Abkhazia Institute for Social and Economic Research

Home

Russia�s Geopolitical

Peacekeepers or drug smugglers?

Peacekeepers or drug smugglers?

PDF

Print

E-mail

Written by Ramaz Mitaishvili
Tuesday, 30 October 2007
The AISER has obtained an internal report examining allegations of drug smuggling by Russian peacekeepers in the Abkhazia (breakaway province of Georgia). It concluded that Russian officers provided armed escorts, hospitality and food to drug smugglers in Abkhazia. They openly support separatist regime in Abkhazia The confidential report recommended the case be referred to UN for appropriate action against the troops. An earlier AISER report, published in July after an 6 moth inquiry, found only 7 men involved in the illicit trade. The Russian battalion at the centre of the claims was based in and around the mining town of Gali, near to administrative border between Abkhazia region and rest of Georgia on Inguri . They did not help bring peace to an area that had previously seen bitter ethnic cleansing committed by Apsua –separatist group supported by Russian officials and north- caucuses terrorist organizations. But witnesses claimed Russian officers also supplied weapons to notorious Apsua militia commanders in return for money and drugs. As the long-term trade developed, the officers, allegedly brought in the Russian Army and then Albanian traders from Kosovo. Some gossip appeared about Konstantin Zatulin's involvement in drug smuggling, but it not confirmed. While the report did not support allegations that the Russians provided weapons to the Apsua militia operating in the area, it provided detailed evidence of the trading network established in the Abkhazia, involving Russian troops, including high rank Russian officers and traders. The report quoted witnesses as saying that drug traders constantly visited Russian camp in Gali on a regular basis, consuming meals in the officers' mess and socializing with UN personnel. Others said that when the drug traders landed at the airstrip they were greeted by the Russians, and Chaban, among them as if they were old friends and that they were transported from the airfield in UN vehicles. The battle for mining concessions has cost countless lives Human Rights Watch, which first raised these concerns in late 2005, described the drug smuggling operation as a mafia-like organization, involving high level Russian officials, and high ranking Russian Officers. Although the AISER experts found local people and Russian peacekeeper staff who testified that weapons and ammunition were sold to the Apsua militia operating in the area, they said this could not be substantiated. Georgian officials said they had seen evidence that the Russians are re-arming the militia. Earlier this month Tbilisi-based TV stations Rustavi 2 and Mze, as well as the Georgian Public Broadcaster, reported on October 16 that the deputy commander of the peacekeeping forces and several others officers from the Russian peacekeeping troops, including their chief military doctor, were arrested by investigators from the Russian general prosecutor’s office for alleged drug dealing in the conflict zone. Georgian officials have immediately seized on the report, accusing the Russian peacekeepers of drug trafficking and arms smuggling. “This is not the first case when Russian peacekeepers have been arrested for illegal activities,” Davit Bakradze, the Georgian state minister for conflict resolution issues, said on October 16. “We have numerous cases, wherein Russian peacekeepers were involved in smuggling, illegal activities and violation of human rights. And now we have this new case which, I think, demonstrates once again what their major occupation in the conflict zone is.” (Civil Georgia 2007.10.16 18:05) In August 2007 Douglas Hanson in his article “Is Russia's Power on the Decline?”, wrote This still leaves the situation of Russian troops occupying the contested provinces, particularly Abkhazia. Since Abkhazia's "declaration of independence," it has been under the watchful eye of Russian 'peacekeepers.' Even though Georgian President Saakashvili conducted a decisive campaign last year in the Kodori Gorge area of Abkhazia, Putin will hang on to this area at all costs. Simply put, Putin desperately wants to preserve control over the port of Sokhumi since it is a vital transit point for drug smuggling, a major source of cash for Putin, his fellow nationalists, and their criminal allies. He is also eager to hold on to the town because its military bases were repositories of nuclear and radiological materials including plutonium, uranium and cesium-137. Other unverified reports say the Sokhumi's munitions depots also had chemical weapons. Besides being a prolific source of cash for Mother Russia, this second motive for Putin's refusal to withdraw from Sokhumi is "personal." Public disclosures as to the lack of security pertaining to nuclear materials, or of major damage to the environment due to lack of internationally accepted storage regimens would further damage Putin's standing in the world, even among his Western apologists. But time is running out for Putin and his Russian "peacekeepers." We now learn from Georgia's Defense Today (the national security offshoot of the English language weekly, Georgia Today), that Georgia's acceptance into NATO is dependent on its maintaining the traditional territory of the sovereign kingdom including South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Georgian Deputy Defense Minister, Batu Kutelia, emphasized that the NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) permits no compromise on Georgia's borders. He noted that NATO sees acceptance into the alliance only where, Georgia's territorial integrity is an issue which will be never questioned and if Georgia is adopted into NATO it will be adopted in its full territorial integrity. That is, the conflict over the two provinces currently under Russian control will not be resolved in Putin's favor. In reality the report raises as many questions as it lays to rest - and no-one has yet been arrested or held to account. !
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 30 October 2007 )

< Prev		Next >

Foundation Georgia

www.foundationgeorgia.com

History

Politics

Economic

Health