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Drug use nightmare for Cdn Forces
Military Police can't keep up
By STEPHANIE RUBEC, OTTAWA BUREAU, TORONTO SUN
Canadian soldiers patrolling in Afghanistan are at a "very high" risk of using local drugs thanks to rock-bottom prices, says a military criminal intelligence report. A July, 2003, Military Police criminal intelligence program interim report obtained by Sun Media under the Access to Information Act warns that deploying soldiers to a leading drug-producing country like Afghanistan on Operation Athena could produce "nightmares."
According to the report, the Canadian Forces national investigation service "... rates the risk of CF members' involvement in illicit drug activities while deployed to OP Athena as high to very high."
Afghanistan is the world's largest hashish exporter and recently became the world's top supplier of opium.
The report points out that about 2,200 tons of opium is cultivated annually in Afghanistan and represents 73% of the world's production.
"Further, the deployment to, and CF operations in, a leading drug-source country provide a number of hypothetical 'nightmares' for Commanders on the ground and MP (military police) tasked to investigate any incidents that arise from this," it says.
The intelligence report raises a red flag on a legal Afghani chewing tobacco called nasuar, which is made of hashish.
"Soldiers interviewed with regards to the use of nasuar state the taste of the substance is an 'acquired one,' " the report says.
Canadian soldiers working at observation posts are approached by young children and offered roughly a gram of nasuar for about $1 US, military intelligence says.
"Larger amounts are offered and sold by the young children's older siblings," the report says.
Cpt. Mark Giles, spokesman for the military's national investigation service, says he can't comment on whether there are ongoing investigations of soldiers using drugs in Afghanistan.
The intelligence report also says that drug investigations in Canada are sapping resources and many bases don't have the staff to battle drugs.
"Unfortunately most base/wing/formation military police units are unable to dedicate any pro-active response to the increase in reported drug activity due to reduced manpower and limited drug expertise," a military report entitled Operation Nova 2003 says.
"The situation with the CFNIS (Canadian Forces national investigation service) detachments is not much more promising."
The planning, resources and logistics of a successful anti-drug operation come at a price, the report says.
For example, at CFB Gagetown the purchase of 1999 grams of pot, 140 pills of ecstasy, 20 pills of dilaudid and some crack cocaine cost $5,140 during a sting, and only $900 was recovered.
The report recommends creating full-time drug units across the country with the experts and equipment needed.
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TRENDS
Other military investigation trends:
- In 2003, 65 cases of National Defence identification card thefts were reported. The cards are being used by underage people trying to gain access to nightclubs.
- The military police's intelligence branch is monitoring soldiers known to be sympathizers of the Outlaws or Hells Angels motorcycle gangs.
- From October, 2002 to January, 2004, there were 20 reported incidents within military ranks of sexual exploitation of children. The majority involved the use of DND computers to view child pornography.
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" Canadian soldiers patrolling in Afghanistan are at a "very high" risk of using local drugs thanks to rock-bottom prices, says a military criminal intelligence report"
Don't we have more faith in our soldiers then that? It would be a shame if soldiers were using, but I woudl like to believe that soldiers know, and would be expected to know the drug policy, so why is there a "very high" risk?
Military Police can't keep up
By STEPHANIE RUBEC, OTTAWA BUREAU, TORONTO SUN
Canadian soldiers patrolling in Afghanistan are at a "very high" risk of using local drugs thanks to rock-bottom prices, says a military criminal intelligence report. A July, 2003, Military Police criminal intelligence program interim report obtained by Sun Media under the Access to Information Act warns that deploying soldiers to a leading drug-producing country like Afghanistan on Operation Athena could produce "nightmares."
According to the report, the Canadian Forces national investigation service "... rates the risk of CF members' involvement in illicit drug activities while deployed to OP Athena as high to very high."
Afghanistan is the world's largest hashish exporter and recently became the world's top supplier of opium.
The report points out that about 2,200 tons of opium is cultivated annually in Afghanistan and represents 73% of the world's production.
"Further, the deployment to, and CF operations in, a leading drug-source country provide a number of hypothetical 'nightmares' for Commanders on the ground and MP (military police) tasked to investigate any incidents that arise from this," it says.
The intelligence report raises a red flag on a legal Afghani chewing tobacco called nasuar, which is made of hashish.
"Soldiers interviewed with regards to the use of nasuar state the taste of the substance is an 'acquired one,' " the report says.
Canadian soldiers working at observation posts are approached by young children and offered roughly a gram of nasuar for about $1 US, military intelligence says.
"Larger amounts are offered and sold by the young children's older siblings," the report says.
Cpt. Mark Giles, spokesman for the military's national investigation service, says he can't comment on whether there are ongoing investigations of soldiers using drugs in Afghanistan.
The intelligence report also says that drug investigations in Canada are sapping resources and many bases don't have the staff to battle drugs.
"Unfortunately most base/wing/formation military police units are unable to dedicate any pro-active response to the increase in reported drug activity due to reduced manpower and limited drug expertise," a military report entitled Operation Nova 2003 says.
"The situation with the CFNIS (Canadian Forces national investigation service) detachments is not much more promising."
The planning, resources and logistics of a successful anti-drug operation come at a price, the report says.
For example, at CFB Gagetown the purchase of 1999 grams of pot, 140 pills of ecstasy, 20 pills of dilaudid and some crack cocaine cost $5,140 during a sting, and only $900 was recovered.
The report recommends creating full-time drug units across the country with the experts and equipment needed.
---
TRENDS
Other military investigation trends:
- In 2003, 65 cases of National Defence identification card thefts were reported. The cards are being used by underage people trying to gain access to nightclubs.
- The military police's intelligence branch is monitoring soldiers known to be sympathizers of the Outlaws or Hells Angels motorcycle gangs.
- From October, 2002 to January, 2004, there were 20 reported incidents within military ranks of sexual exploitation of children. The majority involved the use of DND computers to view child pornography.
**********************************************************************************************************
" Canadian soldiers patrolling in Afghanistan are at a "very high" risk of using local drugs thanks to rock-bottom prices, says a military criminal intelligence report"
Don't we have more faith in our soldiers then that? It would be a shame if soldiers were using, but I woudl like to believe that soldiers know, and would be expected to know the drug policy, so why is there a "very high" risk?
