Belarus Dealer
Europe and Central Asia
AlbaniaI. SummaryDrug trafficking remains a significant issue for Albania. Organized crime uses Albania as a transit point for drug smuggling due to its strategic location, weak police and judicial systems, and lax border controls. The most common illegal drugs are heroin, cocaine and marijuana. Heroin is typically routed through the "Balkans Route" of Turkey-Bulgaria-Macedonia-Albania, and on to Italy and Greece. Although Albania is not a major transit country for drugs coming into the United States, it remains a country of concern to the U.S. Drug abuse is a growing problem, but remains on a small scale compared with Western Europe. Statistics continue to be unreliable on drug trafficking or use, and the public is generally unaware of the problems associated with drugs.The Government of Albania (GOA), largely in response to international pressure and assistance, has been confronting crim ... [Read More]
J) Europe and Central Asia
Within Latvia, drugs appear to be distributed through local networks. According to both law enforcement and press reporting, much of the Riga drug scene centers on a handful of popular nightclubs and, allegedly, a few open-air drug markets. Information on these drug markets is sketchy at best. That said, small-scale dealers are able to operate relatively freely due to apparent weaknesses in the law regarding small amounts of drugs. Typically, following arrest, small-time dealers are kept in detention for very short periods and when released, continue their activities. Traffickers also target youth as potential dealers, due to the laxity of juvenile law in Latvia. ... [Read More]
US Department Of State Post Report
At present, there are no customs restrictions on importation of cars shipped to Estonia for diplomats official or personal use. However, that may change. Please check with post for the latest information before shipping a vehicle. A valid car title is required to register the car.All major car dealers are represented in Tallinn. Dealerships are able to sell, service, and obtain spare parts for American, Japanese, and Western European cars and minivans. Any model can be ordered by the dealer and shipped to Tallinn. Some dealers provide discounts (in addition to standard diplomatic tax exemptions) on European cars, making them slightly cheaper than they would be in the U.S.Dealership services in Tallinn are similar to those in the U.S. Most dealerships have maintenance facilities, and independent garage repairs are of good quality. Labor, especially a ... [Read More]
Europe and Central Asia
Corruption. Corruption has been the most significant problem within Georgia's law enforcement agencies. Georgia's anti- corruption efforts continue to be hampered by the widespread tolerance of corruption within Georgian society. During 2001 the Government of Georgia formed a commission to reform the law enforcement agencies (so-called "power ministries"). The commission developed a strategy for reorganization that was forwarded to the Georgian National Security Council; however, no significant changes were made. In any case, none of these proposed measures can truly ameliorate the situation given the low wages of officials and poor standard of behavior from those in charge that nourish wide-scale, low level corruption. The new hope of eradicating corruption within the system emerged with the appointment of a new Minister of Internal Affairs, who has publicly and repeatedly announced his commitment to combating corruption and the trafficking ... [Read More]
M) Money Laundering and Financial Crimes
The following are summaries of the most significant priority issues:Refocus Efforts of High Intensity Financial Crime Areas (HIFCAs). HIFCAs are special, high-risk areas or sectors where law enforcement will concentrate its resources and energy to combat money laundering. The 2001 Strategy mandated that the HIFCA task forces become operational and conduct investigations designed to result in indictments, convictions, and seizures, rather than focus primarily on intelligence gathering. Each of the six HIFCA Task Forces is now actively working cases. HIFCA Task Forces are composed of, and draw upon, all relevant federal, state, and local agencies. The Departments of Treasury and Justice jointly supervise the HIFCA Task Forces, and the 2001 Strategy primarily tasks the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) and Justices Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section to develop an advanced money laundering training program to enhance the HIFCA Task Forces abili ... [Read More]
International Narcotics Control Strategy Reports
INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY REPORT, APRIL 1993US DEPARTMENT OF STATEBUREAU OF INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS MATTERSDEPARTMENT OF STATE PUBLICATION 10047RELEASED APRIL 1993The Report is for sale by the Government Printing Office, Superindendent of Documents. Stock No.: 044-000-02370-9THIS SEGMENT OF THE INCSR REPRESENTS INDIVIDUAL REPORTS FOR THE EUROPEAN NATIONSEUROPE Albania Austria The Baltics Estonia Latvia Lithuania Belarus Belgium Bulgaria Cyprus Czech and Slovak Federal Republics Denmark Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Luxembourg Malta Moldova The Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom Yugoslavia Central Asian States Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Turkmenistan Tajikistan Uzbekistan Transcaucasia Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia[EDITOR'S NOTE: Charts referenced to in brackets [ ] are available only in hard copy of r ... [Read More]
Europe and Central Asia
Intensified controls on cannabis cultivation.The 2003 National Drug Monitor, published in March 2004, showed the number of recent (last-month) cannabis users in the Dutch population over the period 1997-2001 rose from some 326,000 to 408,000, or 3 percent of the Dutch population of 12 years and older (of a total population of 16 million). Life-time prevalence (ever-use) of cannabis among the population of 12 years and older rose from 15.6 percent in 1997 to 17 percent in 2001. The average age of recent cannabis users is 28 years. According to the Trimbos Addiction Institute, cannabis use among young people ages 12-18 dropped in 2003: recent (last-month) use for boys dropped to 10 percent, which was almost one-third less than in 1966. Last-month cannabis use by girls stabilized at 7 percent. [Read More]
Table of Contents
Hawala Dealer Arrested for Facilitating Alien Smuggling Ring ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Text: U.S. Treasury Targets Foreign Banks for Money Laundering
Most recently, the Treasury Department used the authority of Section 311 to designate the Commercial Bank of Syria (CBS) and its subsidiary Syrian Lebanese Commercial Bank and issued a notice of proposed rule-making that would prohibit any U.S. bank, broker-dealer, futures commission merchant, introducing broker or mutual fund from opening or maintaining a correspondent account for or on behalf of CBS. Correspondent accounts involving CBS would have to be terminated without exception. ... [Read More]
US Department Of State Post Report
The U.S. Government continues to support the development of the private sector and the transition to a free market economy. But due to the many obstacles, foreign companies are reluctant to invest in Belarus. Transportation AutomobilesLast Updated: 11/28/2003 10:11 AM Central Minsk is accessible by foot or reliable inexpensive public transportation. Most Embassy employees, however, have their own vehicles. One personally owned vehicle (POV) may be shipped to Minsk from the U.S. or from another post at U.S. Government expense. POVs can also be purchased and shipped from an overseas dealer, from the Army/Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) in ... [Read More]
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