AustLII Home | Databases | WorldLII | Search | Feedback

Australian Federal Police - Platypus Journal/Magazine

You are here:  AustLII >> Databases >> Australian Federal Police - Platypus Journal/Magazine >> 2001 >> [2001] AUFPPlatypus 13

Database Search | Name Search | Recent Articles | Noteup | LawCite | Author Info | Download | Help

Beveridge, John --- "Cooperation with South America" [2001] AUFPPlatypus 13; (2001) 71 Platypus: Journal of the Australian Federal Police, Article 4


Bogota post enhances cooperation with South American authorities

By Federal Agent John Beveridge, former liaison officer, Bogota

2001_1300.jpg2001_1301.jpg

On July 3, 2000, the AFP officially began its liaison functions in Colombia. Working from its office in the Canadian Embassy in Bogota, Colombia's capital city. The Canadian Embassy is located on the 14th and 15th floors of the 17-storey Bank building in the north of Bogota. The Colombian Government officially approved the appointment and issued Diplomatic Accreditation on August 3, 2000.

The Bogota post is the AFP's second in South America. The first opened in 1989 in the Argentinean capital of Buenos Aires. At that time the trans-polar flight from Buenos Aires was considered to be the principal means and route for cocaine to be trafficked to Australia.

Also, Buenos Aires was considered political stable and generally a safer location comparison to other countries within this region and Australian Embassy was already established there.

In early 2000, AFP International endorsed a new regional approach to overseas operations with the appointment of Coordinators for the various regions. The senior liaison officer in Washington was appointed coordinator for the Americas posts: Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, Washington and Bogota. This initiative has allowed the Americas posts to operate in a more coordinated and consolidated response to the needs of Australia. Each post is committed to supporting each other as a whole of Americas approach as opposed to each office having an independent existence.

The Bogota post assumes responsibility for: Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guyana, the Caribbean and Central America.

Current narcotic issues impacting on Australia

In recent times there has been a dramatic increase in cocaine seizures in Australia. During the 2000 calendar year, in excess of one tonne of cocaine was seized in Australia. This far exceeds previous annual seizure levels, which over the past decade have been at an average of about 100-150kg per year. Estimates for the world availability of cocaine per year are about 800 tonnes, of which about 350 tonnes are seized by law enforcement. It is known that South America is the foremost source of cocaine to the world, with Colombia, Peru and Bolivia the significant coca growing and source countries. Both Peru and Bolivia have had extremely successful coca eradication programs, leaving Colombia to be clearly the most significant producer.

The significant seizures of cocaine in Australia in the past year have all been by marine route, small vessel or container traffic, and almost all from Colombia and surrounding countries. Commercial aircraft continue to be the most popular means of trafficking smaller amounts of cocaine to Australia by drug couriers, although the classic trans-polar route is no longer a significant route, given that there are an increasing amount of travel options.

The plan to establish a post in Colombia followed a threat assessment conducted by the AFP. This identified the increasing threat of cocaine being trafficked to Australia and the difficulties of the Buenos Aires post to deal with these issues given the extremely large region of responsibility. This decision is also timely to the start of the USA's 1.3 billion US dollar aid package to “Plan Colombia” to counter the drug problem in Colombia. It is important that aside from cocaine production, Colombia is the principal producer of heroin now seized in the US. The AFP is closely monitoring this trend.

“Plan Colombia” is controversial in this region for a number of reasons. Firstly, because of the considered (political) intervention by a third country with cynical parallels being drawn with Vietnam; secondly, and most important to law enforcement, is that this intervention is likely to have a significant effect on the manner in which the drug cartels go about their business. It has far wider ramifications than the plan to wear down the right-wing rebel guerrilla groups who operate under the flag of mainly the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the country's biggest guerrilla group, and the National Liberation Army (ELN).

It is widely known that the activities of these rebels groups are inter-twined with drug activities.

The anticipated effect of “Plan Colombia” is that these drug activities may spread over the border into vulnerable neighbouring countries such as Ecuador, Panama Venezuela and Brazil. The result being that these groups are likely to become more fractured in their operations and perhaps even more difficult to police. On the Australian front, an increase in Colombian organised crime activity in Australia is being witnessed. It is considered that the Bogota post will be vital in contributing to Australian law enforcements interests.

Law Enforcement Cooperation Program (LECP)

The Australian Government established the LECP in 1998 as part of the National Illicit Drug Strategy. The AFP was allocated special funding over a four-year period for this program. Initially the program was focused on the Asia Pacific region, however, from July 1999 this was expanded to encompass the rest of the world.

The ultimate objective of this program is to strengthen the capability of foreign law enforcement to interdict drug traffickers by providing assistance in the form of training and in some cases equipment.

The LECP is an extremely effective tool used by liaison officers to increase cooperation with foreign law enforcement partners and target such assistance in order to provide the greatest outcomes for Australia's interests.

In South America, the AFP has received approval to undertake a number of LECP initiatives such as:

• in November 2000, an Argentine Federal Police officer attended a National Strategic Intelligence Course, hosted by the AFP in Canberra; and

• in February 2001, a nominee from the Police Investigations of Chile and a representative from Colombian National Police attended a Management of Serious Crime Course, again hosted by the AFP in Canberra. A number of other initiatives are currently being planned and developed, including:

• the purchase of equipment for the Brazilian Federal Police;

• a Financial Investigators training course to be provide for a combined audience drawn from South America;

• an exchange program with an AFP intelligence analyst being deployed with the US Drug Enforcement Agency in Bogota; and

• visits by Colombian Police to Australia

Already in the short time that this program in South America has been implemented, it is considered that there has been a marked positive effect and an increase in the level of assistance and cooperation generated in this region.

Colombia

2001_1302.jpg2001_1303.jpg

The population of Colombia is 38 million, and is a rich mixture of European, African and native Indian.

Colombia is the fourth-largest country in South America and the only one with coasts on the Pacific and Caribbean. It shares borders with Panama, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador and Brazil. The western part of the country is mountainous: the 8000km Cordille (Andes) run the length of South America and, on reaching Colombia splits into three ranges. The total land area of the country is 1,141,748km2, roughly equal to that of France, Spain and Portugal combined. Three ranges of the Andes run north-south for the length of the country, dipping finally into the lowland Caribbean coast. Between the ranges run deep fertile valleys. Of the 14 most populous centres in the country, no fewer than eleven are in the mountains or valleys. The other three are in the Caribbean lowlands.

The Amazon region of south-eastern Colombia lies below the equator. The mountains have a profound effect on climate and communication. Climate variations along the altitude enable the country to produce a wide range of foods during the year, but problems of building and maintaining mountain roads and railroads make travel and transport difficult. Much of the regional sentiment and cultural differences in Colombia can be traced to the isolation of early settlements as a result of the topography of the country.

Among Colombia's geographical curiosities are deserts in the northeast; the jungle west and south, vast plains in the east and tropical beaches. Colombia also claims to have the highest number of species of plants and animals in the world. Its animals include jaguars, ocelots, peccaries, tapirs, deer, armadillo, monkeys and the rare spectacled bear.

Bogota, also known as Santafe de Bogota, is the capital of Colombia, and is located in the central part of the country. It is situated at an altitude of approximately 2640 metres (8660 ft) on a mountain- rimmed plateau high in the Eastern Cordillera of the Andes. Bogota has a temperate climate, with an average annual temperature of 14.4oC (58o F) from month to month. However, within a two-hour drive south (down the mountain range) to Melgar or Giradot, the climate is tropical.

Bogota is the quintessence of all things Colombian: a city full of futuristic architecture, a vibrant and diverse cultural life, splendid colonial churches, museums and old city housing. It also is a city of waifs, beggars, shantytowns, drug dealers and millionaires. The city is a mixture of prosperity and poverty, and it makes it one of the world's chaotic, fascinating and aggressive metropolises.

Spanish is the national language, spoken to the virtual exclusion of others, although English, and to a lesser extent, French or German may be spoken as a second language. The population of Colombia is 38 million, and is a rich mixture of European, African and native Indian.

Petroleum is the largest single legal export, followed by coffee and coal. Other important crops are sugar, cotton, rice, bananas and flowers. Livestock accounts for a large share of agricultural output. In the manufacturing sector, the most important are textiles, chemicals and pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, manufactured metal goods and food. Recent government efforts to develop the country's economy include natural gas, coal and basic resource investments. Contraband traffic in emeralds, marijuana, heroin and cocaine is alleged to constitute almost as great a source of export earnings as the entire legal sector.

Cooperation

The level of cooperation from both the local authorities (Colombian National Police, DAS, Fiscalia, Military and MFA) and other liaison officers (particularly RCMP, HM Customs & Excise, Brazil, Germany, Netherlands, US and Israel) has been excellent.

It is difficult for official liaison to be on a solely ‘police to police' basis. In Colombia there are four main areas detailed below that provide, liaison and intelligence opportunities. Depending on the particular Australian request or the investigation sought by the AFP will depend on the agency to contact. Within all agencies there is an International Relations Section that deal with the large amount of foreign police and military liaison officers in this country.

The time and quality of response to requests for information or assistance are affected by their bureaucratic requirements and the standard of the request received from Australia. In general Colombia provides a reasonably quick response to inquiries, considering the amount of requests arriving daily from around the world. Colombia is supported by the European Union, Britain, US and Japan particularly financially, and have modern computer and technical support. Colombian agencies are impressive with their ability to provide data and intelligence in floppy/CD disk format, Power Point or in report form. Some of their information storage and retrieval systems are extremely advanced. There is no lack of will to assist the AFP, however, they are restricted by insurgence and security problems throughout the country at different times.

Colombia also has a number of non-government organisations (NGOs), that are able to provide valued commentary on many social issues affecting both rural and urban Colombia, including: drug production, security problems, human rights, drug abuse, and people smuggling.

Colombia National Police (CNP)

The Colombia National Police is under the control of the Minister of Defence. A militaristic model has been used to establish the Colombia National Police. The departments of the police are similar to Australian policing forces. The AFP will primary deal with the Anti-narcotics Unit, DIJIN (Judicial Police), CIP (Police Intelligence) and the Bogota Metropolitan Police Section. DIJIN is the Judicial Police and deal with most investigations including operations conducted by the Anti-narcotic Unit after operations have been completed. They are responsible for investigation and collection of evidence. DIJIN and the Anti-narcotics Unit also have separate telephone interception capabilities. DIJIN also has the role of data collection and production of statistical reporting.

The Anti-narcotics Unit role is solely anti-narcotic operations and includes eradication programs, school programs, investigation and destruction of laboratories, coca fields and investigation of narcotic operations. CIP is the National Police Intelligence Unit. Largely funded by foreign funds, the CIP is very professional, has immense resources and modern equipment including satellite monitoring of telecommunication systems and provides valuable intelligence.

Departamento Administrative Service (DAS)

The Department of Administrative Service is known as the ‘Secret Police'. DAS is answerable to the president and does not have to discuss its operations with the Police or Fiscalia. DAS provides the national security intelligence agency, Interpol, VIP protection for the president and other government heads, criminal intelligence and also has investigational teams for criminal and drug investigations. The DAS was for sometime thought to be the elite of Colombia law enforcement, and was the sole Colombian department that the AFP dealt with.

Fiscalia

The Fiscalia is the Colombian Attorney-Generals office. It also contains the nations prosecuting body. The Fiscalia is similar to a combination of the Australian Attorney-General's office, Director of Public Prosecutions and its own investigation section. The Fiscalia provides an investigative body called CTI (Cuerpo Technical Investigation) and has the extradition, proceeds of crime and mutual assistance in criminal matters areas. CTI is used by many foreign agencies due to the resources available to the Fiscalia and its power to issue warrants for telephone interception. The Fiscalia can provide investigation services and will not discuss with either the Police or DAS if required.

Armed Forces of Colombia

The Armed Forces of Colombia are under the control of General Tabias and the Department of Defence. All services of the Colombia military are now committed to the fight against the guerrilla movement and drug trafficking. Recently with US funding of USD$1.3 billion for Plan Colombia, the military has been provided with up to 500 US military advisers and trainers. Battalions of Colombian military are being trained by the US and supplied with 60 Black Hawk helicopters and other equipment in an attempt to take back large sections of the Colombia countryside.

The guerrilla movements are thought to control about 50 per cent of the country. On the other side it is argued by human rights organisations the military have caused human right abuses throughout the country and to campisino farmers (coca growers) and villagers in the remote countryside who provide protection and assistance to the guerrilla movement, many under duress. The military with US training is developing very good intelligence on guerrilla movements, but in particular the roles of the different narco trafficker groups.

Security

Colombia has been in a civil war for 36 years. The war, insurgency problem, drugs, displaced persons, all resulting in poverty and high crime has provided for an intense situation. The threat comes from three areas, namely terrorism, violent crime and the organised drug cartels.

The threat from terrorism and the high level of violent crime is faced by all, but the activities of the organised drug cartels, who now operate very closely with the terrorists to the extent that they are increasingly considered as one body, is of particular relevance to the security of the AFP liaison officers and families.

In 2000, 350 National Police were killed in operational duty. Nearly the same amount have also been taken as hostage when guerrillas have overrun small towns. The National Police regard foreign liaison officers as at particular risk especially when successful operations have foiled narcotic deliveries and when gang members have been arrested.

Recent government reports illustrate the unfortunate state of unrest in Colombia.

“War-ravaged Colombia is shaken by an average of 71 violent deaths and four terrorist'' attacks a day as its four-decade internal conflict intensifies, according to an official report on criminal activity in 2000. The police study said 25,660 people died from violent deaths this year — a five per cent rise on the 1999 tally of 24,358. There were 205 mass killings — a 22 per cent increase during 1999 — in which 1226 people died. The number of victims was almost a third higher than last year.

The report indicates 2000 was one of the most violent years ever, with 1480 “terrorist'' attacks — an average of four a day, a 24 per cent rise above 1999 figures. Leftist rebels using explosives, police said, committed most of the killings. “The rise in murders, killings and terrorist attacks is largely due to the intensification of the internal conflict in the country in which there are various protagonists,'' General Alfredo Salgado, deputy director of police, told reporters.

This Andean nation of 40 million has been driven by nearly 40 years of strife — the longest conflict in Latin America — involving leftist guerrillas, far-right paramilitary death squads and the army, which critics accuse of being linked to paramilitaries or turning a blind eye to their activities.

The conflict has turned this oil, coffee and coal-producing nation into one of the most violent in the world.

Colombia's conflict has intensified despite President Andres Pastrana's land-for-peace policy with the FARC and the ELN.

In 2000, the report said there were 83 attacks on towns and villages, most carried out with home-made missiles — gas cylinders packed with explosives — in which more than 1000 buildings were destroyed. The report attributed 70 of those attacks to the FARC, nine to the ELN and four to paramilitary gangs.

The report did not include a figure for kidnappings — Colombia has the dubious honour of being the world kidnapping capital — but police said there had been a significant increase during the year.

According to the independent Pais Libre group, which monitors kidnapping, there were 3029 kidnappings in the year to November, 84 more than in the whole of 1999, when the total was 2945.

The authorities laid the blame for more than half of the kidnappings at the doors of the guerrillas, whom analysts say use the tactic to finance their uprising against the state.

The victims of this war have been lawyers, priests, nuns, politicians, labour leaders, peasant farmers, university professors, journalists and children caught in the crossfire. Some 4300 Colombians are killed each year for political reasons out of a total annual death toll of 30,000. More than 1.7 million people are displaced throughout Colombia. This carnage is in a country with a population of 37 million people. According to the Colombian Commission of Jurists only 2 per cent of these political killings are drug related, while 28 per cent of the deaths are at the hands of the guerrillas and 70 per cent are caused by the paramilitary/military alliance.

Colombia's civil war and terrorism

The activities of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) and the smaller Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional (ELN) have contributed to the state of civil war. Both have strongholds throughout the country and continue to attack government forces, infrastructure and western companies, using military style operations, bombings and kidnappings.

The FARC and ELN have a political agenda that calls for agrarian reform, democratisation and protection of natural resources from multinational corporations. But the Conservative and Liberal parties have never allowed for third parties or grass roots opposition. Colombian politics is very exclusionary. Rebels from FARC and the smaller ELN have grown in strength in the last decade. According to the most recent estimate, FARC has 15,000 insurgents, while ELN numbers 5000 rebels in its ranks. Until recently, the rebels in Colombia's eastern jungles have consistently outclassed the Colombian military, though the Government has managed to maintain control of the mountain and coastal cities.

Paramilitary units like the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC) came into existence in the 1980s as a response to the Government's inability to deal with the insurgents. The paramilitary units continue to complicate current efforts to reach a peace agreement with Colombia's remaining rebel groups.Guerrilla activity is mostly confined to rural areas although attacks are increasing in and around the capital. Apart from being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, the greatest threat to foreigners is being kidnapped, especially at unofficial roadblocks and Westerners are seen as appealing targets as they attract greater ransoms. There have been a number of western victims, including Australian citizens of the past few years, not all of whom have survived.

Journeys outside Bogota, other than by air, are hazardous and can only be undertaken after careful assessment of the threat at the time and with consultation with the Canadian Embassy Security adviser. Since guerrillas and drug traffickers generally operate in the same areas, many guerrilla fronts, tax drug trafficking operations, while protecting plantations of coca, processing and shipment of drugs, just as they tax any area that comes under their control, and in this way they benefit from the drug trade.

Drug trafficking

2001_1304.jpg

Visiting law enforcement officers are shown the workings of a cocaine laboratory by Colombian authorities.

In the 1980s and early 1990s Colombia was primarily a refining centre for coca harvested in Bolivia and Peru and used its expertise as the ruthless emerald trade mafia to quickly take advantage of the new, promising drug trade. Fortunes were made quickly by this new class, which became wealthier than the traditional elites. By 1997, Colombia became the world's largest producer of cocaine. The expansion of cultivation in Colombia has cancelled out major reductions in Peru and Bolivia. Opium production has also increased.

Interpol states, “Cocaine is reportedly used by 13 million people worldwide, heroin by 8 million, amphetamine/stimulants by 30 million and 140 million people use cannabis products.”

Narcotics crops are cultivated worldwide, but five countries account for the majority of coca and opium production, with more than a dozen others producing smaller amounts. Andean coca cultivation is estimated at about 190,000 hectares at the end of 2000. Colombia accounts for 125,000 hectares of coca plantations, some 70 per cent of coca cultivation and 520 tonnes cocaine accounting for almost 80 per cent of the world's production. Increased production of heroin is also occurring. In the short term I cannot see this situation changing.

Australia faces an increasing threat from the cocaine and heroin producers of this region. The trafficking methods and distribution networks are already in place with established Australian and Colombian criminal organisations. The use of Caribbean yachting routes and new airline routes opening, coupled with new trafficking routes through South Africa and the Pacific Islands and Australia's current high consumer cost for cocaine makes us an attractive destination.

Colombia's traffickers in narcotics, violence and money laundering lead the world, they are highly financed and educated using the most modern technology including telephone interception of Colombian officials and foreign law enforcement agents. A continued AFP presence in Colombia is critical to ensure that Australian law enforcement is well placed to meet the threats proposed.

Three varieties of coca, a perennial shrub, are cultivated for cocaine production:

• Erythroxylum coca var. coca,

• Erythroxylum coca var. ipadu, and

• Erythroxylum novogranatense var. novogranatense.

Erythroxylum. coca var. coca, also called “Bolivian” or “Huanuco” coca, is the variety grown in the uplands of Peru and Bolivia; it has the highest leaf yield and accounts for most of the world's cocaine. Erythroxylum coca var. ipadu (“Amazonian” coca) is the variety traditionally grown in Colombia; it has a low leaf yield and low cocaine alkaloid content. Erythroxylum novogranatense var. novogranatense (“Colombian” coca), also grown in Colombia, where it makes up a small percentage of the coca crop, is more difficult to process into cocaine.

The eighties and the nineties have been ruled by the drug cartels, which subjected the society to their terrifying clandestine groups. The Medelln Cartel, headed by the murdered Pablo Escobar and the Cali Cartel, chaired by the Rodriguez Orejuela brothers left the Colombian State unable to go on fighting. The murder of Escobar in a confrontation in 1993 and the imprisonment of the Cali Cartel leaders in 1996 put an end to the open war against narcotics trafficking. So deep was the penetration of the drug lords in the Colombian society that the then president of the country Ernesto Samper was accused of having received USD$6 million “narcodollars” from the Rodriguez Orejuela brothers. Since the days of the notorious Medellin and Cali cartels, drug cartels are split into many different highly organised armed groups.

2001_1304.jpg

Indicative of the audacious wealth of drug smugglers is this "cocaine submarine" discovered by Colombian authorities on the outskirts of Bogota in September 2000. If this extremely expensive project had been completed, it is thought that the vessel would have been used to smuggle cocaine.

These groups can call upon limitless resources with the ability to intercept telephone communications and carry out surveillance. They are ruthlessly violent, assassinating anybody, especially informants, who stand in their way, and have declared foreign liaison officers as a legitimate target.

In 2000, the worldwide production of cocaine was estimated to be between 750 and 1000 tonnes. Nevertheless, the coca crop in Colombia continued its rapid increase, cementing that country's status as the number-one coca cultivator in the world in front of Peru and Bolivia. Minor amounts have been found in neighbouring countries-Ecuador, Venezuela, Panama, and Brazil-but reliable estimates are not available.

Recent information provided from the Interpol 2000 Cocaine Conference in Mexico:

• in 2000, Interpol estimated that there was between 800–1000 tonnes of cocaine produced and available for consumption. The US authorities' estimate is quite lower at about 700–800 tonnes;

• in 1999, 346 tonnes (metric) of cocaine were seized and in 1998, 352 tonnes;

• 92 tonnes of cocaine were seized in South America alone in 1999;

• production and seizure levels of cocaine in 1999: Colombia – 500/600 tonnes with 36 tonnes seized; Peru – 175 tonnes with 9.5 tonnes seized and Bolivia 100 tonnes with 12 tonnes seized;

• in Colombia cocaine amounts to about a USD$3 billion market. Prices have reduced by about 27 per cent in recent times;

• with regard to the means of concealment, container and freight amount for about 43 per cent of volume while baggage amounts for only 3 per cent;

• increasing evidence of Panama, Venezuela, Ecuador, Brazil, Chile and Caribbean Islands being used as major trafficking routes;

• evidence of consolidation of new markets, particularly the Oceanic Region including Australia and trafficking of cocaine from Brazil to Japan via the Philippines;

• Russia reported that there are about three million users of cocaine in Russia with the current price about USD$190 per gram. Most cocaine is seized from air, postal and overland routes;

• the cocaine market in the US appears to be stabilising while the European market is increasing. It is estimated that about 65 per cent of all cocaine passes through the Caribbean corridor, mainly destined for Europe;

• the American Defence Department suggests that maritime routes and methods account for about 90 per cent of all cocaine trafficking. The consumption levels in the US have decreased from about 400 tonnes in 1990 to about 300 tonnes this year. Other markets, particularly Europe are fast increasing together with other regions in Asia, Africa, Canada and Australia;

• Bolivian authorities are projecting that by year 2002 they will have totally eradicated the production of coca in Bolivia. It is worthy to note that Bolivian law still does not permit the use of chemicals for eradication and is quite a labour intensive exercise.

The challenges of the post

The challenges of operating in South America are quite often difficult, however, with the identified increase in cocaine being trafficked to Australia, there is a clear need to maintain and more importantly, increase the level of exposure and cooperation that the AFP has with its law enforcement partners in Latin America. The establishment of the new post at Bogota will be critical to this process and will indeed compliment the existing activities of the Buenos Aires post and the Americas region as a whole.

The juxtaposition of living in such a different country enriches the AFP officer to the extent of enjoying the lifestyle and particularly the work environment but, at the same time, despairing at the poverty and problems this beautiful country is experiencing. The Bogota office covers a range of criminality including: drug trafficking; money laundering; organised crime; counterfeiting and is now noticing an increase in Colombian women travelling to Australia for prostitution.


AustLII: Copyright Policy | Disclaimers | Privacy Policy | Feedback
URL: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/AUFPPlatypus/2001/13.html