policy.
The Board welcomes the initial steps taken by the Government of Ukraine towards the introduction of updated drug control legislation and a mechanism for interministerial coordination. The adoption in 1995 of legislative measures enabling authorities to identify money laundering transactions, to prosecute persons involved in such activities and to confiscate assets derived from drug trafficking is considered by the Board to be an encouraging sign.
The Board recommends that the Government of Ukraine should provide more resources for the strengthening of its national drug control system. The Board appreciates the respective assistance provided by UNDCP and encourages international organizations to continue to provide training and equipment to assist Ukraine in its efforts to improve its drug control and law enforcement capability.
The entire text of the INCB Report for 1995 can be found on INCB's Home Page accessed from : http://www.undcp.org
beginning 27 February 1996