Havana claims drug war victory

Havana claims drug war victory
Published: Sunday, 9 April, 2006, 10:52 AM Doha Time

BOCA DEL TORO, Cuba: Flying over chains of sandy keys in a clattering
old Soviet Mi-17 helicopter, Col. Jorge Samper declares a Cuban victory
over South American drug traffickers – with no thanks to the United States.
Communist Cuba wants to co-operate with its bitter political enemy in
the war on narcotics, but is getting no response from Washington, says
Samper, deputy commander of the Cuban Coast Guard.
Colombian smugglers have used the hundreds of tiny secluded islands off
Cuba’s long north coast as drop sites for bales of cocaine and marijuana
to be picked up from the sea by speedboats for delivery to the United
States.
Despite scarce resources to patrol its waters other than slow-moving
Soviet-era torpedo boats, Cuba says it has the problem under control.
“The drug trafficking through Cuba, especially by sea, has been
controlled. The traffickers have gone elsewhere,” Samper told foreign
reporters on a tour of coastal observation posts along the north coast
of eastern Cuba.
Seizures have declined over the past five years. The 2.2 tonnes
(2,200kg) of marijuana and 0.3 tonnes (300kg) of cocaine seized last
year were the lowest quantities in the past decade, indicating
traffickers have turned to other routes, Samper said.
“It is the United States that benefits from all Cuba’s efforts,” said
Col. Jose Ruiz, deputy head of the Cuban National Antinarcotics Agency.
That is because the drug shipments are destined for the streets of US
cities and not Cuba, where domestic consumption of illegal drugs is
minimal, Cuban officials say.
Each time they detect a suspicious plane or boat, coast guard officials
call their US counterparts. But they say they get little thanks for the
hundreds of reports filed every year.
“We don’t give a damn,” said Samper. “Cuba has shown that it has the
will to co-operate with everyone, including its historic enemy the
United States. If there was co-operation, the anti-drug effort would be
far more effective.”
“We can’t take all the credit, but they don’t recognise our contribution
at all,” Samper complained. – Reuters

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