THE one-year-old regional counter-narcotics co-operation agreement that incorporates initiatives like Operation Kingfish, is already biting heavily into drug profits, forcing up the dealer price of drugs, analysts of the narco trade have found.

. Cocaine price climbs as supply declines

. Drug dealers turning to new crimes as business shrinks

But as police operations deter smugglers, a new report warns that the situation has led to an increase in violence, extortion and kidnappings as drug traffickers turn to other means of earning money.

Last week, local police basked in the report from the United States Department of State which gave a favourable review of sustained efforts by the security forces to stamp out illicit drug trafficking.

The police high command now says its next move will be the deployment of select narcotics officers to tackle street-level trade.

“Over the coming months, greater effort will be placed on decentralising the Narcotics Division by moving specialist staff to the respective divisions to increase the focus on the street-level sale of drugs,” head of Operation Kingfish, Deputy Commissioner Glenmore Hinds read from a speech prepared by Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas.

Hinds was deputising for the commissioner, who had laryngitis, at a Consular Corps of Jamaica monthly meeting held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston last week.

The US State Department International Narcotics Control Strategy Report for 2005 said the counter-narcotics enforcement initiative – implemented March 2004 among the United States, United Kingdom, Caribbean and Central American countries – has severely disrupted the cocaine trade.

In reference to Jamaica, it cited the increase in the price of cocaine locally, saying it was due to a fallout in supply.

“Jamaican police officials have reported an increase in the current price of cocaine from US$7,500 per kilo in mid-2004 to US$9,000-US$10,000 per kilo in October 2004,” said the report, released just days ago by the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.

Last year, the security forces seized:

. 1,736 kilogrammes of cocaine valued at US$34.72 million (J$2.1 billion);

. 23,292 kilogrammes of ganja valued at US$69.8 million (J$43.3 billion);

. 38 kilogrammes of hashish, a by-product of the marijuana plant; and

. 133,000 mind-altering ecstasy pills.

They also decimated five million ganja seedlings and 411 hectares of marijuana cultivations.

The police also arrested 5,852 persons – 287 of them foreign nationals – for breaches of the Dangerous Drugs Act between January and November. The report credited the increased surveillance capabilities at the nation’s airports for 400 of those arrests.

The Narcotics Division, according to the report, will be boosted to 250 persons this year in keeping with a restructuring plan, and is to continue working closely with the US Drug Enforcement Agency, the report stated.

High praise was also heaped on the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), which the report said placed a high priority on fighting the drug trade.

Hinds said co-operation between the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the JDF Coast Guard would expand further to enhance security along Jamaica’s coastlines.

“Our Marine Division capability will be improved by introducing a coastal watch programme which will make greater use of satellite and radar technology and shared intelligence with other countries,” said Hinds.

Only last month, a new Coast Guard base was established at Black River, St Elizabeth in line with that objective. The State Department report also praised the Jamaican Government for the arrest of 10 suspected big drug traffickers and conspirators, of which two, Leebert Ramcharan and Norris ‘Dedo’ Nembhard, have been named by US President George W Bush as international drug kingpins.

Ramcharan and another suspected drug dealer, Donovan ‘Plucky’ Williams, were ordered extradited last year but have appealed the ruling. The others are in custody, pending the outcomes of their extradition hearings.

“During 2004, the Government of Jamaica maintained existing counter-narcotics law enforcement and interdiction programmes and took several steps to increase its counter-narcotics law enforcement capability,” said the 2005 report.

“The Jamaica Constabulary Force Narcotics Vetted Unit took significant steps to increase its evidential gathering capabilities in investigating major narcotics and crimes,” the report said. “Co-operation between the US and GOJ law enforcement agencies is considered excellent in most areas.”

The report also praised the Jamaican authorities for:

. continuing to fund the operating expenses for the Caribbean Regional Drug Training Centre;

. being receptive to and co-operative with US extradition requests; and

. drafting of legislative measures, including the Proceeds of the Crimes Act, the Plea Bargaining Bill, the Terrorism Prevention Act and the Port Security Bill.

Alongside the praise, however, the US State Department warned that the Government needed to put in place modern anti-crime laws in order to successfully convict suspected drug traffickers.

The report recommended the speedy passage of a civil asset forfeiture law and a revision of the legislation to deliver harsher penalties on those found guilty of trafficking contraband.

The report was also critical of the Government’s failure to provide the infrastructure to establish an International Airport Interdiction Task Force comprised of British, American, Canadian and local agents to focus on narcotics smuggling through the Norman Manley and Sangster International airports.

The report also warned that the dent to the cocaine trade might very well be temporary, noting that the drug was still being smuggled from the north coast of Colombia to Jamaica in go-fast boats, commercial shipments, and private aircraft.

Jamaica has 114 illegal landing strips, the report also said.

walkerk@jamaicaobserver.com