Transcript Asian Precursor Chemicals Background and

Asia-Pacific Drug Threat
Employing Soft Power to Counter Networks
Presented to:
PACOM Science & Technology Conference
Maritime Awareness Panel
16 March 2011
CAPT Anthony LaVecchia, USN
Joint Interagency Task Force West
Asia-Pacific Criminal Threats
South Asia
• Largest producer/exporter of meth
precursor chemicals (ephedrine/
pseudoephedrine)
• Southwest Asian heroin transit
• Terror network activity
• Porous land and maritime borders
• Criminal facilitation hubs
• Counterfeit money networks
• Human trafficking/ Illegal migration
Northeast Asia
• Meth and heroin precursor producer and
exporter (ephedrine, acetic anhydride, P2P)
• Southwest Asian heroin market
• Gambling/ Drugs nexus
• Weapons proliferation (DPRK)
• Money laundering
• Human trafficking
Southeast Asia
• Large-scale meth/ heroin production for
Asian markets
• Iranian & Eurasian criminal elements
• Terror/ insurgent presence
• Porous land and maritime borders
• Criminal facilitation hubs
• Maritime trafficking
• TCO casino money laundering
Oceania
• Westward Cocaine transit zone
• PRC expanding presence
• Permissive security regimes
• Back door to U.S. homeland
•Casinos/ Money Laundering
• Human trafficking / Illegal migration
• Illegal fishing
Global Issues affecting Maritime Trade & Security
MANMADE
DISASTERS
ILLEGAL
FISHING
CONTRABAND
SMUGGLING
WEAPONS
SMUGGLING
ILLEGAL
MIGRATION
PIRACY
MARITIME
TERRORISM
Global economy…and transnational crime depend upon the oceans
Challenges to Maritime Security
• Scope and size of the problem
• Lack of resources
• Varying levels of regulatory
regimes
• Legitimate organizations
supporting illicit activity
The Goal
Detect
Monitor
Interdict
Interdiction Challenges
- Globalization of trade route, primarily maritime
- Information on illicit trafficking movements, destinations
Meth Precursors from Asia-Pacific Region
• Methamphetamine precursors (ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, phenyl2-propanone [P-2-P] and other pharmaceuticals)
– India is the #1 global exporter of ephedrine
– China is the #1 producer of P-2-P related Mexican imports
– Secondary ephedrine markets also contribute to meth manufacturing
CY 2010 Meth Precursor Interdiction
• 52 containers involving 1,067 metric tons investigated
• 184 mt seized by law enforcement
CHINA
INDIA
SE ASIA
WESTERN
HEMISPHERE
Methamphetamine precursors sourced from PACOM AOR contribute directly
to Mexican/ U.S. border narco-conflict and meth distribution to U.S. populace
Asia-Pacific Heroin Precursors to Afghanistan
• Heroin precursor Acetic
Anhydride (AA) makes heroin
when combined with opium
8,000
7,000
6,000
Metric Tons
• AA flows from Northeast Asia to
Afghanistan, is converted into
heroin, then resold in China and
Europe
9,000
Burma
5,000
Laos
4,000
Afghanistan
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
2006
• Opium cultivation in Golden
Triangle declined ~85% during
last 20 years
2004
Years
AA
• Afghanistan now produces 93%
of world’s opium (2,700mt)
– Produced 380mt of heroin
2002
2000
1998
1996
1994
1992
– Afghanistan heroin supplies
25% of China’s market
AA
AA
Afghanistan
Heroin
(Europe)
ROK
Japan
China
Heroin
PACOM countries supply heroin precursor chemicals to Afghanistan and
purchase Afghan heroin, which likely supplies Taliban with terrorist financing
Trans-Pacific Cocaine Movement
• Commercial containers remain the ideal method
– Depart from South America/ Mexico directly to China or Australia or
transit through Canada or U.S. ports
• Fishing vessels & small pleasure craft conduct at-sea transfers
CANADA
CHINA
WESTERN
HEMISPHERE
Legend
Containerized
AUSTRALIA
Fishing Vessels/
Pleasure Crafts
Cocaine will continue to be shipped into Asia for domestic
consumption and transshipment due to high profit margins
Tracking Sources Along the Route
Legal
Illegal
Origin
• Commodity
quarterly
production
statistics
• Shipping and
customs
declarations
• UN required
reports
Transit
Destination
• Shipping company
Sites
• National trade data
• Shipment location
websites
• Port authority
reports
• Air freight handling
websites
• Company
websites
• Company reports
• Press reporting
after seizure
• Sales data
Containerized Precursor Chemicals Tracking
• Premise: Chemical movements are legitimate
• Large amounts of data exists:
– Customs reports, Bill of Lading
– Shipping movements
– Business sector analysis and reporting
• Non-traditional analysis
– Targeted commodity record by record
requests instead of entire shipping
database transfers
Core
– Private company websites
• Multi-agency effort without single lead
– Allows effort to morph depending on
supported / supporting requirements
• Targeting chemicals is cheaper than targeting smuggled products
Interagency approach to challenging problem set by
complemented traditional intelligence tools and processes
Example - Meth Precursor Tracking to Mexico
• 27 Nov 2009: Mexico raised PAA to a
Level 1 controlled chemical
– Importations by manufacturers only
– Permits required
• PAA shipments are low value, high volume
87.2MT Ethyl Phenyl Acetate Example
• 07 Mar: 5 containers identified at origin
• 08 Mar: Freight carrier and ship identified
• 28 Mar: Shipment arrived in Manzanillo
• 30 Mar: Mexican Navy detained cargo
• 09 Apr: Mexican Attorney General seized
cargo for investigation
• 06 May: PGR announced seizure in press stating fictitious
company to receive shipment
Example - Australian Cocaine Interdiction
• Cocaine transferred at-sea approximately
600nm from Australian coast
• Available information analyzed and passed
between US and Australian LE agencies
• Australian-U.S. information sharing and
relationships facilitated interdiction ops
 464kg of cocaine seized – 3rd largest
seizure in Australian history
 Clandestine lab also identified
 3 Australian citizens arrested while 1
German and 1 Costa Rican also detained
Keys to success: information, relationships & legal frameworks
Summary
• Drug precursors present a significant threat to North
America from the PACOM AOR
• Drug trafficking transnational criminal organizations
adapt as nations restrict precursor movements
• JIATF West, in partnership with US Law Enforcement
Agencies, supports networking of authorities,
competencies, & capabilities into cooperative operations
• Sharing of data and best practices amongst international
partners and U.S. agencies key to success
Questions & Discussion