INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY REPORT 2006

SPAIN

I. Summary

Spanish National Police, the Guardia Civil and Customs Services interdicted near-record amounts of cocaine, hashish, and heroin, and performed numerous enforcement operations throughout Spain to arrest distributors of synthetic drugs, such as LSD and ecstasy. Spain continues to be the largest consumer of cocaine in the European Union with four percent of young adults reportedly using cocaine during 2005. Spain also ranks in the top four of all EU nations in its consumption of designer drugs and hashish. Spain continues to work on ways to reduce demand. Law enforcement officials have increased investigations into the trafficking of ecstasy (MDMA). The Spanish government ranks drug trafficking as one of its most important law enforcement concerns, and continues to maintain excellent relations with U.S. law enforcement.

II. Status of Country

Spain remains a principal gateway for cocaine transported from Latin American countries, such as Colombia and Venezuela, or transshipped from South America through West Africa and Morocco. The ready access to hashish from Spain’s close southern neighbors of Morocco and Algeria make the maritime smuggling of hashish across the Mediterranean Sea a large-scale business. Spanish police continue to seize large amounts of Moroccan hashish, some of which is brought into Spain by illegal immigrants. The majority of heroin that arrives in Spain is transported via the Balkan route from Turkey. The Spanish National Police have identified established organizations operated by Turks that distribute the heroin once it is smuggled into Spain. Illicit refining and manufacturing of drugs in Spain is minimal, although small-scale laboratories of synthetic drugs such as LSD are discovered and confiscated each year. MDMA labs are rare and unnecessary in Spain since labs in the Netherlands are plentiful and productive; however, ecstasy and other synthetic drug traffickers use Spain as a transit point to the U.S. in an effort to foil U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspectors who are increasingly wary of packages from the Netherlands or Belgium. Spain has a pharmaceutical industry that produces precursor chemicals. There is effective control of precursor shipments within Spain from the point of origin to destination, administered under the National Drug Plan (PND).

III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2005

Policy Initiatives. Spanish policy on drugs is directed by the National Drug Plan (PND), which covers the years 2000 to 2008. The strategy, approved in 1999, expanded the scope of law enforcement activities, such as permitting sale of seized assets in advance of a conviction and allowing law enforcement to use informers. The strategy also outlined a system to reintegrate individuals who have overcome drug addictions into Spanish society. The strategy also targets money laundering and illicit commerce in chemical precursors, and calls for closer counternarcotics cooperation with other European and Latin American countries. In March, the Spanish government modified the PND to focus on reducing drug consumption. The plan was funded with 17 million Euros. In 2003, Spain and Portugal signed a Treaty of Cooperation to reduce drug consumption and to control the illegal trafficking of controlled substances. The Treaty establishes a joint "Hispano-Portuguese Commission" to exchange information, to coordinate intelligence gathering and professional training efforts.

Spain is a member of the UNODC major donors group and the Dublin group of countries coordinating policies on drug issues. Spain also chairs the regional Dublin group for Central America and Mexico. Spain funds programs through the Organization of American States’ Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission. Spain pledged $100 million to support Plan Colombia in 2003 and has pledged to continue to support the program in the coming years. Spanish aid is targeted towards institutional strengthening of police and judicial forces, alternative development, and demand reduction. Spain sponsors numerous training courses for police and judicial authorities in Latin America and Morocco.

Law Enforcement Efforts. Spanish officials at the Ministry of Interior reported that drug enforcement agencies seized more than 40,000 kilograms of cocaine in 2005 year-to-date. Many of the more significant seizures and arrests in 2005 were a direct result of cooperation between the U.S. DEA’s office in Madrid and Spanish authorities. For example, in coordination with DEA, on March 22, the Spanish GC seized two metric tons of cocaine and more than 17 million Euros hidden in maritime shock absorbers. The cocaine had been smuggled into Barcelona via commercial air cargo from Mexico. On July 21, DEA contributed to an operation that resulted in a seizure of 2,500 kilograms of cocaine by Spanish customs agents. Eight Brazilian nationals were arrested. Also in coordination with DEA, on August 3, a shipment of 4,500 kilograms of cocaine that originated in Spain was seized in the Netherlands. A total of 14 traffickers were arrested. Operations that resulted in cocaine seizures of 458 kilograms on March 30 and 190 kilograms on April 19 are two additional examples of success from DEA/Spanish cooperation. Increased efforts in MDMA investigations led to several significant seizures of the drug. In January, Spanish authorities seized 8,500 ecstasy tablets from a Spanish female as she attempted to travel to Philadelphia. On February 6, the GC seized 2,550 tablets of ecstasy during a raid on a residence in Alpedrete, a section of northwest Madrid. Two Moroccan nationals were arrested. On September 10, the GC intercepted 1,590 ecstasy tablets hidden inside a vehicle at a service station in Cordoba, Spain. Two Spanish nationals were arrested. On September 14, five Spanish nationals were detained following a vehicle stop in Guarroman-Jen, Spain, where nearly 2,000 ecstasy tablets were discovered.

Hashish trafficking continues to increase as does the use of the drug in Spain. Hashish trafficking is controlled by Moroccan, British and Portuguese smugglers and, to some extent, people from Gibraltar and Dutch nationals. GC investigations have uncovered strong ties between the Galician mafia in the northwest corner of Spain and Moroccan hashish traffickers. Hashish continues to be smuggled into Spain via commercial fishing boats, cargo containers, Fast Zodiac boats and commercial trucks.

Some notable hashish interdictions include the August 13 capture of 67 bundles of the drug with an approximate weight of 2,000 kilograms found inside a maritime vessel named "Trolls." Spanish Customs officials, in cooperation with the National Police, were credited with this seizure. Two British nationals and one Moroccan were detained. On September 20, the GC, also in cooperation with Spanish customs, intercepted 2,600 kilograms of hashish on a Zodiac boat in Las Mulas-Murcia, Spain.

Corruption. The National Central Drug Unit coordinates counternarcotics operations among various government agencies, including the Spanish Guardia Civil (GC), the Spanish National Police, and the Customs Service. Their cooperation appears to function well. There is no evidence of corruption of senior officials or their involvement in the drug trade.

Agreements and Treaties. Spain is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, the 1961 UN Single Convention as amended by the 1972 Protocol and the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Spain is also a party to the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and its protocols against trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling. A 1970 extradition treaty and its three supplements govern extradition between the U.S. and Spain. The U.S.-Spain Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty has been in force since 1993. The U.S. and Spain have also signed a Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement. On December 17, 2004, Spain and the United States signed bilateral instruments on extradition and mutual legal assistance pursuant to the U.S.-EU Agreements on these subjects.

Cultivation/Production. No coca is grown in Spain. Some cannabis is grown but the seizures and investigations by Spanish authorities indicate the production is minimal. Opium poppy is cultivated licitly under strictly regulated conditions for research. Refining and manufacturing of cocaine and synthetic drugs is minimal, with some small-scale laboratories converting cocaine base to cocaine hydrochloride.

Drug Flow/Transit. Spain is the major gateway to Europe for cocaine coming from Columbia, Peru, and Ecuador. Traffickers exploit Spain’s close historic and linguistic ties with Latin America and its long southern coastline to transport drugs for consumption in Spain or distribution in other parts of Europe. Maritime vessel and containerized cargo shipments account for the bulk of the cocaine shipped to Spain. Spain remains a major transit point to Europe for hashish from Morocco; Spain’s North African enclaves of Ceuta and Mellila are principal points of departure. Police officials acknowledge that traffickers are beginning to abandon traditional drug trade routes between the Strait of Gibraltar and the coasts of Huelva, Cadiz, Malaga, and Almeria, and are delivering hashish and other narcotics, to points along the coasts of Alicante, Valencia, Castellon de la Plana and Barcelona, where counternarcotics sea patrols are less frequent. Spain’s international airports in Madrid and Barcelona are a transit point for passengers who intend to traffic ecstasy and other synthetic drugs, mainly produced in the Netherlands, to the United States. These couriers, however, are typically captured before they leave Spain or when they arrive in the U.S.

Domestic Programs. The national drug strategy identifies prevention as its principal priority. In that regard, PND continued its publicity efforts targeting Spanish youth. Spain’s autonomous communities provide treatment programs for drug addicts, including methadone programs and needle exchanges. Prison rehabilitation programs also distribute methadone. The Government has also provided approximately 4.1 million Euros to assist private, nongovernmental organizations that carry out drug prevention and rehabilitation programs.

IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs

U.S. Policy Initiatives. U.S. goals and objectives for Spain are focused on maintaining and increasing the current excellent bilateral and multilateral cooperation in law enforcement and demand reduction. The USG seeks to promote intensified contacts between officials of both countries involved in counternarcotics and related fields. Minister of Interior Juan Jose Alonso met with DEA Administrator Karen Tandy when he visited the U.S. in April. Latin America remains an important area for counternarcotics cooperation. Spanish officials work closely with U.S. Embassies in Peru and Bolivia on drug issues.

The Road Ahead. The U.S. will continue to coordinate closely with Spanish counternarcotics officials though the Madrid Country Office. Spain will continue to be a key player in the international fight against drug trafficking.

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