Cablegate: Dea Training Well Received by Bangladeshi

VZCZCXRO5796
RR RUEHCI
DE RUEHKA #1056 1770720
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 260720Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY DHAKA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4415
INFO RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 7986
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1712
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 9156
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 9999
RUEHGO/AMEMBASSY RANGOON 2553
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 0809
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHDC

UNCLAS DHAKA 001056

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DELHI PLEASE PASS TO DEA/KHAN AND BACON
DEA HQ PLEASE PASS TO DAN PEREZ

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL SNAR BG
SUBJECT: DEA TRAINING WELL RECEIVED BY BANGLADESHI
COUNTER-NARCOTICS OFFICERS

REF: DHAKA 612

1. SUMMARY. A team of four DEA trainers delivered a two
week Basic Drug Enforcement Seminar June 11 - 22 to a group
of 31 enthusiastic Bangladeshi counter-narcotics officers.
The course attendees came from four agencies and work at the
field investigator to field supervisor level. END SUMMARY.

2. COURSE CONTENTS. The Basic Drug Enforcement Seminar was
tailored to the needs of the Bangladeshi law enforcement
community based on the advance party's work (reftel). While
the two week course covered topics ranging from operational
planning and undercover operations to proper evidence
handling and report writing, the high points of the
instruction were drug identification using real narcotics and
real test kits supplied by the DEA, and hands-on training in
proper handcuffing techniques.

3. COURSE ATTENDEES. Out of the 31 officers attending, nine
each came from the Bangladesh Rifles, the Department of
Narcotics Control, and the police, while four came from
Bangladesh Customs. The Bangladesh Rifles (border security
force) sent five majors and four captains from units
stationed at Cox's Bazar, Panchagar, Pelkhana, Chittagong,
Jessore, Sylhet and their own training school. The
Department of Narcotics Control sent two superintendents,
three assistant directors and four inspectors from
Chittagong, Dhaka and Jamalpur. All of the police attendees
were Criminal Investigation Division inspectors from Dhaka,
Chittagong and the Bandarbans. The four Customs officers
were a superintendent, a director, an inspector and a
preventative officer from Mymensing, their Intelligence and
Investigation Cell, Dhaka and Chittagong, respectively.

4. COMMENT. Post welcomes opportunities like this to bring
outstanding training opportunities such as instructors from
DEA's Office of International Training and DEA's regional
office in Delhi to Bangladesh's counter-narcotics community.
The DEA Seminar provided a valuable opportunity for the
participants to share information and techniques based on
local knowledge. Previously, the Bangladesh Rifles had not
been identified as an agency so interested in
counter-narcotics. Based on the DEA Advance Team's meeting
and the attitude of the Bangladesh Rifles officers at the
seminar, however, it is clear the Bangladesh Rifles are
interested in developing more counter-narcotics capability.
Based on needs identified by both the attendees and their
respective agencies, Post plans to use existing funds to
provide field testing kits to the Bangladeshi
counter-narcotics agencies. Post also will relay information
from the course attendees about seizures and prosecutions
resulting from or facilitated by the training.
PASI

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