JPRS ID: 10362 WORLDWIDE REPORT NARCOTICS AND DANGEROUS DRUGS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: JPRS
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00850R000500040008-4
• Release Decision: RIF
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 54
• Document Creation Date: November 1, 2016
• Sequence Number: 8
• Content Type: REPORTS

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JPRS L/ 103~62
3 March 1982
Worldwide f~.e ort
p
NARCOTICS AND DANGEROUS DRUGS
(FOUO 1 1 !82)
~ ~BIS FOREIGN BROADCAST INFORMi4TION SERVICE
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
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FOR OFFICIAL USE 4NLY
JPRS I,/10362
3 March 1982
WORLDWIDE R~PORT
NARCOT I CS AND DANGEROUS DRl1GS
(k'oUO 11/82~.
CONTENTS
ASIA
' AUSTRALIA
Briefa
Melbourne Cannabis Seizure 1
BURMA
Briefs
Rangoan Op ium Seizure 2
, PAKISTAN
Briefa
Opium Seized 3
More Opium Discovered 3
S INGAPORE
= Briefs
Minister on Anti-Drug Efforts 4
THAILAND
Police Complicity in Drug Traffic'cing Discuased
(SIAM RAT SAPPADA WICHAN~ 27 Dec 81) 5
- Ex-Cuato~ae Officia 1 Questions Narcotics Policy
(Khon Dong; SIAM RAT, 11 Jan 82) 9
Briefe
Thai International in Drug Traffic T2
- - a - (III - WW - 138 FOUO]
, ,
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LATIN AMLRICA
BOLIVIA
, Briefe
- Drug Traffickere in Bolivia 13
BRAZIL
European Connections of International Drug Ring
(0 ESTADO DE SAO P'AL1L0~ 30 Jan 82) 14
Latin America, Miami Drug Route Broken Up
- (U ESTADO T,E SAO PAULO, 21 Jan 82) 15
~ Police Lose Control of Cocaine Traffic
(FOLHA DE SAO PAULO, 1 Feb 82) 16
Police To Monitor Cocaine Refizing
~0 GLOBO, 2 beb 82) 17
Drug Ring Busted, Arms Seized
(0 GLOBO, 6 Feb 82) lfi
'Marihuana' ~~le Discovered
Marihuana, ~1rli~s, Scalt Seized
3riefs
Trafficker's Release 20
Incineration of Druga 20
. CHILE
Briefs
Drug Seized in Chile 21
MERICO
Marihuana Shipment Seize~ at Airport, Women Arrested
(EL BRAVO, 21 Jan 82) 22
Marihuana Traffickers Caught, Ringleaders Sought
(EL DIARIO DE NUEVO LAREDO, 26 Jan 82) 24
- Three Membere of Heroin Trafficking Ring Captured
(EL MANANA, 22 Jan 82) 26
Membere of Michoacan Traffic?cing Ring Captured
(EL FRONTERIZ~J, 4 Feb 82) 27
- Briefs
New Heroin Source Reported 28
Illegal Pill Importa 28
Operation 'Condor' Results yg
' January Antidrug Campaign Re$ulta ~9
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~
PERU
- Briefe
Drug Traf�ic Report Controversy 30
NEAR EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
EGYPT
Results of T~ao Drugs Seizures Reported
~AL-AHRAM, 16 Dec 81) 31
Hashish Smugglers Apprehended,
by Husayn Thabit, Ahmad Fu'ad
Drug Seizure in Cairo, by Husayn Ghanim
IRAN
Briefs
Opium Seized a.n Rhorasan 34
Opium Seized in Zahedan 34
Heroin Seized in Kashan 34
Opium Seized in Jiroft 34
Opium Seized in Tehran 34
Shiraz Drugs Sen*.ence 34
Border Drug Haul 35
Quchan Arreata 35
riashhad Drug Swoop 35
Torbat-E Jam Heroin Haul 35
Maehhad Drug Seizure 35
Sistan Va Baluchestan Narcotics 35
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
INTER-AFRICAN AFFAIRS
'Frightening' R~iae of Addictions in Africa Reported
(THE STANDARD, 8 Jan 82) 36
SOUTH AFRICA
_ Delegate to World Strategy Meeting on Drugs Reporte
(Keith Abendroth; THE CITIZEN, 15 Feb 82) 37
Trial of Alleged Membera of International Drug Network Scheduled
(THE CITIZEN, 19 Feb 82) 38
Briefs
Drug Peddlera Jailed 40
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rvn vrr~~,~na, vJG V1VLY
WEST EUROPE
SWEDEN
Officials: Daniah Tolerance Making Malmo Into Hashiah Center
(Jena Thomsen; BERLINGSKE TIDENDE, 12 Feb 82) 41
TURREY
'MILLIYET' Reports Shift in Narcotics Smuggling Routea Since 1981
(Erhan Akyildiz; MILLIYET, 9 Jan 82) 43
- UNITED KINGDOM
Police Check Secret Drugs File Leak
- (T. A. Sandrock; THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, 28 Jan 8~) 46
Ex-Racing Driver Jailed for Heroin Smuggling
(Ian Henry; 'L'I~ DAILY TELEGRAPH, 27 Jan 82) 47
Briefs
Cannabia Seized 48
' Cocaine Gang Membera Jailed 48
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AUSTRALIA
_ BRIEFS
rfELBOURNE CA~INABIS SEIZURE--A man will appear in court in Melbourne on 15 February
charged in relation to the seizure of illegal drugs in Melbourne airport on the
night of 13 February. A police reporter in Melbourne says the man, believed to
be Irom Canberra, has been charged with possessing and conspiring to import
Cannabis with a street value of more than $500,OOQ. [Text] [BK190330 Melbourne
Overseas Service in English 0500 GMT 14 Feb 82]
CSO: 5300/5648
~
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- BURMA
BRIEFS
RANGOON OPIUM SEIZURE--Under the dir?ction of Pazundaung Township police Commander
' Inspector U Maung Kyi, a police squad led by Subinspector U Thein Shwe at 1000
on 6 February raided "Sinpyudaw" teashop on Anawratha Street, Pazundaung Township
No 1 ward, and found four packages of raw opium inside a plastic bag belonging to
Myo Thant, 22, of 27th Street, No 10 ward, South Okkalapa, and another packet of
- raw opium from the handbag of Tun Win, 34, of Zani Lane 12, No 9 ward, South Okkal-
apa. The seized opium weighed 2.8 viss [1 viss equals 3.6 pounds] and was worth
8,320 kyat. Charges have been filed under sections 6.B, 10.B and 11/14.D of the
narcotic drugs law. [Text] [BK190330 Rangoon MYANMA ALIN in Burmese 8 Feb 82
P
CSO: 5300/5648
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PAKISTAN
BRIEFS
OPIUM ~EIZED--The CIA police last night raided a bungalow in the Housing Soc3ety
area cf Quetta and seized 11 maunds of opium worth about Rs 320 million. The
police arrested drug-smuggler Abdulnabi Achakzai in this connection. [TextJ
[Karachi JANA in Urdu 12 Feb 82 p 10]
MORE OPIUM DISCOVERED--On the basis of information provided by Abdulnabi
~ Achakzai, the drug-smuggler who was arrested last night, CIA police further
recovered 64 kilos of opium worth Rs 20 million from his bungalow in the
Housing Society area in QuetEa. It is to be noted that last night the police
seized opium worth Rs 380 million from the possession of the accused. According
to details, the police raided the bungalow and arrested Abdulnabi when he had
- loaded it in his j~ep. The police took in their possession 11 maunds of
opium, which is said to b e worth Rs 380 milli~n in the international market.
CIA inspector Arbab Niaz Mohammad Baluch questioned the accused and recovered
64 more kilos of opium, said to be worth Rs 20 million. A special investiga-
tion team has been set up, which includes Arbab Niaz Mohammad, Sub-inspector
_ Wali-ul-Rahman, Bar.kat Hussain, A.S.P. Chaudhari Mohammad Sadiq and Malik Dost
riohammad. The police expects to recover more opium, make further arrests
and uncover additional details of the smuggling operation. [TextJ [Karachi
JANG in Urdu 13 Feb 82 p 9]
CSO: 5300/5649
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SINGAPORE
BRIEFS
~1INISTER ON AI~TI-DRUG EFFORTS--Speaking at the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Associa-
tion`s VAO nite for ~~olunteer after-care officers on 13 February, Home Affairs
~tinister Chua Sian Chin said the government's all-out efforts to comoat the drug
menace had paid handsome dividends. He said the most encouraging result was the
dramatic drop in the number of young people arreste3 for drug abuse. Only seven
percent or 305 of the 4,386 drug abusers arrested last year were urder 20 years
old, and out of this number, only 4 were under 15 years old. While pointing out
that Singapore had succeeded in drastically reducing the number of young people
trom joining the ranks of drug abusers, he said it was still far from solving the
drug problem. In this context he pointed to the growing number of addicts who had
- repeatedly returned to their old ways even after receiving treatment and rehabili-
tatioii. ~Ir Chua attributed Singapere's success to their stiff penalties including
the death sentence, detnntion of traffickers and pushers and compulsory drug
treatment and rehabilitation. [BK190330 Singapore the SUNDAY TIMES in English
14 Feb 82 pp 1, 6]
CSO: 5300/5648
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THAILAND
POLICE COMPLICITY IN DRUG TRAFFICKING DISCUSSED
Bangkok SIAM RAT SAPPADA WICHAN in Thai 27 Dec 81 pp 10-11
[Article: "Dishonest Spies: Police Are Narcotics Traffickers"]
[Text) A young man from hong Kong decided to kill himself by jumping off a
skyscraper rather than have to confess to charges of drug trafficking. This
happened during an investigation after he was arrested in Hong Kong. The disgrace-
ful story behind this was skillfully covered up by Thai narcotics control pol.ice
who wanted the international community to see that they had seriously fol.towed
the international narcotics movement.
This man fe~~l victim to a plan to smuggle narcotics from Thailand the GoLden
Triangle area is the center for smuggling narcotics to black markets throughout
the world and from Bangkok to Hong Kong, Mal.aysia and Singapore for further
shipment to world markets in Austra~ia, the Netherlands and the United States.
The plan was to "bait" a major Hong Kong narcotics dealer. Thai pol.ice macie
a plan thut involved sending a shipment of narcotics to Hong Kong by having
Thai narcotics control police disguish themselves as narcotics traffickers
and having them take some heroin and sell it on the Hong Kor.g black market.
Bo*h Thai and Hong Kong pol.ice were aware of this smuggling. But the plan encoL~nt-
ered many obstacles since it was r.ot possible to find a major traffic';er as
- desired. After almost 2 we~ks of trying to se.tl the drugs, the police were
still unable to find a buyer. They then decided to contact a certain Hong Kong
man in order to have him purchase the drugs but he absolutely refus2d. When
they could wait no longer, they virtually forced a man to buy it and then arrested
him immediately even though this Hong Kong buyer was n~t a major narcotics
trafficker but had only been implicated in narcotics deals before during inves-
tigations. He was thus a victim of this rather careless plan.
Furthermore, in formulating this plan, some who toak part as "agents" for the
pol.ice had a history of narcotics trafficking. These included Mr Lam Riengchung,
age 56, a man who had been sentenced to 18 years in prison in Thailand, and
Mr Thinkorn Phiromsantikorn, a Thai diamond merchant who had been sentenced
to 9 years in prison.
Both of these men were arrested on 25 Octoher 1974. They were in possessi~n
of 3.3 kilograms of heroin, which was then worth 99,720 baht in Thailand. They
and the evidence were seized in the parking lot of the Dusit Thani Hotel. Mr
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Lam Riengchung was rel.eased from prison last year after serving only 6 years.
There was dismay ;~bout this because there was an agreement between the Penitentiary
Department and the Office of the Narcotics Control Board to th~ effect that
there would be no reduction in sentence for people convicted on narcotics charges
before at least 10 years had been served. The purpose of this was to prevent
drug traffickers from getting out and engaging in drug trafficking again. Concern-
ing the 18 year sentence, no m4tter how well he behaved in prison, he should
not have been released this soon. The important thing is that, besides bPing
,
released from prison, he has also now been hired to work as an agent for
the narcotics control police.
After looking into the background of Mr Lam Riengchung, the Special Branch
Division, which was then headed by Police Major General Ari Karibut, confirmed
that an analysis of his handwriting showed that Mr Lam Riengchung was the
same person as Mr Lim Liengchun, age 28, whom General Mangkorn Phromyothi,
the then minister of interior, had ordered deported from Thailand in Order
No 116/1951. He was charged with having impersonated a junior lieutenant
in the navy and of having engaged in dishonest activities. Another alias
_ of his was Mr Li Saelim.
In accord with this deportation order, the Immigration Division issued
Order No 6379/1951 on 27 August 1951. The order stated t.hat he had been
detained and would be deported from Thailand aboard the ship the Hendrigan
on 17 October 1951. Twenty three years later, he was arrested on drug trafficking
charges. This shows thut he entered the country iltegally before the lifting
of the deportatio~~ order of the Ministry of Interior. And when he avoided
punishment in the criminal case, instead of being ordered out of the country
in accord with the original order or being detained like the hundreds of
Chinese and other foreigners waiting deportation because no country would
accept them, Mr Lam Riengchung went unpunished in Thailand. No organization
took any action in accord with the law to have him deported. Even the special
branch police did not send a memorandum to the Immigration Division in order
to have him detained.
During the investigation it was learned that Mr Lam Riengchung was also
~ involved in communist activities, particularl.y with the Chinese communist
bandits in the south. It is believed that he col.lected money to support
the communist movement by sell.ing narcotics. As tor Mr Thinkorn Phiromsantikorn,
he posed as a diamond merchant but was actuai.ly engaged in selling war weapons
in Chiang Rai Province and in passing forged doilars. During that period,
Mr Lam Riengchung posed as an aircraft engineer. As for the narcotics trafficking
that both men engaged in, they w~re in contact with th~se who transported
narcotics from Mae Sai to Bangkok. In particular, they [obtained] heroin
from Lao Su, an international kheroin kingpin, and from Khun Sa, the narcotics
trafficker who has the greatest infl.uence in the Golden Triangle.
When he was deported by ship in 1951, Mr Lam Riengchung, alias Lim Liengchung
or Si Saelim, was deported to China. He later travelled to the United States
on a Republic of China (Taiwan) passport. According to his registration
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F~apers, he was born in Saraut Prakan, but he was actually born .in Singapore
in September 1925. When he was 6 years old, he accompanied his parents,
who were tobacco dealers, and settl?d in the Sam Pheng ar~~a. His father
had hame in the Song Wat area even though he was a fo.r_ign Chinese. At
the time of his arrest on narcotics charges, he was a hcng Kong citizen.
It is not clear when he re-entered Thailand. The investigation found only
that he had changed his name in order to avoid inspection when entering
the country. Thus, he was not only guilty of drug trafficking but was also
guilty of entering the country illegally. But in prosecuting the case, this
charge did not appear in his court files. In addition, when he was freed,
he was not detained for deportation in accord with the original order even
though [his caseJ had been zxamined and conf.irmation had been received from
the Special Branch Division.
It may be that this took place because of some shortcoming in coordinating
t:?e activities between the Ministry of Interior and the Pblice Department.
It is also possible that there was corruption through the financ.ial influence
of narcotics traffickers. The background investigation of Mr Lam Rienychung
and the activities were carried out step by step by the government units.
But the order that was given was just a scrap of paper that no one paid
any attention to or that they pretended not to know anything about because
of the benefits from and .influence of the narcotics traffickers.
Another thing is that all the narcotics control. units, whether they were
units subordinate to the Police Department, the Customs Department or the
ONCB, worked independently of each other since the units lacked people whom
alt coul.d trust in exchanging information. Thus, what was missing was a
"captain" who could supervise the suppression activities to see tc it that
_ they were carried out in a coordinated way. The intelligence system of the
narcotics traffickers, who were a large group with a widespread network
both within and outside *he country, had great financial influence. Each
o� the suppression units, especially the high-level units, carried on activities
to suit itself, and foreign units got involved for the benefit of their
own country.
Most of the police agents, or detainees, are "people in the narcot.ics trade"
who have doubte-crossed others with the hope of making money from narcotics
trafficking and from the "rewards" given by the pol.ice for provid.ing information
leading to the arrest of others. This is like making double the profits
getting paid once by t}:e narcotics traffickers and once by the narcotics
control units. Fur+hermore, they are not prosecuted. Sometimes, high-ranking
police officials are themselves drug traffickers who use their position
in the suppresssion field to facilitate such activities. For example, there
is the case of Police Colonel N.iran Withayawutikun, the former deputy superintend-
ent of pol..ice in Chiarg Mai Province and the Folice superintendent in Mae
Hong Son Province. He was dismissed from government service only for "being
absent from duty for more than 15 days" even though he had been involved
in heavy narcotics traffickin~ iz -.he nortr for a long time.
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- Many times, narcotics trafficking has taken place because of plans made
by the police themselves; it is the police who have created the situation.
There is the case in which international police seized narcotics in Hat
Yai bytnring a Malaysian agent to take mil.lions of baht in cash to purchase
narcotics from sources in Chiang Rai Province. That time the drugs were
sent to Bangkok. If the arrests had been made in Ba~gkok, Mr Ma Ching Ring,
or Li Ming, would have been arrested for st~re. But he was allowed to take
the drugs to Hat Yai and so only the unimportant "carriers" were arre~ted.
- Even though there was a large quantity of drugs, the major trafficker was
- not arrested, which was the goal. Later, a warrant was i~sued for the arrest
cf "Ma Ching Ring." Even though there was a targe quantity of drugs, the
results of the anal.ysis shotied that not more than 10 percent was heroin,
wh.ich was unusual for major drug trafficking cases. This showed that the
international police had been tricked.
A1lowing a large quantity of drugs to be seized in Hat Yai amounts to creating
_ a situation so that the governRent will sPe that, at present, drug trafficking
- has spread to the south and that it is therefore necessary to establish
a"southern drug control center." This means that a budget wilt have to
be set up for this center.
- Police Major General Phao Sarasir., the secretary-general of the ONCE, once
talked about these "secret drug agents." He said that they are "two bit"
agents rather than agents who want, or intend, to help achieve results in
narcotics suppression. But the things that have happened and the plans for
police to take part in drug trafficking, including having dishonest agents
in drug control. circles, may be more harmful than the "two bit" agents.
Sending police out to sell drugs abroad may be damaging to [our) image since
others will think t.h~t Tha.i police are themsel.ves drug traffickers.
11943
CSO: 5300/5632
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THAILAND
EX-CUSTOMS OFFICIAL QUESTIONS NARCOTICS POLICY
Bangkok SIAM RAT in Thai 11 Jan 82 p 10
[Foreign Economic Views column by Khon Dong: "India ls Troubled Because
It Cannot Sell Its Opium"]
[TextJ [When peopleJ talk about opium, it is usually assumed that they are
- talking about the golden Tri~ngle, which is an area where Thailand, Burma
and Laos border each other. This closeness itself is an important factor
that has led to the spread of drugs throughout the worid in the form of
raw opium, morphine arid heroin, the peak product extracted from poppy.
But if this matter is delved into more deeply, (it can be seen] that there
- are many important countries that grow poppy in order to improve their economies.
Such countries include India, Turkey, Burma and Malaysia and European countries
such as Yugosla~ria, Poland and Hungary, which export opium as an important
product.
As for India, during the past several years it has had much trouble. Opium
sales have falten because much opium has been produced and prices have fallen.
India, which was once the world's largest exporter of opium because of having
large stockpites of opium, has become worried because it now has i,600 tons
of opium, which is to be used for scientific and medical purposes.
However, the agreement reached with the United States, which will purchase
at teast 80 percent of India's raw opium, which includes the raw opium itself,
the dried poppy stal.ks and the products extracted from the poppy plants,
w.ill probabty retieve India's worries~ The same is true for Turkey.
Even though the cul.tivation of poppy and the extraction of opium is not
India's l.argest industry, poppy cultivation still uses 191,500 rai of land
(in 1978, 380,000 rai were cul.tivated in poppy). And farmers and their families
' who do not have substitute crops to plant that will give them a comparabl.e
income are used to tend the (poppy] fileds. When the opium market fa.l.ls
like this, this may cause large numbers of these peopLe to stop growing
poppy. This is an economic problem and it can certainly cause social turmoil.
~
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Even though cultivation has declined, the opium storehouses are still full
because the opium cannot be sold. Two years ago, the export of opium declined
from 872 tons to 730 tons and production, which decreased to match exports,
fell from 1,647 tons to only 933 tons. The value of the opium exported also
fell drastically. While the value reached approximately 500 million baht
in 1980/1981, 2 to 3 years ago it was 1 billion baht. The increase in the
world production of opium has caused opium prices to fall from 1,200 baht
per kil.ogram in 1978 to 900 baht in 1980. [It is said that] of the amount
produced by India, almost al.l is exported and only a small amount is left
for domestic use by the pharmaceutical industry and by addicts who must
register with government officials. But this is questionable. When this
writer was still working as a customs officer at Dong Muong Airport many
_ years ago, I caught Indians flying in from Calcutta carrying 5 kilograms
of concealed opium which they were taking to Penang. It is very possible
that other routes were also used to smuggle in drugs, including both land
and sea routes.
India used to export opium to approximately 30-35 major buyers in 20 countries
for medical and scientific purposes. Two years ago, only 11 countries ordered
opium from India. The major customers included the United States, the Soviet
Union and Japan. These three buyers maintained definite order levels until
2 years ago. Last year, the United States did not purchase any at all. Or
maybe it was [purchased] from Turkey instead in order to please Nato. Or
maybe this was done in order to punish Indira [Ghandij who went and gave
- so much attention to "brother" Brezhnev. This too is not known for sure.
- But it would be better if the United States purchased [opium] from Thailand.
This woul.d be a way of maintaining close relations between the countries.
, This would be better than all.owing our friends in the mountains to process
it into heroin and cause troubles in many places as at present.
England used to purchase an average of 225 tons a year from India but has
now stopped its purchases. France has reduced the amount purchased by 78
percent. West Germany has reduced the amount purchased by 94 percent. Italy
has reduced the amount by 97 percent and Norway by 80 percent.
The International Druq Controt Office greatly sympathizes with India about
this problem, so much so that it seems .like it will exhaust itself. According
to the latest report from this office, India and Turkey produce opium for
export. These old suppliers have a special position in the market and shoul.d
be given proper support.
Not satisfied, they have cheered each other, saying that in both of these
- countries, poppy has been cultivated for a long time and this has become
an important cul.turat and economic etement. When something happens that
causes a dectine in poppy cultivation, the international community should
discuss atlowing these two countries to release their excess opium stocks
in order to help them.
As for India, it has made a b.ig fuss about correcting this situation in
two ways.
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The first is to persuade the buyer countries to purc'~ase [opium] only from
their old suppliers, that is, India and Turkey.
The second is to persuade other producers to reduce the area planted in
PoPPY�
Concerning these two ideas of India, the Economic and Social Council oi
- the UnitPd Nations agreed with them at a conference in Vienna a year ago
in March. The United States agreed to purchase 80 percent of the opium neededfrom
India and Turkey. Thus India, in an opium dream, thinks that other countries
will foll.awal.ong.
When you think about this, it is sad for Thailand. We have spent much money
to suppress drugs and many people have died. Many people have become wealthy.
But it is a waste of t.ime talking about this since these people wil not
be able to keep this money forever. Even if nothing happens to them now,
_ something will happen to their relatives in the future. They can plant a
little and then disappear. If they want to engage in such trade, why can't
they go and plead with the countries that are the major customers in the
world, just as India has done to the point where the United Nations feels
_ sorry for it?
- Thus, I would like to suggest to the ministers of commerce and finance and
to the head of the ONCB, please think about this when you have time. Sometimes
good luck may nelp improve the poor balance of trade and increase our strength
in coordination with the [natural] gas, which looks bright.
11943
CSO: 5300/5632
.
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THI, I LAND
BRIEFS
THAI INTERNATIONPL IN DRUG TRAFFIC Air Marshal Bancha Sukhanusat, the
director of Thai International (Airlines], answered questions before partiament
on the morning of 22 January. He was questioned about the matter of Thai
International official.s being involved in smugqling. He was asxed whether
it was true that airline officials were involved with narcotics and marihuana.
Concerning this matter, the company has constantly watched things. During
the period he was in the air force, he disguised himself and found [narcotics].
He let the official.s make the arrests. However, the arrests, especial.ly
those for narcotics possession, were made abroad. This is because if ai=~ests
- are made in Thailand, there are many influential people who will give support
- [to the traffickers~. [Text] [Bangkok MATICHON in Thai 23 Jan 82 p 3] 11943
CSO: 5300/5632
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, BOLIVIA
BRIEFS
DRUG TRAFFICKERS IN BOLIVIA--Cochabamba--P~arsonnel of the 7th division have cap-
tured 12 drug traffickers and confi:~cated ~.22 kg of cocaine in the Colomi area,
Chapare Province, Cochabamba Department, according to that division's chief of
staff, Col Gustavo Arrazola. [La Paz EL DIARIO in Spanish 31 Jan p 11 PY)
CSO: 5300/2191
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BRAZIL
EUROPEAN CONNECTIONS OF INTERNATIONAL DRUG RING
S ao Paulo 0 ESTADO DE SAO PAULO in Portuguese Jan 82 p 13
[Text] Chief Romeu Tuma, of the Sao Paulo DOPS [Department of Political and Social
- OrderJ, announced in Manaus that a new international ring of cocaine traffickers is
operating along the Bogota--Manaus--Sao Paulo axis, marking the reappearance of
an old organization in Ama.zonia with branches in Brazil and Europe. Tuma went to
Manaus for the inauguration of Gen Euclides de Figueiredo, his personal friend in
the Amazonia Military Command; he is now supposed to go to the Federal Police in
the state to bring information concerning the trafficker A. C. 0. who supposedly
is the leader of the new ring, the same ring ~rom which 38 kilograms of cocaine were
confiscated in Sao Paulo last week.
The 38 kilograms intercepted in Sao Paulo were only a part of a shipment of 100
kilograms loaded in Colombia and headed for Sao Paulo, going through Manaus. Tuma
did not wish to reveal the identity of A. C. 0. but Federal Police sources in
Manaus admitted that the initials belong to an old trafficker who ran the Amazonia
connection which Tuma mentioned. It was broken up in 1980 by Federal Rolice
officers.
The Sao Paulo chief noted that the 38 kilograms intercepted in Sao Paulo are
directly linked to the crash of an aircraft in June 1980 in the upper Rio Negro
region; the aircraft carried 600 kilograms of cocaine which were supposed to be
taken to Miami.
Concerning this, there is irritation among the Federal Police in Manaus over the
fact that Chief Romeu Tuma has not yet contacted the agency to get information which
he wants on the trafficker A. C. 0. Sources in that department announce~. that
"traffic continues in the region and we lack the money and manpower to fight it."
A. C. 0.--whose operating bases were Yocated in Tabatinga, in Upper S~iimdes,
near the border with Colombia, and also in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, '_n Bo13.via--
supposedly was seen several days ago in Rio de Janeiro, according tc information
obtained by the Manaus police department. He disappeared after the confiscation
of the 38 kilograms of c~caine. This is why the same informants think that he is
now in Amazonia and they also believe that Chief Romeu Tuma will stay sever~l days
in Manaus to obtain all information on the traffickers who live in the stace capi-
tal as well as their possible lir.'.:~ with A. C. 0.
5058
CSO: 5300/2167
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~
BRAZIL
LATIN AMERICA, MIArff DRUG ROUTE SROKEN UP
Sao Paulo 0 ESTADO DE SAO PAULO in Portuguese 21 Jan 82 p 19
[Text] The narcotics control section of the United States Embassy in Brazil assigned
an agent of this outfit to cooperate with DOPS [Department of Political and Social
Order] in investigations concerning the connecti~ns of an international ring of
drug traffickers operating along the Holivia--Colombia--Manaus--Sao Paulo--Miami
run from which 37.8 kilograms of cocaine, worth an estimated 700 million cruzeiros
was confiscated on Friday at a place called Cotia; this was the biggest haul made
so far by the Brazilian police.
The informa.tion came from DOPS Chief Commissioner Romeu Tuma who furthermore dis-
closed thaS:, in addition to the drugs, three traffickers were arrested; one of them
was a real estate broker and dog breeder, residing in the hamlet of Cotia; the other
two, whose names hAVe likewise not been released and who are being interrogated on
their activities, may be able to finger the other members of the ring and possibly
point out another drug hiding place in Sao Paulo.
- Caught in the Act
The real es.tate broker was caught in the act around 1100 on Friday after the Sao
Paulo DOPS about 2 months ago fiad received information to the effect that there
was a secret laboratory for cocaine refining samewhere in the state. According to
police officers, many people were placed under observation during that period of
time until they spotted a red Ford pickup. The vehicle was tailed and police
officers arrived at Cotia.
The DOPS is keeping tF~e names of the three prisoners secret as well as the address
of the refinery in order not to interfere with investigati~ns. Police believe that
the ring was made up of 15 traffickers, including some foreigners, and that the
confiscated cocaine is connected witfi the crash of an aircraft in Amazonia which
had carried 600 kilograms of drugs.
Police are convinced that approximately 100 kilograms of cocaine had come from
Manaus although they only managed to locate 37.8 kilograms of that amount; it is
believed tfiat the remainder was diverted from the refinery which was immedia~ely
dismantled Fiy tfie traffickers. According to a police officer, the gang had planned
to Tauild refineries in Sao Paulc~, a state whicti would become the center of drug
traffic, since trade in acetone, alcohol, and ether is being strictly controlled
by the police in Colombia and Bolivia since these are basic products for refining
coca leaves. According to the police, the traffickers have set up airfields along
the route used by the ring.
5058
CSO: 5300/2167
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BRAZIL
POLICE LOSE CONTROL OF COCAINE TRAFFIC
Sao Paulo FOLHA DE SAO PAULO in Portuguese 1 Feb 82 p 1
- [Excerpt] The DEIC (State Criminal Investigation Department), to which the narcotics
investigation division is suFaordinate, is unable to control cocaine traffic in
Sao Paulo, it was admitted over the weekend by its director, Delegate Vidal Pilar
Fernandes.
According to hini, the persons involved in the production, traffic, and consumption
of cocaine constitute a group with a great purchasing pawer since each gram of the
drug costs about 6,000 cruzeiros. He added that, in addition to having much money,
the international trafficker ring has a favorable effect on the economy of various
countries in Latin America. With three i~ranches, two sectors, and SO investiga-
tors, tfie division is struggling against a shortage of equipment and funds, he
complained.
The DEIC director said that the fight against narcotics traffic is the job of the
Federal Police although the states, following the example of Sao Paulo, must operate
in that area through agreements.
He recalled however that a specific department with about 2,000 officers would be
needed to fight traffickers efFectively in Sao Paulo.
5058
CSO: 5300/2167
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BRAZIL
POLICE TO MONITOR COCAINE REFINING
Rio de Janeiro 0 GLOBO in Portuguese 2 Feb 82 p 4
- [Text] Sao Paulo (0 GLOBO)~ ~.The D~PS [Department of Political and Social Order]
yesterday directed that all big firms specializing in the sale of alcohol, ether,
and acetones immediately report to the agencies whenever any customer is interested
in purchasing large quantities of tlZese products. This order, according to the
chief delegate of DOPSE Romeu Tuma, is due to the fact that alcohol, ether, and
acetone are used in cocaine refining.
"The best way to prevent the big traffickers from continuing to distill. coca
paste in Sao Paulo, as is being done now, is to require that companies specializing
in this area report to us whenever anybody is interested in purchasing abnormal
quantities of these products," said Tuma.
Romeu Tuma--who yesterday returned from Manaus wh.ere he had been in contact with
police authorities to obtain information on cocaine traffic from Colombia--said
that he is certain that the cocaine is brouglit to Sao Paulo in the form of a paste
for puri~'ication because traffickers in this capital find it easier to procure the
necessary components.
Both the Sao Paulo police and the Amazonas police are trying to find Arlindo de
Oliveira Cabral who has been reported to be one of the men mostly responsible for
cocaine traffic in the country. The trafficker's name carle up in police circles
in the middle of January when DOPS in the home ot real estate Taroker Jose Alberto
Lopes Tinoco, in the township of Cotia, in Greater Sao Paulo, confiscated 38 kilo-
- grams of cocaine in the form of paste. Upon being caught in the act, tlie broker
said that the narcotics belonged to Arlindo.
According to delegate Romeu Tuma, Arlindo has good rel3tions with official ci.rcles
in Manaus where he lives but, according to information ~b~tained in the Amazonas
capital, the trafficker is now hiding out in Leticia, in Colombia.
Delegate Tuma also said that he asked the judge of the Second District of Cotia,
Antonio Russo, to order the preventive arrest of Arlindos Real estate broker Jose
Alberto Lopes Tinoco yesterday was to be questioned in court liut due to a delay in
the forwarding of the official papers liy the office of tfie prison-magistrate, the
interrogation was postponed until 10 Fetiruary.
- Tinoco's attorney, Nelson Zanzanelli, told newsmen that his client is innocent,
alleging that he was only used by Arlindo and did not know that he was keeping
cocaine in his home.
5058
- CSO: 5300/2167
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BRAZIL
DRUG RING BUSTED, ARMS SEIZED
'Marihuana' Sale Discovered
Rio de Janeiro 0 GLOBO in Portuguese 6 Feb 82 p 1
[Excerpt] At a narcotics sale which was broken up at Pico da Pedra Branca, in the
Bangu Mountain Range, police confiscated aliout 70 kilograms of pressed marihuana,
weapons, two common scales, and a precision scale. After an exchange of shots,
three traffickers (photo) were apprehended at the fair which supplied the traffic
in Grande Rio.
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