Transaction Search Form: please type in any of the fields below.
Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
Time: 3:25 am
Time: 3:25 am
Results for drug trafficking control
33 results foundAuthor: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Regional Office for East Asia and the Pacific. ASEAN Title: Drug-free ASEAN 2015: Status and Recommendations Summary: At the Thirty-third ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok in 2000, Ministers "took note of the threat from drug abuse and drug trafficking on the security and stability of the ASEAN region, particularly its relations with transnational crime" and called for a drug-free ASEAN by 2015.1 Recent documented shifts in illicit drug manufacturing and production, trafficking patterns and abuse trends make it clear that countries in the region must increase their collaborative efforts if this goal is to be realized. "Drug-Free ASEAN 2015: Status and Recommendations" serves as a timely mid-term progress report for the region and is loosely structured under three questions: 'Is the commitment achievable?' 'Is the region on track towards achieving it?' 'What can be done to accelerate progress?' In the report, national/regional overviews of the illicit drug situation since 2000 include the latest information available via data collection mechanisms established by various UNODC Regional Centre projects, official Government reports and interviews with national counterpart agencies and other drug control stakeholders from throughout the region and beyond. Based upon clearly identified response gaps, the report then proposes a series of benchmarks and recommendations for Governments to better monitor the overall progress of their drug prevention and control efforts. A final section of the report deals with emerging challenges posed by the accelerated development of trade and transportation networks in the region. To adequately address the anticipated surge of goods and persons through new and more heavily trafficked border crossings, an effective regional response will require a common strategy and coordinated actions. In October 2007, ASEAN Senior Officials on Drug Matters (ASOD) met to review "Drug-Free ASEAN 2015: Status and Recommendations". Selected recommendations from the report were then endorsed at the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) in November 2007 in Brunei Darussalam. It is expected that "Drug-Free ASEAN 2015: Status and Recommendations" will serve as a key reference document in the development of an ASEAN-wide work plan by ASOD in the near future. As a collaborative undertaking, this report also highlights the growing cooperation between the ASEAN Secretariat and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Centre for East Asia and the Pacific. This not only fosters linkages between various, ongoing drug control frameworks in the region but also ensures closer collaboration between ASEAN and UNODC in the delivery of technical assistance, capacity building initiatives and expert advice. The Regional Centre looks forward to further close collaboration with the ASEAN Secretariat in the future while progressing towards a Drug-Free ASEAN 2015. Details: Bangkok, Thailand: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2008. 121p. Source: https://www.unodc.org/documents/southeastasiaandpacific/Publications/ASEAN_2015.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Asia URL: https://www.unodc.org/documents/southeastasiaandpacific/Publications/ASEAN_2015.pdf Shelf Number: 116655 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Control PolicyDrug Trafficking ControlIllicit Drugs |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Title: Sustaining Opium Reduction in Southeast Asia: Sharing Experiences on Alternative Development and Beyond Summary: Alternative development has developed into a comprehensive response to the cultivation of illicit crops, comprising development, demand reduction, and law enforcement to address issues of poverty, addiction and criminal behavior. Details: Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic, 2009 Source: Regional Seminar: Global Partnership on Alternative Development 2008 Year: 2009 Country: Laos URL: Shelf Number: 115814 Keywords: Drug Trafficking ControlOpiates |
Author: Goodhand, Jonathan Title: Bandits, Borderlands and Opium Wars: Afghan State-building Viewed from the Margins Summary: This paper explores the linkages between the drugs economy, borderlands and 'post conflict' state building in Afghanistan. It does this through an historical analysis of Sheghnan, a remote district of the Afghan-Tajik border in the north-east. The paper charts the opening and closing of the border; the movement of people, commodities and ideas across the border; the effects of changing political regimes; the role of resources and their effects on local governance; and the complex, multifacted networks that span the border and are involved in the drugs trade. Details: Copenhagen: Danish Institute for International Studies, 2009 Source: DIIS Working Paper 2009:26 Year: 2009 Country: Afghanistan URL: Shelf Number: 117632 Keywords: Drug TraffickingDrug Trafficking Control |
Author: Queensland. Crime and Misconduct Commission Title: Illicit Drug Markets in Queensland: A Strategic Assessment Summary: This strategic intelligence assessment presents a market-based analysis of the risk posed by illicit drug markets in Queensland, with a particular focus on organised criminal involvement in those markets. Details: Brisbane: Crime and Misconduct Commission, 2010. 92p. Source: Crime Bulletin Series; No. 12 Year: 2010 Country: Australia URL: Shelf Number: 117699 Keywords: Drug TraffickingDrug Trafficking ControlOrganized Crime |
Author: Laniel, Laurent Title: Cocaine: A European Union Perspective in the Global Context Summary: This report provides an overview of what is known about how cocaine is produced and trafficked into the European Union. It aims to provide a better understanding of the actors involved, the routes taken, and the scale of the problem in Europe. It also reviews some of the supply reduction responses already developed at the European level. Details: Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2010. 42p. Source: EMCDDA-Europol Joint Publication No. 2 Year: 2010 Country: Europe URL: Shelf Number: 118249 Keywords: CocaineDrug TraffickingDrug Trafficking Control |
Author: Walsh, John Title: Lowering Expectations: Supply Control and the Resilient Cocaine Market Summary: Recent data from the Obama administration show that U.S. cocaine prices continued to fall through 2007, while purity remained high. The data undermined claims by Bush administration officials that supply disruptions had achieved unprecedented cocaine shortages in the United States. This report asserts that the U.S. can and should do more to reduce demand for cocaine, but a dramatic reduction in the size of the lucrative U.S. cocaine market should not be expected any time soon. A realistic and humane drug policy should focus on harm reduction - aiming to minimize the harms caused by illicit drug production, distribution and abuse, but also striving to minimize the damage done by policies meant to control drugs. Details: Washington, DC: Washington Office on Latin America, 2009. 10p. Source: Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 117793 Keywords: CocaineDrug ControlDrug PolicyDrug Trafficking ControlDrugs |
Author: Van Heuvelen, Elizabeth S. Title: Uniting the Golden Crescent and Central Asia: The Potential for Greater Regional Cooperation to Curb Afghanistan's Opium Trade Summary: This paper explores the potential for greater regional cooperation betwen Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, and Central Asian Republics in combating the opium trade. Through examining the history of the regional dynamics of the opium trade, this paper concludes that elimination of the opium trade will require sustained regional cooperation that targets reduction of both supply and demand. There are significant challenges to enacting such a program, but there is also the potential to build on and expand initiatives with similar goals that are already underway. In the context of the Obama administration's broad review of U.S. foreign policy and strategy in the region, now is a fertile time to explore and pursue such efforts. Details: Washington, DC: Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies, 2009. 35p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2009 Country: Afghanistan URL: Shelf Number: 118671 Keywords: Drug TraffickingDrug Trafficking ControlOpium Trade(Afghanistan) |
Author: Ahrari, Ehsan Title: Narco-Jihad: Drug Trafficking and Security in Afghanistan and Pakistan Summary: Narcotics production and trafficking is a critical dimension of the conflict in Afghanistan and Pakistan. With Afghanistan as the world's largest opium producer, narcotics are the economic lynchpin connecting key players in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region. The increase in narco-trafficking routes through Russia and Central Asia to supply global demand introduces important international variables. This report assesses the global and regional dynamics of narcotics production and trafficking in Afghanistan and Pakistan and the implications for counterinsurgency efforts in the region. Details: Seattle, WA: National Bureau of Asian Research, 2009. 57p. Source: Internet Resource; NBR Special Report No. 20 Year: 2009 Country: Asia URL: Shelf Number: 117571 Keywords: Drug TraffickingDrug Trafficking ControlNarcoticsOpium |
Author: Astorga, Luis Title: Drug Trafficking Organizations and Counter-Drug Strategies in the U.S.-Mexican Context Summary: This paper looks at the increase in violence in Mexico among trafficking organizations and the efforts and prospective strategies available to counter the drug trafficking networks. Details: Washington, DC: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars; San Diego: Trans-Border Institute, University of San Diego, 2010. 29p. Source: Internet Resource; Accessed August 13, 2010 at http://http://www.wilsoncenter.org/topics/pubs/Drug%20Trafficking%20Organizations.%20Astorga%20and%20Shirk.pdf; Working Paper Series on U.S.-Mexico Security Cooperation Year: 2010 Country: Mexico URL: http://http://www.wilsoncenter.org/topics/pubs/Drug%20Trafficking%20Organizations.%20Astorga%20and%20Shirk.pdf; Working Paper Series on U.S.-Mexico Security Cooperation Shelf Number: 119596 Keywords: Drug Trafficking (Mexico)Drug Trafficking ControlOrganized Crime |
Author: Aning, Kwesi Title: Understanding the Intersection of Drugs, Politics & Crime in West Africa: An Interpretive Analysis Summary: This paper examines the relationship between drugs, politics and crime in West Africa by using Ghana as a case study, and discusses some of the initiatives in place to curb the international drug trade as it affects West African states. Details: Santiago, Chile: Global Consortium on Security Transformation, 2010. 12p. Source: Internet Resource; Accessed August 13, 2010 at: http://http://www.securitytransformation.org/images/wor_docus/45_GCST_Policy_Brief_6_-_Understanding_The_Intersection_Of_Drugs,_Politics_&_Crime_In_West_Africa._An_Interpretive_Analysis.pdf; Policy Brief Series; No. 6 Year: 2010 Country: Africa URL: http://http://www.securitytransformation.org/images/wor_docus/45_GCST_Policy_Brief_6_-_Understanding_The_Intersection_Of_Drugs,_Politics_&_Crime_In_West_Africa._An_Interpretive_Analysis.pdf; Policy Brief Series; No. 6 Shelf Number: 119599 Keywords: Drug TraffickingDrug Trafficking ControlPolitical Corruption |
Author: Camp, Roderic Ai Title: Armed Forces and Drugs: Public Perceptions and Institutional Challenges Summary: This essay proposes to briefly describe and analyze the evolution of the Army and Navy’s role in drug interdiction, focusing on the patterns that have emerged since 1995, when the Army accepted responsibility for that task without any internal opposition. This paper argues that Mexican national security priorities have shifted significantly, focusing on domestic security issues, specifically drug-related criminal activity and violence. In response to the government’s emphasis on drug-related crime, civil authorities have relied increasingly on the armed forces to carry out an aggressive anti-drug mission. The increased role of the military in carrying out these assignments has produced significant changes within the Mexican Navy and the Army, and in their relationship with the American armed forces. Citizen views of the Mexican armed forces as an institution, its performance of the anti-drug mission, and its reactions to increased levels of personal insecurity, have altered Mexican perceptions of national sovereignty and the United States’ role in their country. Finally, the role of the Catholic Church as an increasingly influential actor in government attempts to curb the drug cartels, as well as the source of potential conflict with the armed forces over growing numbers of human rights abuses, are essential to understanding the consequences of the military’s anti-drug mission. Details: Washington, DC: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Mexico Institute: San Diego: University of San Diego, Trans-Border Institute, 2010. 33p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper Series on U.S.-Mexico Security Collaboration: Accessed September 1, 2010 at: http://wilsoncenter.org/topics/pubs/Armed%20Forces%20and%20Drugs.%20Camp.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Mexico URL: http://wilsoncenter.org/topics/pubs/Armed%20Forces%20and%20Drugs.%20Camp.pdf Shelf Number: 119716 Keywords: Armed ForcesDrug CartelsDrug EnforcementDrug TraffickingDrug Trafficking Control |
Author: U.S. Department of Justice. Office of the Inspector General. Evaluation and Inspections Division Title: Review of the Drug Enforcement Administration's El Paso Intelligence Center Summary: The border between the United States and Mexico presents a long-standing challenge to U.S. law enforcement. Criminal organizations smuggle illicit drugs, undocumented aliens, and other contraband across the border into the United States, and cash and weapons into Mexico. The El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC) is a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) led and funded intelligence center, located in El Paso, Texas, near Juarez, Mexico. EPIC focuses its programs on the collection and dissemination of tactical intelligence. EPIC provides federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies information they can use in investigations and operations that target smuggling and other criminal activities. When it was established in 1974, EPIC focused primarily on Mexican heroin traffickers and illegal alien and weapon smugglers. EPIC’s focus today is broader, providing an intelligence resource that targets a wider range of criminal activity. EPIC’s mission has evolved in response to a shift in focus to Southwest border smuggling and associated violence, and the need for improved collaboration and timely information sharing among law enforcement and intelligence agencies. EPIC currently hosts representatives from 21 different agencies and provides information to over 19,000 law enforcement officers and analysts who are approved EPIC users. This review by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) examined the roles and functions of EPIC and its analysis and dissemination of intelligence in support of federal, state, and local law enforcement investigations and interdiction operations. In this review, we interviewed representatives of investigative agencies that obtain intelligence from EPIC. We also conducted site visits at EPIC and several law enforcement agencies along the Southwest border and elsewhere, analyzed EPIC data and its performance measures, and reviewed U.S. national counter-drug strategy and policy materials. In addition, we administered a nationwide survey of EPIC users to obtain their perspectives on EPIC’s products and services. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, 2010. 86p. Source: Internet Resource: I-2010-05: Accessed February 18, 2011 at: http://www.justice.gov/oig/reports/DEA/a1005.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.justice.gov/oig/reports/DEA/a1005.pdf Shelf Number: 120826 Keywords: Drug TraffickingDrug Trafficking ControlSmuggling |
Author: Shirk, David A. Title: The Drug War in Mexico: Confronting a Shared Threat Summary: The drug war in Mexico has caused some U.S. analysts to view Mexico as a failed or failing state. While these fears are exaggerated, the problems of widespread crime and violence, government corruption, and inadequate access to justice pose grave challenges for the Mexican state. The Obama administration has therefore affirmed its commitment to assist Mexico through continued bilateral collaboration, funding for judicial and security sector reform, and building “resilient communities.” This paper analyzes the drug war in Mexico, explores Mexico’s capacities and limitations, examines the factors that have undermined effective state performance, assesses the prospects for U.S. support to strengthen critical state institutions, and offers recommendations for reducing the potential of state failure. He argues that the United States should help Mexico address its pressing crime and corruption problems by going beyond traditional programs to strengthen the country’s judicial and security sector capacity and help it build stronger political institutions, a more robust economy, and a thriving civil society. Details: Washington, DC: Council on Foreign Relations, 2011. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Council Special Report No. 60: Accessed March 17, 2011 at: http://www.cfr.org/mexico/drug-war-mexico/p24262?co=C009602 Year: 2011 Country: Mexico URL: http://www.cfr.org/mexico/drug-war-mexico/p24262?co=C009602 Shelf Number: 121051 Keywords: Drug EnforcementDrug Trafficking (Mexico)Drug Trafficking ControlViolence |
Author: U.S. Senate. Caucus on International Narcotics Control Title: U.S. and Mexican Responses to Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations Summary: Violence in Mexico continues unhindered without any signs of slowing. This report outlines a series of concrete steps the United States can take to support the Mexican government in its fight against drug trafficking organizations and drug-related violence. While our security partnership with Mexico has deepened in recent years, more can be done to help. The attached report synthesizes information gathered by Caucus staff through a country visit, briefings, interviews, and a review of documents from both government and non-government subject matter experts. The report describes the current strategy and provides important recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders. Details: Washington, DC: The Caucus, 2011. 71p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 27, 2011 at: http://drugcaucus.senate.gov/Mexico-Report-Final-5-2011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Mexico URL: http://drugcaucus.senate.gov/Mexico-Report-Final-5-2011.pdf Shelf Number: 121837 Keywords: Drug CartelsDrug Control PolicyDrug Trafficking (Mexico)Drug Trafficking ControlDrug-Related ViolenceOrganized Crime |
Author: Chalk, Peter Title: The Latin American Drug Trade: Scope, Dimensions, Impact, and Response Summary: Colombia currently accounts for the vast bulk of cocaine produced in Latin America. In 2009, the country produced 270 metric tons (MT) of cocaine, making it the principal supplier for both the United States and the worldwide market. Besides Colombia, Peru and Bolivia constitute two additional important sources of cocaine in Latin America. In 2009, these two countries generated enough base material to respectively yield 225 and 195 MT of refined product. Between 60 and 65 percent of all Latin American cocaine is trafficked to the United States, the bulk of which is smuggled via the eastern Pacific/Central American corridor. The remainder is sent through the Caribbean island chain, with the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Haiti acting as the main transshipment hubs. In both cases, Mexico serves as the main point of entry to mainland America, presently accounting for the vast majority of all illicit drug imports to the United States. Increasing amounts of Latin American cocaine are now also being sent to Europe, reflecting higher street prices than those in the United States and shifting consumer demand patterns toward this particular narcotic (and derivates, such as crack). The majority of the Colombian cocaine that is trafficked to Europe, either directly or via West Africa, is exported from Venezuela. In addition to cocaine, Colombia also represents a relatively important source for North America opiates, historically accounting for around half of the white heroin consumed east of the Mississippi. Although there has been a marked decline in opium-production levels in the past several years —largely due to successful poppy-eradication efforts — shipments still take place, with the main trafficking route running up the eastern Pacific to Mexico. Details: Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2011. 113p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 27, 2011 at: http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2011/RAND_MG1076.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2011/RAND_MG1076.pdf Shelf Number: 121868 Keywords: CocaineDrug Trafficking (Latin America)Drug Trafficking ControlNarcotics |
Author: Finklea, Kristin M. Title: Southwest Border Violence: Issues in Identifying and Measuring Spillover Violence Summary: There has been an increase in the level of drug trafficking-related violence within and between the drug trafficking organizations in Mexico. This violence has generated concern among U.S. policy makers that the violence in Mexico might spill over into the United States. Currently, U.S. federal officials deny that the recent increase in drug trafficking-related violence in Mexico has resulted in a spillover into the United States, but they acknowledge that the prospect is a serious concern. The most recent threat assessment indicates that the Mexican drug trafficking organizations pose the greatest drug trafficking threat to the United States, and this threat is driven partly by U.S. demand for drugs. Mexican drug trafficking organizations are the major suppliers and key producers of most illegal drugs smuggled into the United States across the Southwest border (SWB). The nature of the conflict between the Mexican drug trafficking organizations in Mexico has manifested itself, in part, as a struggle for control of these smuggling routes into the United States. Further, in an illegal marketplace — such as that of illicit drugs — where prices and profits are elevated due to the risks of operating outside the law, violence or the threat of violence becomes the primary means for settling disputes. When assessing the potential implications of the increased violence in Mexico, one of the central concerns for Congress is the potential for what has been termed “spillover” violence — an increase in drug trafficking-related violence in United States. While the interagency community has defined spillover violence as violence targeted primarily at civilians and government entities — excluding trafficker-on-trafficker violence — other experts and scholars have recognized trafficker-on-trafficker violence as central to spillover. When defining and analyzing changes in drug trafficking-related violence within the United States to determine whether there has been (or may be in the future) any spillover violence, critical elements include who may be implicated in the violence (both perpetrators and victims), what type of violence may arise, when violence may appear, and where violence may occur (both along the SWB and in the nation’s interior). Currently, no comprehensive, publicly available data exist that can definitively answer the question of whether there has been a significant spillover of drug trafficking-related violence into the United States. Although anecdotal reports have been mixed, U.S. government officials maintain that there has not yet been a significant spillover. In an examination of data that could provide insight into whether there has been a significant spillover in drug trafficking-related violence from Mexico into the United States, CRS analyzed violent crime data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Report program. The data, however, do not allow analysts to determine what proportion of the violent crime rate is related to drug trafficking or, even more specifically, what proportion of drug trafficking-related violent crimes can be attributed to spillover violence. In conclusion, because the trends in the overall violent crime rate may not be indicative of trends in drug trafficking-related violent crimes, CRS is unable to draw definitive claims about trends in drug trafficking-related violence spilling over from Mexico into the United States. Details: Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, 2011. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 1, 2011 at: http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/R41075_20110125.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/R41075_20110125.pdf Shelf Number: 121947 Keywords: Border ControlBorder SecurityDrug Trafficking (U.S. and Mexico)Drug Trafficking ControlViolenceViolent Crime |
Author: Bjerke, Maxwell E. Title: Explaining Variation in the Apprehension of Mexican Drug Trafficking Cartel Leaders Summary: Successive Mexican administrations have turned to the deployment of military and federal law enforcement agencies to respond to crises, recently focusing in particular on targeting the leaders of major drug cartels in their counternarcotics efforts. However, since 2000 Mexico’s government’s efforts to control criminal activities in these cities have met with varying success. During that period, the Mexican federal government has apprehended ten leading members of the Arellano-Felix Organization (AFO), one of the most prolific drug trafficking organizations. In contrast, only three major cartel leaders have been apprehended from the Carrillo Fuentes Organization, (CFO), another enduring drug trafficking organization. This thesis draws upon theories of organization and path dependence to explain variation in the Mexican government’s success in arresting major cartel leaders. It argues that variation between the AFO and CFO in their internal structures — in particular, the AFO’s low level of professionalism relative to that of the CFO — has facilitated the apprehension of the AFO leadership. In terms of path dependence, the thesis finds that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s focus on the AFO is due to the legacy of a random event, the AFO predecessor’s role in the 1985 kidnapping and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique Camarena. The DEA has clung to this case across twenty-five years and therefore has remained focused on the AFO, in order to justify U.S. counterdrug efforts in Mexico. Changing U.S.-Mexico relations have facilitated the DEA’s focus on the AFO, particularly since 2000. Details: Monterey, CA: Naval Postgraduate School, 2010. 105p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed July 21, 2011 at: http://dodreports.com/pdf/ada524554.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Mexico URL: http://dodreports.com/pdf/ada524554.pdf Shelf Number: 122141 Keywords: Drug CartelsDrug Trafficking (Mexico)Drug Trafficking Control |
Author: Campbell, David R. Title: Evaluating the Impact of Drug Trafficking Organizations on the Stability of the Mexican State Summary: Since 2007, when President Felipe Calderon declared his government’s war on the drug trafficking organizations operating in his country, the level of narcotics related violence has increased dramatically. The violence, which had been largely confined to factions of the cartels, now threatens every citizen and is devastating the economy of the border region. This thesis evaluates the impact of Mexican drug cartels on the stability of the Mexican State and on the security of the U.S. The primary conclusion drawn is that the Mexican state is unlikely to fail as state failure is defined, but the Mexican government is likely to return to a one party system under which drug trafficking and corruption are tolerated but the violence does not directly affect the average Mexican. While current U.S. efforts toward increased border security and assistance to Mexico in the form of the Merida Initiative have made positive impacts, it is only by decreasing U.S. demand for illegal narcotics and encouraging Mexican economic growth that both nations can make real progress in the drug war. Details: Fort Leavenworth, KS: U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, 2010. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed July 22, 2011 at: http://dodreports.com/pdf/ada524420.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Mexico URL: http://dodreports.com/pdf/ada524420.pdf Shelf Number: 122143 Keywords: Border SecurityDrug CartelsDrug Trafficking (Mexico)Drug Trafficking ControlDrugsMerida Initiative |
Author: U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy Title: Cocaine Smuggling in 2009 Summary: This report presents statistics and information on cocaine smuggling in 2009. For the second year in a row, the amount of cocaine departing South America continued to decrease. Nonetheless, drug trafficking organizations continued to move large quantities of cocaine. Data from the US Government interagency Consolidated Counterdrug Database that documents the movement of cocaine suggest a 12-20 percent decrease in the amount departing South America toward the US in 2009. However, production-based flow estimates, which calculate the amount of cocaine available to depart South America, showed a more modest 3 percent decrease. Estimates of potential cocaine production in the Andean region, expressed in metric tons, showed a significant decrease of 14.5 percent in 2008—the most recent year for which data was available. Furthermore, the purity of bulk cocaine shipments dropped to a record low of 76 percent, indicating extensive use of cutting agents to bulk up the cocaine in South America prior to departure and mitigating the impact of the decreased production on the gross volume of product available for export. Details: Washington, DC: Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2010. 14p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 22, 2011 at: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/pdf/Cocaine_Smuggling_in_2009.pdf Year: 2010 Country: South America URL: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/pdf/Cocaine_Smuggling_in_2009.pdf Shelf Number: 122147 Keywords: CocaineDrug TraffickingDrug Trafficking Control |
Author: Barnes, DeEtta Lachelle Gray Title: Drug Trafficking in Haiti Summary: This thesis examines Haiti’s role in international drug trafficking, how it impacts Haiti’s political and economic development, and how Haiti and the United States are combating the drug trade. The thesis argues that Haiti’s geographic location, political culture, illegal immigrants, entrepreneurial class and weak institutions have made it a major transshipment point for drugs to the United States from South America. Haiti’s weak democratic institutions, dysfunctional judicial system and fledgling police force present South American drug traffickers with a path of little resistance. Drug trafficking has contributed to violence, corruption, political instability, poor economic development and lack of democratic consolidation in Haiti today. Finally, the thesis examines Haiti and the United States’ efforts to combat drug trafficking in Haiti. Although Haiti has made steps to adhere to the measures the UN drug convention set forth, Haiti’s counternarcotics initiatives have suffered due to a long political crisis between the executive and legislative and economic instability. Despite the lack of a bilateral counternarcotics agreement between the U. S. and Haiti, the two countries cooperate and the DEA maintain a permanent staff of seven agents in Port-au-Prince. Details: Monterey, CA: Naval Postgraduate School, 2002. 71p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed July 29, 2011 at: http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf&AD=ADA404648 Year: 2002 Country: Haiti URL: http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf&AD=ADA404648 Shelf Number: 122228 Keywords: Drug Trafficking (Haiti)Drug Trafficking ControlEconomic Development |
Author: Dominguez, Manuel J. Title: The Institutionalization of Drug Trafficking Organizations: Comparing Colombia and Brazil Summary: Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) have emerged as important informal institutions in Latin America. This thesis looks at: 1) the emergence of DTOs within Colombia and Brazil, 2) how DTOs meet the criteria for being informal institutions, and 3) what sustains DTOs. In both cases, drug trafficking was shaped by expansions and shifts of drug production within the Andean region from the 1960s onward. DTOs in Colombia emerged in the mid-1960s and 1970s while DTOs in Brazil took root with the introduciton of the drug trade in the region in the late 1970s to early 1980s. DTOs in Colombia and Brazil qualify as informal institutions based on structural composition, stability, behavioral control, and social cohesion. Sustainability in the Colombian case study is attributed to the DTOs’ capacity to learn and adapt to U.S. and Colombian efforts while capitalizing on policy failures. Sustainability in the Brazilian case study is attributed to the DTOs’ capacity to become entrenched in favela (poor urban) zones. Analysis of the case studies reveals divergent paths and characteristics of DTOs. In particular, internal warfare coupled with an emphasis on illicit drug production in Colombia has led DTOs to focus on the control of rural land. In Brazil, meanwhile, the absence of internal conflict an the emphasis on illicit distribution (retail) in Brazil has resulted in the DTOs focusing on controlling points of sale and internal, informal governance within the favela zones. Details: Monterey, CA: Naval Postgraduate School, 2010. 101p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed September 19, 2011 at: http://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=15886 Year: 2010 Country: South America URL: http://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=15886 Shelf Number: 122776 Keywords: Drug Trafficking (Colombia, Brazil)Drug Trafficking ControlDrugs |
Author: Demombynes, Gabriel Title: Drug Trafficking and Violence in Central American and Beyond Summary: This paper examines the relationship between narcotics trafficking and violence in Central America. The first part of the paper addresses particular questions posed for the 2011 World Development Report and examines several competing hypothesis on the drivers of crime in Central America. A key finding is that areas exposed to intense narcotics trafficking in Central America suffer from higher homicide rates. Drug trafficking has corrupted state institutions, which have been overwhelmed by the resources deployed by trafficking organizations. The second part of the paper reviews the reasons drug trafficking and anti-trafficking enforcement are associated with violence in general and considers policy options. Details: Washington, DC: World Bank, 2011. 26p. Source: Internet Resource: World Development Report 2011 Background Case Study: Accessed November 19, 2011 at: http://wdr2011.worldbank.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/WDR_2011_Case_Study_Trafficking_Violence.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Central America URL: http://wdr2011.worldbank.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/WDR_2011_Case_Study_Trafficking_Violence.pdf Shelf Number: 123408 Keywords: Drug Trafficking (Central America)Drug Trafficking ControlHomicidesViolent Crime |
Author: Das, Pushpita Title: Drug Trafficking in India: A Case for Border Security Summary: Proximity to the largest producers of heroin and hashish-the Golden Triangle and Golden Crescent [Afghanistan-Pakistan-Iran] - has made India's Pborder vulnerable to drug trafficking. Indigenous production of low grade heroin as well as various psychotropic and prescription drugs and their growing demand in the neighbouring countries and international market have added a new dimension to the problem of drug trafficking. Trends and patterns of drug trafficking in the country demonstrate that there is a gradual shift from traditional/natural drugs towards synthetic drugs that are being trafficked. Trafficking of drugs takes place overwhelmingly through land borders followed by sea and air routes. Given the vulnerability of the borders to drug trafficking, India has tried to tackle the problem through the strategy of drug supply and demand reduction, which involves enacting laws, co-operating with voluntary organisations, securing its borders and coasts by increasing surveillance, as well as seeking the active cooperation of its neighbours and the international community. Details: New Delhi: Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, 2012. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: IDSA Occasional Paper No. 24: Accessed June 27, 2012 at: http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/documents/IDSA_ACaseforBorderSecurity.pdf Year: 2012 Country: India URL: http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/documents/IDSA_ACaseforBorderSecurity.pdf Shelf Number: 125412 Keywords: Border SecurityDrug Trafficking (India)Drug Trafficking Control |
Author: Blumenfeld, Leah H. Title: Trading Democracy for Security? The Effects of the International Drug War on the Quality of Democracy in the Dominican Republic, 1996 -2008 Summary: The purpose of the research is to study the relationship between international drug interdiction policies and domestic politics in fragile democracies, and to demonstrate how international drug control policies and the use of force fit the rhetoric of war, are legitimized by the principles of a just war, but may also cause collateral damage and negative unintended consequences. The method used is a case study of the Dominican Republic. The research has found that international drug control regimes, primarily led by the U.S. and narrowly focused on interdiction, have influenced an increasingly militarized approach to domestic law enforcement in the Dominican Republic. The collateral damage caused by militarized enforcement comes in the form of negative perceptions of citizen security, loss of respect for the rule of law and due process, and low levels of civil society development. The drug war has exposed the need for significant reform of the institutions charged with carrying out enforcement, the police force and the judicial system in particular. The dissertation concludes that the extent of drug trafficking in the Dominican Republic is beyond the scope of domestic reform efforts alone, but that the programs implemented do show some potential for future success. The dissertation also concludes that the framework of warfare is not the most appropriate for the international problems of drug traffic and abuse. A broader, multipronged approach should be considered by world policy makers in order to address all conditions that allow drugs to flourish without infringing upon democratic and civil rights in the process. Details: Miami: Florida International University, 2010. 244p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed July 2, 2012 at: http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1191&context=etd Year: 2010 Country: Dominican Republic URL: http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1191&context=etd Shelf Number: 125439 Keywords: Drug EnforcementDrug PolicyDrug Trafficking (El Salvador)Drug Trafficking ControlDrug War |
Author: Tanner, Murray Scot Title: China Confronts Afghan Drugs: Law Enforcement Views of “The Golden Crescent” Summary: The rising flow of illegal drugs from the “Golden Crescent” region—Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran—into western China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) has caused increasing concern to Chinese law enforcement officials and analysts. This study seeks to strengthen understanding of Chinese law enforcement perceptions of the Golden Crescent drug problem by making use of previously underexploited Chinese law enforcement publications. Key Findings • Chinese law enforcement officials and analysts now see Golden Crescent trafficking as a major and rapidly growing threat to society. This view reflects a major shift from China’s earlier exclusive focus on the “Golden Triangle” region drug threat. • Chinese law enforcement analysts blame the rise in Golden Crescent drug smuggling on the increase in foreign supply rather than Chinese demand. These analyses tend to understate Chinese domestic problems, such as police corruption, ethnic tensions, and rising drug prices and demand, which may have made China a more attractive drug shipping route. • Chinese analyses of popular Golden Crescent smuggling routes emphasize highway, air, and rail routes through Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan. If correct, these analyses indicate that these four important security partners of Beijing may be failing to prevent trafficking into China across their territory. • The Chinese law enforcement writings reviewed indicate that China has serious weaknesses in its counternarcotics intelligence capabilities and is anxious to overcome them. Problems include meager clandestine intelligence on Asian drug networks, weak data on trafficking by ethnic separatists, and poor intelligence networking and sharing across jurisdictions. • Increasingly sophisticated trafficker techniques coupled with greater linguistic diversity among traffickers are frustrating Chinese law enforcement officials, who find these traffickers more difficult to investigate, detect, and interrogate. • Even though law enforcement analysts confidently assert a significant link between terrorism and drug trafficking, sources reviewed for this study provide very little solid evidence that the two are connected. Details: Alexandria, VA: CNA Analysis & Solutions, 2011. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 17, 2012 at: http://www.cna.org/sites/default/files/research/China%20Confronts%20Afghan%20Drugs...%20D0024793.A1_1.pdf Year: 2011 Country: China URL: http://www.cna.org/sites/default/files/research/China%20Confronts%20Afghan%20Drugs...%20D0024793.A1_1.pdf Shelf Number: 125635 Keywords: Drug MarketsDrug TraffickingDrug Trafficking ControlIllegal Drugs (China and Afghanistan) |
Author: Bouchard, Martin Title: Estimating the Size of the Canadian Illicit Meth and MDMA Markets: A Multi-Method Approach Summary: This study addresses the lack of reliable estimates on the scope of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS: amphetamine, methamphetamine, ecstasy/MDMA) production in Canada. Such a study allows for a thorough assessment of Canada’s role in global ATS production and exportation. Using a multi-method approach, this research derives more accurate estimates of: the total number of ATS users in Canada than currently exists, including an estimate of the quantity of ATS consumed domestically; the total number of actors active on the supply side of ATS markets than currently exists; the total production volume of ATS in Canada than currently exists, including an estimate of the number of active ATS labs; and, the total amount of ATS exported from Canada. This report begins with a literature review of patterns in ATS use and production within and beyond Canada. Drawing from this past research, a series of methods and data sources that will allow the production of an estimate of the size of these populations for the present study are laid out. The remainder of the report presents the results from the various estimation methods that were applied to assess the size of various segments of the ATS market in Canada. The conclusion provides the main highlights and recommendations from the overall study. The review of the literature on trafficking and production found that there is too much uncertainty in regards to the existing data to truly assess the role of Canada in the global ATS trade. There are no established estimates of the size of production and the amount of ATS lab seizures remains low. While Canada ranked 6th in the world in the amount of methamphetamine seized in 2007 with 1.54 metric tons, the figure for the previous years was as low as 60kg. Finally, the review found that two methods for estimating the size of the ATS market in Canada (multiplier methods and capture-recapture methods) have shown more promise in obtaining reliable estimates of illegal populations, including drug dealers and producers. To derive these estimates, existing survey, arrest, and seizure data were used. Procedures used included multiplier methods, synthetic estimation methods, capture-recapture methods, and economic modeling methods. When possible, two methods were used to estimate a segment of the market. In most analyses, the diverse methods yielded consistent results, but much more research is required to provide further validation of this study’s results. Working with small and sparse data increases the levels of uncertainty that already exist in these estimation exercises. This report should be approached as a first step in developing standard methods that academics and policy makers can use to make systematic assessments of the ATS and other illicit drug markets in Canada and beyond. Our efforts should therefore be viewed as an exploration that lays the groundwork for a Canada-wide study with a strong emphasis on collecting fieldwork data. Assessments of the demand-side of the ATS market, based on synthetic estimation techniques, suggest that there are roughly 52,000 meth users and 270,000 ecstasy users in Canada. This estimate is based on a low count of data which combines the general population that is twelve years and older, the homeless population, and the inmate population. This total count of 320,000 likely underestimates the population of ATS consumers. Adjustments for 50% underreporting (high count) suggest a much larger total population of about 480,000 users (77,788 meth users and 402,677 ecstasy users). The assessment of the supply-side of this market relied on arrest data. The market is predominately male, but no more so than other illegal drug markets and crime settings in general. The population estimates suggest that steep increase occurred between 1999 and 2009 in Quebec, echoing what has been found through other indicators in Canada. One limit in our analysis was that we were unable to provide a valid estimate of importers, exporters, and producers. These populations are small, captured offenders have a higher likelihood of being incarcerated for longer time periods (and thus be unavailable for recapture), and simply not enough offenders get re-arrested in Quebec for these methods to be usable. The populations of meth and ecstasy dealers were estimated using both capture-recapture and multiplier estimates. Based on arrest data from Quebec, the capture-recapture estimate resulted in 3,458 meth dealers and 4,561 ecstasy dealers in Quebec. This allowed us to infer Canadian populations of 14,303 meth dealers and 16 980 ecstasy dealers. Results from the multiplier procedure for Canada that was based on a user:dealer ratio provided some validation at the higher end for meth and lower end for ecstasy—the population of meth dealers was estimated from a low of 3,457 to a high of 11,113 dealers, while the population of ecstasy dealers was estimated from a low of 17,897 to a high of 57,525 dealers. Once again, the substantial range that emerges from the multiplier procedure calls for considerable caution and additional verification with different data sources from a variety of regions. Estimates of the population of labs and producers were derived using diverse methods. The number of ATS labs was estimated using an economic model. This estimate ranged from a low of 560 labs to a high of 1,400 ATS labs in Canada. Such information was subsequently carried over to estimate the number of producers in the country. A ratio of 3.5 producers per lab was established, resulting in an estimated low of 1,960 ATS producers if 560 labs were in operation to a high of 4,900 producers if 1,400 labs were in operation in Canada. Both ATS production and consumption were estimated in order to arrive at a final estimate of how much meth could be reasonably exported from Canada. Such an analysis would lend some substance to persistent claims and debate regarding Canada’s pivotal position in the international ATS trade. Using the results from the economic model as a starting point, overall production was estimated at 2,297 kg if the lower-end 560 labs scenario was accurate and 5,743 kg if the higher-end 1,400 labs scenario was accurate. Such results must be approached with caution since the estimates are based on a single cook per lab in a given year—it may very well be the case that ATS labs produce multiple batches and will likely yield much larger quantities than we estimate. Adjusting these estimates to two ‘cooks’ per lab resulted in a low-end estimate of 4,594 kg and high-end estimate of 11,485 kg of meth in Canada. Depending on the scenario, Canadian producers would export between 38% and 75% of domestic ATS production. Using a multiplier method to derive a quantity per user ratio, meth consumption for Canada was estimated between 678 kg and 847 kg. Ecstasy consumption was estimated between 1,643 and 2,054 kg. Combining meth and ecstasy resulted in a total ATS consumption range of 2,321 to 2,902 kg in Canada. Based on mid-point estimates for consumption and seizure data, an excess of 1,733 kg to 8,624 kg of Canadian ATS was estimated for annual exportation. This would suggest that 38% (if 1733 kg of production) or 75% (if 8624 kg of production) of ATS produced in Canada is exported. Information was also added regarding the quantity of Canadian produced ATS overseas to produce an estimate of any ATS unaccounted for by Canadian users or law enforcement agencies around the world. This suggested that an excess of 288 to 7,179 kg of ATS was available for consumption overseas after domestic and international seizures and consumption were subtracted from overall production. The estimates produced for the purpose of this report suggest that Canada produces as little as 0.6% of the world’s supply or as much as 4.6%. Canada would not be considered as a major ATS producer under most standards. Based on the estimates produced in this report, Canada is no more and no less of a player today than it was five years ago. Five specific recommendations could improve these estimates over the long term: establish a more concerted effort to monitor national trends in synthetic drug markets, especially on the supply side; monitor trends in domestic illegal ATS precursor importation; monitor trends in Canadian produced synthetic drugs in other countries; adopt wastewater analysis as a method to estimate the quantity of ATS used in large Canadian cities; and make use of capture-recapture methods for the purpose of estimating the size of illegal markets a priority for Canada as a whole. Details: Ottawa: Research and National Coordination, Organized Crime Division, Law Enforcement and Policing Branch, Public Safety Canada, 2012. 75p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 19, 2012 at: http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2012/sp-ps/PS4-125-2012-eng.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Canada URL: http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2012/sp-ps/PS4-125-2012-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 125690 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Trafficking (Canada)Drug Trafficking ControlEcstasyMethamphetamines |
Author: U.S. Government Accountability Office Title: Counternarcotics Assistance: U.S. Agencies Have Allotted Billions in Andean Countries, but DOD Should Improve Its Reporting of Results Summary: Hundreds of metric tons of cocaine flow annually from South America to the United States, threatening the security and well-being of U.S. citizens. South American cocaine production and trafficking is centered in the five countries in the Andean region. State, USAID, DOD, and DEA provide counternarcotics assistance to stem production and trafficking of narcotics in these countries. ONDCP oversees and coordinates this assistance. In this report, GAO (1) describes the U.S. strategic approaches to counter- narcotics assistance in the Andean countries; (2) identifies amounts allotted for such assistance by State, USAID, DOD, and DEA in fiscal years 2006 through 2011; and (3) reviews the agencies’ reporting on their performance. GAO reviewed agency and U.S. strategy documents, analyzed available agency data, and interviewed agency officials. What GAO Recommends -- The Secretary of Defense should ensure that DOD submits performance summary reports to ONDCP including the Inspector General’s attestation that the reported information is reliable to facilitate good management and oversight. DOD concurred with this recommendation. Details: Washington, DC: GAO, 2012. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: GAO-12-824: Accessed August 13, 2012 at: http://www.gao.gov/assets/600/592241.pdf Year: 2012 Country: South America URL: http://www.gao.gov/assets/600/592241.pdf Shelf Number: 126009 Keywords: CocaineDrug ControlDrug TraffickingDrug Trafficking ControlNarcotics |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Title: Transnational Organized Crime in Central America and the Caribbean: A Threat Assessment Summary: This study finds that while cocaine trafficking has undeniably catalyzed violence in some areas, the security problem in the region is much deeper, rooted in weak governance and powerful sub-state actors. According to the study, cocaine has been trafficked through Central America for decades, but the importance of the region to this flow increased dramatically after 2000 and again after 2006, due to an escalation in Mexican drug law enforcement. The resulting displacement effect underscores the importance of coordinated strategies to addressthe entire contraband flow, so that one country’s success does not become another’s problem. The implementation of the new Mexican security strategy in 2006 has disrupted cocaine supply to the United States market, forcing dealers to cut purity and raise prices. These changes have deeply undermined United States demand for the drug, but not yet reduced the violence associated with the flow. In response to an increasingly inhospitable environment in Mexico, traffickers have shifted their focus to new routes along the Guatemalan/Honduran border and contesting new “plazas” throughout the region. Displacement to the Caribbean remains a threat. The contest today is between longstanding organized crime families that effectively govern the remote areas of the countries in which they operate. In addition to cocaine trafficking, these groups are involved in a wide range of organized crime activities, and manipulate local politics. If cocaine flows abate, they will seek revenuesfrom other forms of acquisitive crime, such as extortion, which may cause violence levels to increase. The Zetas, the Maras, and other territorial groups appear to be involved in migrant smuggling, human trafficking, and the firearms trade. This involvement may increase if cocaine revenues decline. Addressing transnational flows requires international cooperation. Full implementation of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols and the UN Convention against Corruption is critical. National police services cannot resolve the organized crime problems of this region alone, because reducing the contraband flows requires tools they do not possess. Development actors must cooperate in a global strategy to address the problems of drugs and illicit markets. Programmes to build capacity among local law enforcement cannot bring about the rapid results required, due to widespread corruption. The temporary use of armed forces for some law enforcement tasks should not delay police development and reform, including the promotion of civilian oversight. The international community should do what it can to supplement local criminal justice capacity. Cross-sectoral crime prevention strategies must be explored. Crime affects all aspects of life, and so a multiagency crime prevention plan, involving the participation of the private sector, should be developed. Details: Vienna: UNODC, 2012. 80p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 9, 2012 at: http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/Studies/TOC_Central_America_and_the_Caribbean_Exsum_english.pdf (executive summary) Year: 2012 Country: Central America URL: http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/Studies/TOC_Central_America_and_the_Caribbean_Exsum_english.pdf (executive summary) Shelf Number: 126657 Keywords: Cocaine TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug Trafficking ControlOrganized Crime (Central America, Caribbean)Violence |
Author: Felbab-Brown, Vanda Title: Focused Deterrence, Selective Targeting, DRug Trafficking and Organised Crime: Concepts and Practicalities Summary: Organised crime and illicit economies generate multiple threats to states and societies. Yet, goals such as a complete suppression of organised crime may sometimes be unachievable, especially in the context of acute state weakness where underdeveloped and weak state institutions are the norm. Focused-deterrence strategies, selective targeting, and sequential interdiction efforts are being increasingly embraced as more promising law enforcement alternatives. They seek to minimise the most pernicious behaviour of criminal groups, such as engaging in violence, or to maximise certain kinds of desirable behaviour sometimes exhibited by criminals, such as eschewing engagement with terrorist groups. The focused-deterrence, selective targeting strategies also enable overwhelmed law enforcement institutions to overcome certain under resourcing problems. Especially, in the United States, such approaches have produced impressive results in reducing violence and other harms generated by organised crime groups and youth gangs. Such approaches have, however, encountered implementation difficulties elsewhere in the world. This report first outlines the logic and problems of zero-tolerance and undifferentiated targeting in law enforcement policies. Second, it lays out the key theoretical concepts of law-enforcement strategies of focused-deterrence and selective targeting and reviews some of their applications, as in Operation Ceasefire in Boston in the 1990s and urban-policing operations in Rio de Janeiro during the 2000s decade. Third, the report analyses the implementation challenges selective targeting and focused-deterrence strategies have encountered, particularly outside of the United States. And finally, it discusses some key dilemmas in designing selective targeting and focused-deterrence strategies to fight crime. Details: London: International Drug Policy Consortium, 2013. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Modernising Drug Law Enforcement Report 2, Accessed March 5, 2013 at: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/64663568/library/MDLE-report-2_Focused-deterrence.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/64663568/library/MDLE-report-2_Focused-deterrence.pdf Shelf Number: 127836 Keywords: Drug TraffickingDrug Trafficking ControlDrugs and CrimeOrganized Crime |
Author: Hartelius, Jonas Title: Narcoterrorism Summary: The concept of “narcoterrorism” was introduced in 1983 by the Peruvian President Belaunde Terry to designate terrorist‐like attacks against his country’s drug enforcement police. Drug criminals utilized methods from political assailants to influence the politics of the country by causing terror and obstructing justice. Later, ideology-driven terrorist organizations took up illegal drug trade as a source of income. Over the years, several definitions of “narcoterrorism” have been introduced. The widest definition is given by the Oxford dictionary (1999): “Terrorism associated with the trade in illicit drugs”. It does not indicate whether ideological and political or, criminal and commercial motives are the main driving factors. The simplest way of describing narcoterrorism is, perhaps, as a part of an illegal complex of drugs, violence and power, where the illegal drug trade and the illegal exercise of power have become aggregated in such a way that they threaten democracy and the rule of law. The manifestations of narcoterrorism are manifold and far reaching: increased drug production; wide spread abuse of drugs; serious drug-related crime; threats to the rule of law, public security, and public health; money laundering; infiltration of the legal economy; and financing of terrorism. It has been estimated that the FARC guerilla of Colombia has a net profit from drugrelated crime (including the “taxation” and “protection” of the illegal cocaine trade) of at least 300 million USD every year. The annual total income from the drug trade for movements such as al‐Qaeda has been estimated by the U.N. to be 2.4 billion USD. Twelve of the 28 organizations, which in October 2001 were listed as terrorist organizations by the U.S. State Department, were stated to be involved in the illegal drug trade, ranging from Sendero Luminoso of Peru to the “Tamil Tigers” of Sri Lanka. Narcoterrorism represents another step in the development of organized drug crime in the postwar period. It surpasses the traditional drug syndicates and drug cartels in being much more autonomous and having paramilitary strength. Yet another step is represented by “narcostates”. A narcostate is a state (or region), where the operators of the drug trade through their economic, political and paramilitary strength influence the exercise of power by the central government. Current examples are Afghanistan and Colombia. The debate on countermeasures against narcoterrorism is parallel to the debate on countermeasures against the global illegal drug trade. The consumer countries, who are mainly industrial or post-industrial countries, locate the problem with the producer countries and their production and distribution of illegal drugs. They call for elimination of the problem “at source”, e.g. by crop replacement or by police and customs action against the illegal production and distribution of drugs. The producer countries, who mainly are developing countries, point to the demand in the consumer countries as the driving force for the illegal trade. They call for the consumer countries to reduce their demand in order to dry up the industry, e.g. by prevention, treatment and local drug enforcement. Details: New York: EastWest Institute; Stockholm, Swedish Carnegie Institute, 2008. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Paper 3/2008: Accessed April 16, 2013 at: mercury.ethz.ch Year: 2008 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 128380 Keywords: Drug TraffickingDrug Trafficking ControlIllegal Drug TradeNarcoterrorismTerrorism |
Author: U.S. Senate. Caucus on International Narcotics Control Title: Preventing a Security Crisis in the Caribbean Summary: U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), co-chairs of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, today released a bipartisan report entitled Preventing a Security Crisis in the Caribbean that provides recommendations for Congress and the Obama Administration to enhance current security efforts in the Caribbean. "The Caribbean region has come a long way since it served as the primary transit route for South American drugs entering the United States in the 1980s," said Senator Feinstein. "Despite impressive gains, drug trafficking, local drug consumption and the U.S. demand for illegal drugs remain major causes of crime and violence. As enforcement efforts in Mexico and Central America inevitably move trafficking back to the Caribbean, we must better support our neighbors in the Western Hemisphere to combat the corrosive drug trade and minimize violence." "The Caribbean continues to be a major trans-shipment zone for narcotics." said Senator Grassley. "The recent spike in the use of drug-trafficking submarines there shows the lengths smugglers are taking to get their product to U.S. shores through the area. Drug trafficking and related violence in the Caribbean have a significant impact on our national security and on the lives of the region's people. The United States has to adapt to emerging trends in shipping techniques to help keep illicit drugs out of the United States and continue to help Caribbean nations strengthen their counternarcotics efforts. This report outlines actions the United States can take to help our partners in the Caribbean combat the transshipment of illegal drugs throughout the region." The report recommends: An assessment by the State Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of where Sensitive Investigative Units are most needed in the Caribbean. Jamaica, with the fourth highest murder rate in the world, should be considered a top candidate for one of these units. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) should send a full criminal history of all deportees to authorities in the Caribbean so they are aware of the return of any criminals or drug traffickers. Caribbean countries' authorities do not currently receive a full criminal rap sheet from ICE on deportees returning home. United States technical assistance to the countries of the Caribbean to support the drafting of asset forfeiture laws and laws controlling precursor chemicals used to make illegal drugs. The integration of Puerto Rico into working level meetings held between the State Department and countries in the Caribbean on security and narcotics issues. Strong support of Haitian counternarcotic efforts. Strengthening of U.S. anti-money laundering laws. Continued extradition of drug kingpins from the Caribbean to the United States. The return of DEA helicopters used in Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos to the Exumas Islands in The Bahamas. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Senate, 2012. 47p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 15, 2014 at: http://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/files/serve/?File_id=90bb66bc-3371-4898-8415-fbfc31c0ed24 Year: 2012 Country: Caribbean URL: http://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/files/serve/?File_id=90bb66bc-3371-4898-8415-fbfc31c0ed24 Shelf Number: 131926 Keywords: Drug Control PolicyDrug EnforcementDrug TraffickingDrug Trafficking ControlWar on Drugs |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Title: Afghanistan Opium Survey 2015: Socio-economic analysis Summary: This UNODC report presents a socio-economic analysis of the latest Opium Survey in Afghanistan, which revealed that opium poppy farmers gained considerably less in 2015 compared to the previous year. Figures in the analysis show that the gross income from opium decreased to $3100 per hectare in 2015 - 18 per cent less than the 2014 value of $3800 - and the lowest level since 2002, shortly after the end of the Taliban opium ban. The analysis suggests that four moderate to poor harvests in a row in the main opium poppy growing areas, together with moderate prices, may have made less profitable to invest in new land and to keep high-maintenance fields with expensive irrigation systems. Moreover, opium yields have decreased possibly due to lower land productivity and disease. This is illustrated by the 38 per cent of farmers who have discontinued cultivation in 2015 and who have named agronomic and ecological conditions - such as poppy pests, diseases and bad yields - as reasons for their decision, suggesting that poppy is not such a highly profitable cash crop anymore. During field interviews, several women gave their view on opium cultivation. These farmers seem to be aware of the illicit nature of the crop, but the reasons they give to grow it include their economic necessity. A woman interviewed in the Afghan province of Faryab acknowledged this motive, which is still generally important to start growing opium poppy. "We know that it is harmful for humans but we have more [income related] problems, so we have to cultivate poppy to solve our life problems." Based on the interviews with the farmers, the analysis also shows that in many cases their dependency on poppy cultivation does not seem to be related to the income from poppy sales per se. A significant restriction for farmers to grow alternative crops is the limited access to markets in the main poppy growing areas. Other limiting factors include the need for non-farm job opportunities, better physical and social infrastructure, and enhanced strategies to address political crises and conflicts. Through documents like the socio-economic analysis of the Afghanistan Opium Survey, UNODC assists countries in identifying, analyzing and monitoring global drugs and transnational organized crime threats, helping the international community to define appropriate drug and crime control priorities in general, and in particular to support alternative development initiatives. Details: Vienna: UNODC, 2016. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 31, 2016 at: https://www.unodc.org/documents/crop-monitoring/Afghanistan/Afghanistan_opium_survey_2015_socioeconomic.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Afghanistan URL: https://www.unodc.org/documents/crop-monitoring/Afghanistan/Afghanistan_opium_survey_2015_socioeconomic.pdf Shelf Number: 138517 Keywords: Drug Trafficking ControlHeroin Opium Poppies Socioeconomic Conditions and Crime Socioeconomic Variables |
Author: Bybee, Ashley Neese Title: Narco State or Failed State? Narcotics and Politics in Guinea-Bissau Summary: Drug-funded insurgencies in Latin America and more recently in Afghanistan have prompted the use of the term "Narco-State" to describe those countries that have fallen victim to drug cultivation, narco-corruption, trafficking and related activities. In around 2005, West Africa emerged as a major transit hub for Latin American Drug Trafficking Organizations transporting cocaine to Western Europe, prompting many observers to label several countries in the region as the world's newest "Narco-States." The absence of a standard definition for a "Narco-State," however, has compelled many to question the purpose of this designation, asking not only "what is a Narco-State" but "so what?" Moreover, the vulnerability of Transit States - i.e. states through which drugs are transported - to these pressures adds another interesting dimension, begging the question "can Transit States also succumb to the pressures of an illicit drug trade without cultivating drugs within their borders?" and "to what extent?" Lastly, the latest trend of drug traffickers to exploit weak and failed states, such as Guinea-Bissau and its neighbors in West Africa, adds yet another layer of unanswered questions such as "how do the impacts of drug trafficking differ in states with various degrees of institutional strength and capacity?" Using Guinea-Bissau as the primary case study and comparing it with the experiences of four other geographically, economically, and institutionally diverse Transit States, this research seeks to clarify the impacts that the drug trade has on weak and failing states, and how - if at all - those states can become destabilized by this phenomenon. Details: Washington, DC: George Mason University, 2011. 450p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed April, 2, 2016 at: http://digilib.gmu.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1920/6618/BYBEE%20Signed%20Dissertation%20Failed%20State%20or%20Narco%20State%20Politics%20and%20Narcotics%20in%20Guinea%20Bissau.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Year: 2011 Country: Guinea-Bissau URL: http://digilib.gmu.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1920/6618/BYBEE%20Signed%20Dissertation%20Failed%20State%20or%20Narco%20State%20Politics%20and%20Narcotics%20in%20Guinea%20Bissau.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Shelf Number: 138529 Keywords: CorruptionDrug TraffickingDrug Trafficking ControlIllicit Trade |