Drug & Precursor Trafficking
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Drug & Precursor Trafficking: A field guide for frontline officers Copyright © United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2015. This field guide was produced by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, in Bangkok, Thailand. This is not an official document of the United Nations. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this document do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area of its authorities, or concerning the delimitations of its frontiers and boundaries. This guide is intended for law enforcement and regulatory purposes only and is not meant for public distribution. Photos: EUROPOL, International Narcotics Control Board, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, United States Drug Enforcement Administration and Wikipedia Commons. UNODC would like to specifically recognize the contribution of the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) of the United States Department of State. Introduction Trafficking in drugs and the precursor chemicals used in their illicit manufacture are among the most serious and frequently encountered of transnational crimes. The movement of these substances from sources of production to destinations for consumption generate significant illicit profits and threaten the health and welfare of people, families and societies. Many thousands of illicit drug users die tragically each year. As a frontline law enforcement officer, you may encounter drugs and precursors being smuggled or trafficked. These cases need to be handled with a high degree of caution and professionalism. You should carry this field guide with you while you are on duty. It contains quick-reference tools to address situations you may likely experience in the course of your duty. 1. Sources of information 11. Preserving a crime scene 2. Managing informants 12. Searching a crime scene 3. Intelligence reports 13. Forensic considerations 4. Sharing intelligence 14. Evidence preservation 5. Decision making 15. Following money trails 6. Operational orders 16. Searching people 7. Assessing risks 17. Interviewing suspects 8. Surveillance 18. Drugs 9. Technical investigations 19. Precursor chemicals 10. Controlled deliveries 20. Laboratory equipment 1. Sources of Information Information can be gathered from a variety of different sources. These can be divided into 5 categories: Service Providers • Taxi drivers • Bus operators • Social workers • Shipping/transport companies • Travel agents • Chemical/pharmaceutical companies Open Source • TV/Radio Workers • Print media • Internet • Mail carriers • Neighbors • Street vendors • Sex workers Official Sources • Officers from your agency Criminal Sources • Other government agencies • Informants (e.g., regulatory) • Suspects • International agencies • Neighboring Border Liaison Office (BLO) 2. Managing Informants An informant is a person who secretly provides information to law enforcement agencies. Informants may have different motives for giving information, including for money, for revenge, to eliminate competition, to boost their ego or for goodwill. Make an official record of the meeting When Meet in a safe, pre-determined location meeting Identify a safe route to and from the meeting place an informant: Develop a cover story for you and the informant in case you are seen meeting together Have another officer present during the meeting Develop nicknames for each other When Use a new phone or SIM card that cannot be traced or communicating used for any other purpose with Develop rules and procedures for contacting each other an informant: Ensure the informant tells no one about assisting you Avoid meeting at offices, police stations, bars, etc. Remember: Abide by your agency’s standard operating procedures on informant handling. Do not disclose the identity of the informant to anyone who does not need to know. Maintain a professional relationship with the informant. The informant is not your friend. The informant’s safety is paramount, so develop contingency plans. Stay in control of the informant. Be available when the informant needs you. 3. Intelligence Reports Once you have received information from a source - whether from the community, a government agency, or an informant - it is important to complete an intelligence report as soon as possible. It should comply with your agency’s guidelines and contain the following information: Date of the report Subject Officer making the report Account of the information provided (who, what, when, where, why, how) Your assessment of: (a) the reliability of the source and (b) the accuracy of the information The report should not contain any information that may reveal the identity of the informant. Do not include the informant’s name, alias, sex, date of birth, occupation, contact details, or clues leading to the informant’s identity. Submit the completed report through authorized channels without delay so that the information can be assessed and, if necessary, disseminated. 4. Sharing Intelligence If the intelligence report contains information that may assist a foreign law enforcement or regulatory agency, then it should be forwarded to your national intelligence unit. The intelligence The forwarding unit should agency can search consider sending for and enter such intelligence information into through foreign international liaison officers, or databases and issue international or notices and alerts. regional mechanisms (BLO). HQ HQ Upon receipt of Field officers should intelligence, the complete an intelligence receiving HQ will report and submit it to disseminate the national or regional HQ. intelligence to the appropriate agency for action. Local Local BLO In addition to the systems above, some countries use mechanisms such as border liaison offices (BLOs) to assist with exchanging information directly. 5. Decision Making You are likely to have a number of options when deciding operational tactics. When a shipment of illicit drugs, smuggled precursors or a suspicious shipment of precursors or other chemicals is discovered, you may have a number of options when deciding operational tactics. 1. Seize it (drugs or smuggled precursors) 2. Stop the shipment (suspicious precursor or other chemicals) 3. Conduct a controlled delivery (drugs or smuggled precursors) 4. Conduct a monitored delivery (suspicious precursor or other chemicals) There are often pros and cons for each of these options. Remember, even if your country has not yet ratified legislation criminalizing precursor or other chemical smuggling, the evidence you gather may be of vital importance to foreign law enforcement agencies. See Section 10 on Controlled Deliveries for more information. Always bear in mind legal considerations for your decision! 6. Operational Orders You may find yourself operating in rural, urban or maritime environments, which will present different challenges and potential hazards. Take into account the safety of the investigators, suspects, and bystanders when planning operations. While planning, considering the following points. Information Describe everything the team needs to know about the operation, including suspected offences. Intention What do you want your investigation to achieve? Method How are you going to achieve it? Think of resources needed, such as transportation for suspected smugglers and contraband. Administration Consider all the logistical details necessary, such as timing, meals, support staff to deal with multiple suspected traffickers, as well as media. Risk Assessment Conduct a risk assessment as per Section 7 on Assessing Risks in this field guide. Communications How are the team members going to communicate with each other? Keep the operation secret. Only tell those who need to know, including other colleagues. Do not discuss the operation anywhere that members of the public can overhear. 7. Assessing Risks Address potential risks before commencing your operation in order to: • protect you and your colleagues from harm, • ensure the safety of any bystanders, • ensure the safety of your suspects, and • ensure that your investigation is not hindered. For drug and precursor trafficking cases, consider the following: • Is anyone in immediate danger? • Are the substances labelled or otherwise known? • Are the substances harmful or toxic, and if so how should they safely be handled, stored or transported? • Are the substances flammable or explosive, and if so how should they be safely handled, stored or transported? • Is the location an illicit drug manufacturing laboratory with a potential for fire or explosion? Precursors and other chemicals can be transported in unlabelled or wrongly labelled containers. If you are suspicious about the type of chemical being transported seek assistance from suitably trained officers or the fire brigade. When planning an operation, complete a risk assessment table to prioritize which risks need the greatest attention and what measures can be taken to reduce the levels of the risks. 1. What is the hazard? 2. What is the likelihood of the hazard causing harm? low (1) to high (10) 3. How severe are the consequences? low (1) to high (10) 4. What is the greatness of the risk? (Multiply the LIKELIHOOD by the SEVERITY) 5. How can the risks be mitigated? 1 2 3 4 5 HAZARD LIKELIHOOD SEVERITY RISK MITIGATION (1 to 10) (1 to 10) (LIKELIHOOD x SEVERITY) Avoid being