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Working Together for a World Free of Chemical Weapons

Regional Training Course for Customs Authorities of States Parties in Asia on Technical Aspects of the Transfers Regime of the Chemical Weapons Convention in New Delhi, India on 10-13 December 2012. Practical Issues in Controlling the Chemical Trade: Case Studies by Daniel Cardozo, Consultant.

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Working Together for a World Free of Chemical Weapons

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  1. Working together for a world free of chemical weapons REGIONAL TRAINING COURSE FOR CUSTOMS AUTHORITIES OF STATES PARTIES IN ASIA ON TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE TRANSFERS REGIMEOF THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION New Delhi, India, 10-13 December 2012 Practical Issues in controlling the chemical trade: Case Studies Daniel Cardozo Consultant

  2. SOME GENERAL EXAMPLES

  3. Food product

  4. House airwaybill

  5. Certificate of origin

  6. Ephedrine +

  7. Spare parts from Argentina to Johannesburg

  8. Turkey, June 2004 Turkey seized conventional weapons shipment from Ukraine to Egypt Weapons included missiles and launcher Were discovered in 2 containers during a transhipment at the port of Ambarli. Another ship was scheduled to carry the cargo to Egipt Ship’s captain had declared the ship was carrying spare parts Officials became suspicious after noticing damage to numbers on the containers

  9. CWC RELATED EXAMPLES

  10. Chemical terrorism in Japan • The two most recent examples of the use of chemical weapons were in Japan in the mid 1990s by the AumShinrikyu doomsday cult using the nerve agent sarin (GB) • Matsumoto in 1994 - 7 dead 144 injured • Tokyo subway in 1995 – 12 dead 5000 injured • Domestic event? • Japanese terrorist group • CW produced in Japan • Used in Japanese subway • All victims were Japanese • International cooperation with Japanese police and prosecutor in the Investigation and trial: funds, chemicals and equipment were imported

  11. DON’T RULE OUT MAIL A Scientific American author requested by mail all the chemicals needed to make sarin, soman and GF. Parcel with chemicals delivered to home. With $130 he could have made 280 g of Sarin!!!

  12. Mail shipments • Difficult to know if content is chemical • Non - or incorrectly declared • No values or very low • Foreign language signs • No labelling • No paperwork

  13. WCO Operation Mercury II (2009) 45 Customs Administrations participated 3 days concentrating on international mail and express courier hubs to determine possible threats from chemical or pharmaceutical smuggling Results 14795 mail/courier parcels determined to contain pharmaceuticals or chemicals 11964 were properly declared 2819 parcels were not properly declared 2888 parcels detained for the following reasons: - No description False description No prescription No import license Suspected trademark infringement Commercial quantities, no personal use 885 parcels were seized

  14. Mail shipments Case reported in April 2009 in an Argentinean newspaper -Página 12 http://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/elpais/1-123487-2009-04-19.html 18 Aug 2006 - Argentinean Customs discovered contraband CDs and DVDs worth 2.5 million USD. Investigating the case, it was discovered that the importer was a drug dealer called “the king of ephedrine” using a false name. In September 2006 the Argentinean Customs discovered an envelope from Federal Express that was sent from a French laboratory Latoxan to the same person. The mail shipment reportedly contained 500 ml of ricinine and 250 ml of aconitine (highly poisonous neurotoxins but not on the CWC schedules) The envelope followed a strange route: France to USA to Brazil and finally to Argentina. The drug dealer was prosecuted in 2008 and the issue is still under investigation.

  15. Jordan, 2004: Jordanian authorities announced that they foiled an al-Qaeda plot to attack USA Embassy and the intelligence department in Amman with chemical and conventional weapons. 13 men arrested Reported that explosion would have dispersed 71 chemicals in a mix of blister agents, nerve gas, choking agents. Poison cloud would have caused burns, suffocation and neurological paralysis. Confessed aim: 80,000 casualties. Charged with terrorist acts, unlicensed possession of explosives, possession of automatic weapons and manufacturing explosives without a license, possession of unlicensed guns, and membership in an illegal organisation. The truck carrying the chemicals was driven into Jordan from Syria

  16. CW or Drugs ? In 2008 the Customs in Sri Lanka came across with a container marked as “Toys” for clearance. They felt suspicious about the contents and opened the container. It contained some (about 220) toys and around 1500 x 500 ml undeclared bottles of the Schedule 3 chemical thionyl chloride. As this is a precursor which can be used in the production of chemical weapons, the Customs decided to handover the matter to the Police. Upon inquiry they found that 150 bottles of thionyl chloride had been bought previously. Police traced to the exact location of the delivery of these materials and found a clandestine laboratory. By that time the occupants had abandoned the building. Chemicals and equipment left in the building more suitable for producing illicit drugs than CW - thionyl chloride can be used to produce methamphetamine Some of the chemicals of Chinese origin but imported from India. Some equipment of U.S.A. origin. Still under investigation.

  17. CW or Drugs ?

  18. Other case MIDAS 33:67 Iodomethane 33% Chloropicrin 67%. Uses: Soil fumigant (developed as a methyl bromide replacement) That controls soil borne deseases such as nematodes and insects. As of Oct 2010, 10 countries already registered the product. Trade may increase in the future Costa Rica: Importwasrequested 16/2/06 Itwasnotallowedduetolack of registration in theMinistry of Agriculture

  19. Halabja, Iraq, 1988 Iraq used mustard gas and nerve agents against Kurdish residents of Halabja, in Northern Iraq, in 1988 resulting in ~5000 deaths

  20. Van Anraat Case In late 2005 Dutch businessman convicted and sentenced to 15 years for complicity in war crimes due to export of over 1000 tonnes of CW precursors (mainly thiodiglycol) to Iraq in the 1980’s. Network of a chain of brokers, intermediaries, bank accounts and transportation companies enabled chemicals to be obtained indirectly Used false end use certificates giving end uses such as “textile additive” Covered final destination using multiple transhipments and front companies, particularly transhipping via countries where export control measures were not fully developed or implemented. Legitimate commercial organisation in Iraq was used as front company Chemicals were delivered to neighbouring country in the region and then transported to Iraq by Iraqi shipping company

  21. JAPAN USA Switzerland Letter of Credit Bank Account Producer Producer Intermediary (15-20% commission) Sold to Italy Trieste C3 C2 C1 Final destination End-use: Textile additive Final destination End-use: Textile additive Brussels Turkey Via Rotterdam or Antwerp Jordan Aqaba IRAQ State Organization For Oil and Gas Industry SORGI Small textile industry Estimated use < 200 l/year

  22. Thank you Any Questions? 25

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