1998 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report

Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
United States Department of State
February 26, 1999

LATVIA

I. Summary

Latvia has witnessed an increase in drug trafficking and abuse over the past year, but these still do not constitute major problems. Nevertheless, the country's location as a transit hub for the Baltic region and its vulnerability to organized crime groups makes it an attractive target for narcotics traffickers. The Latvian Government is aware of these dangers and, with the assistance of international organizations and western donors, is taking steps to combat them. Latvia is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. The Government currently is finalizing its counternarcotics masterplan and has taken steps to strengthen anti-narcotics law enforcement agencies, though this effort is constrained by limited budgetary resources. In January 1998, Latvia passed a money laundering law, and a financial disclosure unit has now commenced operations.

II. Status of Country

Drug production is not a significant problem in Latvia. There is minor cultivation of opium poppy on small private plots, but this is mainly for culinary purposes and does not contribute to drug abuse. There is also small-scale production of amphetamines, ephedrine and ecstasy in Latvia. Narcotics trafficking is a more serious problem. Latvia's geographic location at the crossroads of Western Europe and the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)--which are increasingly involved in the international drug trade--makes it a natural transit route for narcotics.

Drug seizure statistics indicate that most illegal drugs move by road and railway transport. Opiates come through Latvia from Lithuania, Ukraine, Russia and Central Asia; ephedrine from Russia or India via Moscow; cannabis from Central and Southwest Asia, Moldova and Morocco via the Netherlands; amphetamines from the Netherlands, Poland and Germany; and psychotropic substances from Russia and Lithuania. Police have found small amounts of heroin, cocaine and synthetic drugs in private vehicles traveling to Latvia from the Netherlands, Poland and Germany. Heroin and cocaine have been discovered on Riga's local black market. Opiates still dominate drug seizures, but the volumes confiscated have remained stable over the past four years. Nevertheless, the statistics show rising availability of other drugs, including marijuana, ephedrine, amphetamine, ecstasy and heroin. The presence of entrenched organized crime groups in Latvia makes it likely that the trafficking problem will grow.

While the total number of drug abusers in Latvia is still not substantial, the Government is concerned about recent trends in narcotics use. According to estimates by the National Drug Control Coordinating Committee, there are between 5,000 and 8,000 heavy drug users in the country. Over the past year or more, the availability of new kinds of drugs has grown, and abuse is spreading among young people. Difficult economic conditions have contributed to a rise in the number of families with unsupervised children living on the streets drawn into drug abuse and trafficking. There is also a growing problem of drug abuse in the prisons. Of special concern is the growing mortality rate among adolescent drug abusers. HIV among drug users was first detected in 1997, and by 1998 there were 28 reported cases.

The most commonly used drugs in Latvia are opiates, cannabis, ephedrine and psychotropic substances. As contacts with Europe have increased, designer drugs from the west have gained in popularity and acceptability. Officials are concerned about the recent trend for some in the media to glamorize drug use and to spread misinformation that drug use is neither harmful to health nor dangerously addictive. Drug-related crimes in Latvia increased from 205 in 1992 to 433 in 1997, with 289 cases reported in the first nine months of 1998.

III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 1998

Policy Initiatives. The Ministry of the Interior has worked closely with the UNDCP Field Office to develop a comprehensive national drug control and drug abuse prevention masterplan for 1999-2003. Together with this plan, Latvia has put into place a nearly complete legislative, institutional and policy framework to support the UN Convention. On the legislative side, for example, the Parliament passed a law on precursors and the control of licit narcotics and psychotropic substances in 1996. In 1998, Latvia adopted a new law on money laundering, and passed legislation protecting children's' rights in narcotics arrest cases. In the coming year, Latvia needs to focus on effectively implementing new narcotics laws, which will come into effect in April 1999 as part of the amended criminal code.

Law Enforcement Efforts. Enforcement of drug policy in Latvia rests with the Ministry of the Interior's Drug Enforcement Bureau (DEB), which was created in 1994. The DEB's responsibilities include regulation of chemical and pharmaceutical organizations, supervision of transit agencies, training and regional oversight. During 1998 the Latvian Government has taken steps to strengthen the Bureau, including its coordination with other drug control agencies, such as the recently-established Customs drug unit. As a result, the DEB's performance, measured by the number of seizures and criminal cases instigated, has measurably improved. In addition to the DEB, Latvia has established a National Drug Control and Drug Abuse Combat Commission responsible for overall policy development and coordination of drug control efforts. Over the past year the Government has increased the staffing of the Commission's political and expert levels as well as its secretariat. Moreover, a modernized border checkpoint at Terehova, on the boundary with Russia, opened this year with a special facility for drug-sniffing dogs and their handlers.

Accomplishments. According to Latvian Ministry of the Interior statistics, the Drug Enforcement Bureau investigated 433 criminal cases relating to drug possession and drug trafficking in 1997, up from 362 in 1996. In the first quarter of 1998, the number of cases was 101, compared with 59 in the first quarter of 1997. While these numbers reflect improvement in Latvian police counternarcotics work, many observers believe that the actual extent of drug abuse and trafficking is considerably greater than these figures would indicate. The bottom line is that inadequate resources continue to hamper the work of Latvia's drug control agencies. The police counter-narcotics units, border guards and customs officials lack adequate staff, training and equipment as well as effective coordination among themselves. Other problems include. too frequent reorganizations within the law enforcement agencies; frequent changes in the criminal code that hinder operational work; and lack of smooth cooperation with

prosecutors and the courts.

Corruption. Corruption is a significant problem in Latvia, though it is not a threat to democratic rule or the fabric of the economy. Recent reports by the World Bank and Transparency International, based on public opinion polls, indicate there is a perception of pervasive corruption by public officials, but most international observers say this is not an accurate portrayal of conditions in Latvia. Most documented cases of bribery, involving judges, local officials, customs officers or police, have been minor cases. There is significant non-transparency in the financial linkage between political elites and big businesses. Moreover, the frequent passage of new laws -or revision of existing laws and regulations- as well as their daunting complexity, have contributed to conflicting judicial interpretations, thus reinforcing misgivings about the transparency of the overall legal system.

Agreements and Treaties. Latvia is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. The USG has concluded a Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement (CMAA) with the Government of Latvia. In addition, Latvia is a party to the World Customs Organization's International Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance for the Prevention, Investigation, and Repression of Customs Offenses (Nairobi Convention), Annex X on Assistance in Narcotics Cases.

Domestic Measures/Demand Reduction. Latvian authorities are developing a national drug and alcohol prevention strategy targeting youth. The Government has also organized a number of training programs for drug prevention and treatment professionals, and drug awareness campaigns have been carried out in the schools. The authorities have also increasingly used the media to highlight the dangers of drug abuse.

IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs

Bilateral Cooperation. The USG has worked closely with the Latvian Government in the counter-narcotics sphere. A Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty between the U.S. and Latvia was signed in 1997, and was ratified by the U.S. in January 1999. During 1998, the resident Department of Justice Legal Advisor continued to advise the Prime Minister, the Prosecutor General and other senior law enforcement officials on strategies to strengthen Latvia's legal framework and improve the judiciary's effectiveness. In FY98 the USG provided Latvia with an estimated total of $677,000 in training and other assistance for law enforcement-related training, including DEA-supervised seminars on money laundering and drug enforcement, a DOJ seminar on combating financial and economic crime, and a U.S. Customs course on basic narcotics interdiction.

Multilateral Cooperation. Latvia receives considerable assistance from the UNDCP, the EU PHARE program and other major donors to strengthen its counternarcotics capacities. The Embassy participates in meetings of the local Mini-Dublin Group and also works closely with the UNDCP Field Office in Riga. The 1998 UNDCP program allotted $156,000 to Latvia for four projects. support for a drug treatment center at Rindzele; work on finalizing the counternarcotics masterplan; provision of equipment to the police and customs narcotics units; and grants to NGOs working in the drug prevention area.

The Road Ahead. Latvia has put into place the key laws and organizational structures for an effective counter-narcotics program. Now the major task is to provide law enforcement agencies with the financial resources, training, equipment and other support necessary for them to implement the laws effectively and to coordinate better with each other. The central objectives of future USG counternarcotics efforts in Latvia are to help Latvia (1) increase effective control over its borders; (2) address money laundering issues, including its ability to deal more effectively with the data it is receiving from banks; (3) foster greater law enforcement cooperation and more effective prosecution of drug and organized crime- related crimes; and (4) strengthen Latvia's ability to counter narcotics trafficking and consumption.