CANADA: THE SURGE OF ASIAN OPIUM AND HEROIN IN
NORTH AMERICA
JUNE 2020
UNCLASSIFIED
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.
RECENT HEROIN AND OPIUM SEIZURES IN CANADA
2.
RECENT HEROIN AND OPIUM SEIZURES IN THE US
3.
INTRODUCTION
4.
SMUGGLING ROUTES AND THE NORTH AMERICAN CONNECTION
5.
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE: RISING DEMAND FOR SOUTHWEST ASIAN HEROIN IN NORTH
AMERICA
6.
REACHING THE LAND OF THE FREE
7.
IRANIAN DIASPORA LINKS
8.
PRO-REGIME ELEMENTS
9.
INDIA AS A TRANSIT COUNTRY
10. THE PEAKY BLINDERS: INDO-CANADIAN GANGS AND THEIR REACH
11. ORGANIZED CRIME AND PEOPLE SMUGGLING
12. FROM PAKISTAN TO CANADA
13. HEROIN, PAKISTAN’S FINEST
14. TANVEER AHMED
15. DOWN THE SMACK TRACK: MOZAMBIQUE AND THE ROLE OF AFRICA
16. AFRICAN KINGPINS
17. CONCLUSION
18. THE ROUTE VIA INDIA
19. THE ROUTE VIA AFRICA
Please note that this report contains publicly available information. No data on U.S. Persons was
collected, researched, or disseminated in the production of this document. The below assessment
and analysis is in no way exhaustive and is based on our media reports and contextual
understanding of the narcotics trade across Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran. All efforts are made by
researchers to verify the completeness and accuracy in this product; however, publicly-available
information may contain country-specific statistics that are not verifiable due to geographic
accessibility.
UNCLASSIFIED
RECENT SEIZURES OF OPIUM AND HEROIN IN CANADA
Location: Douglas Border Crossing,
Douglas, British Colombia
Destination: Unknown
Date: 18 August 2017
Narcotic: 13kg heroin
Origin: Unknown
Location: Sault Ste Marie, Ontario
Destination: Unknown
Date: 07 December 2019
Narcotic: 120kg opium paste
Origin: Unknown
Location: Calgary Airport,
Calgary, Alberta
Destination: Unknown
Date: 07 September 2017
Narcotic: 3.3kg opium
Origin: Unknown
Location: Orillia, Ontario
Destination: Unknown
Date: 04 May 2020
Narcotic: 2 metric tons opium paste
Origin: Unknown
BRITISH
COLOMBIA
ALBERTA
MANITOBA
Surrey
QUEBEC
Calgary
ONTARIO
Winnipeg
Location: Calgary Airport, Calgary,
Alberta
Destination: Alberta
Date: May 2018
Narcotic: 1.3kg heroin
Origin: South Africa
Location: Surrey, British Colombia
Destination: Surrey
Date: 08 January 2020
Narcotic: 38kg heroin
Origin: Mexico
Sault Ste. Marie
Location: St. Boniface, Winnipeg,
Manitoba
Destination: Unknown
Date: 12 July 2019
Narcotic: 0.266kg purple heroin
Origin: Unknown
Orillia
Mississauga
Hamilton
Toronto
Location: John Munro
Airport, Hamilton, Ontario
Destination: Toronto
Date: 18 July 2017
Narcotic: 0.799kg heroin
Origin: Pakistan
Location: Mississauga, Ontario
Destination: Toronto
Date: 05 September 2019
Narcotic: 40kg opium
Origin: Iraq
KEY INFO:
In the interest of providing additional context to the stories Spotlight observes on a daily basis,
the ‘Research’ piece provides an extended analysis on a topic of newsworthy relevance.
Location: Toronto Pearson
Airport, Ontario
Destination: Unknown
Date: 11 January 2017
Narcotic: 37kg opium
Origin: Germany
Location: Peel, Toronto,
Ontario
Destination: Unknown
Date: 08 September
2018
Narcotics: 2.6kg opium,
1.4kg heroin
Origin: Pakistan
UNCLASSIFIED
RECENT SEIZURES OF OPIUM AND HEROIN IN THE US
Location: Denver, Colorado
Destination: Unknown
Date: 19 February 2020
Narcotics: 2.26kg heroin,
1.8kg cocaine, 181kg meth
Origin: Mexico
Location: Casa Grande, California
Destination: Unknown
Date: 22 October 2019
Narcotics: 2.19kg heroin
Origin: Unknown
Location: Iowa
Destination: Unknown
Date: 22 January 2020
Narcotics: 10kg heroin, 90kg meth
Origin: Mexico
Location: Indio, California
Destination: Unknown
Date: 04 July 2018
Narcotic: 1kg opium
paste
Origin: Unknown
IOWA
CALIFORNIA
INDIANA
Denver
COLORADO
ARIZONA
Camino de Estrella
Location: Wayne County,
Indiana
Destination: Unknown
Date: 15 May 2020
Narcotics: 5kg heroin, 16kg
fentanyl
Origin: Unknown
Indio
San Diego
Casa Grande
El Paso
TEXAS
LOUISIANA
Location: Tecate Port
of Entry, California
Destination: Unknown
Date: 10 August 2018
Narcotic: 41kg heroin
Origin: Mexico
Location: Casa Grande, Arizona
Destination: Unknown
Date: 14 May 2020
Narcotic: 62.6kg heroin
Origin: Unknown
Location: San Diego, California
Destination: Unknown
Date: 19 March 2020
Narcotics: 7.7kg heroin,
39kg meth, 589kg cocaine
Origin: Tijuana, Mexico
St Landry Parish
Laredo
Location: Gateway to the Americas
Bridge, Laredo, Texas
Destination: Unknown
Date: 01 April 2020
Narcotics: 0.9kg heroin, 52kg meth
Origin: Mexico
Location: Ysleta Port of Entry,
El Paso, Texas
Destination: Unknown
Date: 21 April 2020
Narcotic: 0.06kg heroin
Origin: Mexico
KEY INFO:
In the interest of providing additional context to the stories Spotlight observes on a daily basis,
the ‘Research’ piece provides an extended analysis on a topic of newsworthy relevance.
Location: St Landry Parish,
Louisiana
Destination: Unknown
Date: 14 May 2020
Narcotics: 0.45kg heroin
Origin: Unknown
UNCLASSIFIED
CANADA: THE SURGE OF ASIAN OPIUM AND HEROIN IN
NORTH AMERICA (1/16)
INTRODUCTION
Afghanistan is by far the largest producer of opiates in the world, but while it dominates many key markets, including Europe, its reach
in the Americas has traditionally been more tenuous. The presence of Afghan opiates on the Canadian, and to a lesser extent American
markets, has of course highlighted the existence of active smuggling networks, even if the distances, costs, competition from other
producers and tight security have discouraged a significant ramping up of trafficking into these countries. There is however, growing
evidence of an uptick in the amount of Afghan opiates in North America, likely a reflection both of booming demand and crashing farmgate prices, which have sharply increased the attractions for smugglers.
The dynamics behind these routes are relatively poorly understood. As such, this report aims to explore how Afghan opiates are
reaching North America, what drug networks are likely behind the trade, and what might be driving a renewed push into a relatively
untapped market. A special focus will be placed on Canada as an entry point, with Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan itself as key pieces in
the puzzle.
SMUGGLING ROUTES AND THE NORTH AMERICAN CONNECTION
While Afghan opiates currently account for around 90% of the world’s supply, they are not without competition, and nor are they
predominant across all markets. They leave the country mainly along three relatively well-documented trafficking routes, with different
end markets. The most prominent has been, and remains, the Balkan Route, which takes drugs either west into Iran, or south and then
west via Pakistan, before being smuggled through northern Iran into Turkey – or less commonly through Azerbaijan and Central Asia –
and being transited through the Balkan states and into the booming northern European market. The Northern Route, which takes drugs
out through Tajikistan, and to a lesser extent Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, largely feeds the Russian market. The Southern Route,
unlike the other two, which predominantly serve single markets, is a far more complex web of smaller routes, feeding Asian markets,
but also East and West Africa, Oceania, The Middle East, Europe, and North America.
According to a 2015 UNODC analysis of the Southern Route, there were persistent, moderate attempts to smuggle opiates to both
Canada and the USA, through mail services and more conventional trafficking methods. Mailed drugs tended to originate from transit
countries, including France, Nigeria, Germany, India, Pakistan and Switzerland. The predominance of mail as a method likely reflects the
marginal nature of the North American market compared to other destinations, as well as the challenges smugglers face in reaching it.
This report will explore if those trends are changing.
In terms of seizures, there have been relatively stark differences between Canada and the US, with most smuggling attempts for the
former coming through Europe and Pakistan, while attempts to the US came predominantly from Southwest Asia and Africa. UNODC
says this may indicate discrete localized connections feeding into each market. Once more this characteristic is to some degree a
reflection of the relatively low levels of smuggling to North America.
KEY INFO:
In the interest of providing additional context to the stories Spotlight observes on a daily basis,
the ‘Research’ piece provides an extended analysis on a topic of newsworthy relevance.
UNCLASSIFIED
CANADA: THE SURGE OF ASIAN OPIUM AND HEROIN IN
NORTH AMERICA (2/16)
SMUGGLING ROUTES AND THE NORTH AMERICAN CONNECTION (CONTINUED)
According to a United States federal law enforcement agency, Afghan opiates peaked in the US market during the 1980s, before being
superseded by first South-East Asian and latterly Latin American and Mexican produce. One credible 2012 report noted attempts by
Mexican drug cartels to establish links with Afghan traffickers in order to bring heroin into the US and Canadian markets, although it is
unclear how developed such links ever became. Given the booming opioids crisis in the US, North America clearly remains an attractive,
albeit remote and tricky-to-access market.
In past decades, the bulk of Golden Crescent (Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran) narcotics have been trafficked by air or post to Vancouver
or Toronto. However, air freight controls were dramatically tightened after the discovery of an explosive device hidden in cargo at
Jordan’s international airport and, since 2010, the UNODC has noted a shift in trafficking patterns with Iranian-backed cartels moving
drugs to North America by sea and land. The so-called “alternate” Southern Route traces an arc across the Persian Gulf to East Africa,
then overland to West Africa and the ports of Benin and Ghana.
According to the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), most domestic seizures now take place in Ontario and Quebec but the
Canadian military has also taken part in multiple operations aimed at interdicting drug shipments near the point of origin and, in 2013,
HMCS Toronto seized 500kg of Afghan heroin while patrolling in the Arabian Sea.
Furthermore, Turkish law enforcement bodies believe that a substantial proportion of heroin being smuggled into Turkey from Iran is
destined for drug markets in Australia, Canada and the United States.
IRAN
(U) The Golden Crescent region of illicit opium production, Afghanistan, Iran and
Pakistan
KEY INFO:
In the interest of providing additional context to the stories Spotlight observes on a daily basis,
the ‘Research’ piece provides an extended analysis on a topic of newsworthy relevance.
UNCLASSIFIED
CANADA: THE SURGE OF ASIAN OPIUM AND HEROIN IN
NORTH AMERICA (3/16)
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE: RISING DEMAND FOR SOUTH-WEST ASIAN HEROIN IN CANADA
Opioid use in Canada is relatively poorly documented according to the UNODC, with 0.4%
of the population reporting use of the drug class to get high. Overdose death rates are on
the rise. The CBSA has reported that heroin is becoming the “drug of choice in Canada,
due to being cheaper and more easily obtainable than prescription opioids.”
Furthermore, heroin coming from South-West Asia is of the “brown powder” type which
is more refined than black tar heroin and less expensive than the white powder variant
(the two types most commonly smuggled from South America). Furthermore, brown
powder heroin can be smoked or snorted which means that it has become popular
among young urban drug-users who baulk at using needles.
This growing popularity has also led to concerns that smugglers may be bringing
significant quantities of Afghan heroin across the US-Canadian border. A US
(U) “Brown powder” Afghan heroin
reconstruction authority agency executive was quoted on 31 July 2017 as saying, “The
state[s] of Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire [and] New York have all declared opium epidemics. There’s probably more
Afghan drugs here than we have said.”
To date, a US federal law enforcement agency has been unable to provide estimates for the amount of Afghan heroin being smuggled
into the US from Canada. However, officials have warned of a potential return to the situation which existed in the 1970s when around
60% of heroin sold in the US originated in Afghanistan.
In 2013, the former commander-in-chief said that the US was lobbying Canada as well as European countries for increased efforts to
tackle the problem. A US government report for that year commented, “There is also an increase in trans-shipments of Afghan heroin
going to Canada. A development of concern that is being addressed by Canada with support from the United States.”
There is substantial circumstantial data which points to the existence of longstanding
discrete smuggling networks into Canada from Afghanistan, which have, over time,
managed to monopolize the market. A 2014 report by the Financial Action Task Force
identified the existence of an organized crime network in Canada receiving multi-kilo
consignments of Afghan heroin. A major operation in 2015 conducted by Canadian law
enforcement called Project Phototaxis disrupted an elaborate smuggling operation which
brought Afghan opiates to Europe and Canada via South Africa, with links to Europe,
Belgium in particular.
(U) “Black tar” heroin produced in
Mexico and South America
KEY INFO:
In the interest of providing additional context to the stories Spotlight observes on a daily basis,
the ‘Research’ piece provides an extended analysis on a topic of newsworthy relevance.
UNCLASSIFIED
CANADA: THE SURGE OF ASIAN OPIUM AND HEROIN IN
NORTH AMERICA (4/16)
REACHING THE LAND OF THE FREE
Although there is no definitive evidence to explain why Afghan heroin traffickers have so
effectively reached the Canadian market there are several avenues worthy of
investigation. One 2010 news report indicated the possible existence of an investigation
into links between Canadian military personnel in Afghanistan and drug trafficking,
although such links were hotly denied by the Canadian authorities. Canada does have
immigrant communities from Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, India and other regional
countries, which could provide the links required, although it is far from unique in this
regard. According to a 2018 figure, an estimated 84,000 people of Afghan origin have
been registered in the country. This report will also look in closer detail at links with Iran,
Pakistan and India.
Several Asian immigrant communities are concentrated in the Greater Toronto Area
(GTA). A recent significant opium bust by Canadian law enforcement was reportedly
destined for distribution in GTA. This, coupled with details in various drug seizure reports
and known drug use demographics, anecdotally suggests that immigrant communities
likely make up the majority of opium consumers, while heroin users tend to be Caucasian.
If this is the case, the current data could point to a rise in opium use within Canadian
immigrant populations. It is already known that heroin use is on the rise due to reduced
availability of synthetic opioids. It may well be that Canadian-based addicts in both
Caucasian and Asian communities had relied previously on synthetic drugs, but as
availability has reduced, there has been a divergence based on cultural mores over which
alternative drugs are used. Nonetheless, the source for both drugs is almost always
Afghanistan.
(U) Over 40kg of opium discovered in
Mississauga, Ontario, hidden inside a
water container in shipments from Iraq
When looking at UNODC seizure figures, the opium market remained relatively stable during most of the previous decade, although there
was a sharp jump from 183kg to over 300kg between 2016 and 2017 (the latest available data). Conversely, heroin seizures have
remained relatively stable in the most recent data. According to 2017 data, more than twice as much opium was seized in Canada as
heroin.
For comparison, in the US, five times more heroin was seized than opium. As such, Canada appears to have an unusual predominance of
unprocessed opium. While seizures of precursors were made by Canadian security services, their size is relatively insignificant, indicating
that most opium is consumed unprocessed. The increase in seizures of bulkier unprocessed opium would, as previously noted, likely point
to an evolution in smuggling approaches. One recent seizure saw drugs concealed in a water heater being shipped from Iraq. It is quite
likely that international shipping routes are being more widely used, although regular busts at airports of opium and heroin show that air
travel remains a popular methodology.
KEY INFO:
In the interest of providing additional context to the stories Spotlight observes on a daily basis,
the ‘Research’ piece provides an extended analysis on a topic of newsworthy relevance.
UNCLASSIFIED
CANADA: THE SURGE OF ASIAN OPIUM AND HEROIN IN
NORTH AMERICA (5/16)
REACHING THE LAND OF THE FREE (CONTINUED)
The recent collapse in Afghan opium prices has only increased the attraction in attempting to reach Canada. Given the dominance of
Afghan opiates in the much smaller Canadian market, one drug expert and former US federal law enforcement agent noted recently
that it is only a matter of time before that market reaches saturation and there are renewed efforts to break into the US market at
scale. Of significant interest was a recent attempt in December 2019 to move 120kg of opium paste from Canada into the US in an
Arizona-registered truck. This would strongly indicate a significant build-up of opium stockpiles in Canada such that the market is
looking to expand southwards into the US, despite the risks. It is however also worth noting that heroin prices are sharply higher in
Canada than in the US (with a higher price of $105 vs. $45 USD) potentially making the Canadian market more attractive for smugglers
contemplating the long distances and high risks of trafficking from Afghanistan to North America.
Perversely, it may also be the relative effectiveness of US-Canada cooperation along their shared border which prevents synthetic
opioids and South and Central American heroin from reaching Canada from the US, effectively leaving the market open for existing
West Asian players. Competition within drug markets remains fierce however, and a massive seizure of liquid fentanyl in Myanmar this
month prompted a Canadian UNODC official to warn of the risk of a new wave of synthetics flooding north American markets from the
so-called Golden Triangle. This could threaten the primacy of Afghan opiates, given the relative ease of manufacture, and the fact that
synthetic drug production is not tied to specific geographic areas.
LAOS
MYANMAR
VIETNAM
THAILAND
(U) The Golden Triangle region of illicit opium production, where the borders of Thailand, Laos,
and Myanmar meet.
KEY INFO:
In the interest of providing additional context to the stories Spotlight observes on a daily basis,
the ‘Reseach’ piece provides an extended analysis on a topic of newsworthy relevance.
UNCLASSIFIED
CANADA: THE SURGE OF ASIAN OPIUM AND HEROIN IN
NORTH AMERICA (6/16)
IRANIAN DIASPORA LINKS
Concealing opium in cherry syrup and imbuing bath towels with pseudoephedrine
are among the increasingly inventive techniques used by organized crime cartels
to smuggle narcotics from Iran to Canada.
Project Khiar, which was started in December 2010, named thus after over 17kg of
opium was discovered by border services at the port of Montreal, concealed in
containers of pickled cucumbers, “khiar” being the Farsi word for cucumber – led
to the arrests of nine Iranian-Canadians and the seizure of more than $20 million
USD in drugs and merchandise. The Canadian Police confirmed that this was an
international crime organization and the drugs had originated in Iran, then passed
through Turkey, the Netherlands and France before arriving in North America.
(U) Obtained from publicly available sources: an
Iranian shopping plaza in North York, Toronto
As well as detaining the nine individuals, this operation also served to focus world attention on the role being played by Canada’s Iranian
diaspora in international drug smuggling. The diaspora is thought to number around 210,000 people and more than half of this community
lives in north Toronto – dubbed “Tehranto” by its inhabitants.
However, while the Iranian diaspora in the US is more than twice the size, the Canadian community has fresher links with its country of
origin. Most arrived in Canada between 2001 and 2010 as economic immigrants while the roots of the US diaspora are much older, dating
from the Iranian Revolution of 1979.
PRO-REGIME ELEMENTS
It is very possible that the diaspora includes individuals who have been implanted by the Iranian authorities or who serve the interests of
organized crime groups in Iran. It is noteworthy, for example, that Toronto street demonstrations sparked by the death of Qassem
Soleimani in January 2020 featured people protesting against the killing, as well as those supporting the US drone strike.
Evidence of pro-regime elements in the diaspora community can also be traced from the slew of criminal cases against Canadians of
Iranian origin who have been accused of operating large-scale money-laundering activities on behalf of political and business interests in
Iran.
Earlier this year, an Iranian-Canadian, Bahram Karimi, was charged with complicity in the Venezuela Project, a money-laundering scheme
which channeled an estimated $115 million USD from Venezuela through US banks. Investigators from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
(RCMP) also suspect that Iranian groups have been helping drug smugglers to launder billions of dollars through real estate deals and
luxury car purchases in British Columbia. Moreover, one US think-tank that studies illicit financial operations orchestrated by Tehran
claims that regime-friendly immigrants are using their dual citizenship and informal banking networks to help both business tycoons and
the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to circumvent US sanctions. “The Canadian government needs to look very closely at
Islamic Republic elements in Canada engaged in illicit financial and political activities,” one of its experts said.
KEY INFO:
In the interest of providing additional context to the stories Spotlight observes on a daily basis,
the ‘Research’ piece provides an extended analysis on a topic of newsworthy relevance.
UNCLASSIFIED
CANADA: THE SURGE OF ASIAN OPIUM AND HEROIN IN
NORTH AMERICA (7/16)
INDIA AS A TRANSIT COUNTRY
According to an Asian newspaper article, India has become a key transit country on the “Southern Route” to Europe, the US and Canada.
Between July 2018 and August 2019 2,200kg of heroin, worth more than 60 billion rupees ($7.9m USD), originating from Pakistan and
Afghanistan-based narcotics organizations were seized by Indian authorities. A senior officer of the Narcotics Control Bureau explained
that the heroin seized in India is often processed in Pakistan. “Opium from Afghanistan is taken to Pakistan, processed into heroin and
brought to Gwadar and other ports to be taken up to international waters in speed boats or other vessels,” he said.
Narcotics organizations in Pakistan, Iran and West Africa have previously taken routes via the Gulf of Oman, among others, to reach
Europe and the west. However, increased maritime security in US and Australian waters over the last three years has increased the risks
for those in the Golden Crescent attempting to use these traditional routes. For this reason, Pakistani cartels are increasingly looking
towards India, Gujarat in particular, for new trafficking opportunities. With a 1,600km coastline and an easily accessible shore, Gujarat
has become an easy entry point into India from Pakistan, for shipments to the west. This is demonstrated in “The Route Via India” at the
end of this report.
In May 2019, the Indian Coast Guard intercepted the Pakistani fishing boat “Al-Madina” following intelligence received. According to
The Tribune India, they recovered 200kg of heroin from the Pakistani crew just off the coast of Jakhau, Kutch District, Gujarat. In January
2020, The Times of India also reported on a seizure of 35kg of heroin off the Jakhau coast. The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and
the Indian Coast Guard seized a fishing boat and arrested 5 Pakistani nationals on board with 35kg of heroin. These examples
demonstrate the increasing usage of India, by Pakistan, as a transit country for trafficking narcotics.
In June 2018, The Hindustan Times reported that a Jalandhar Police team had
arrested four individuals in India, including two Canadian nationals, who had
attempted to send 6kg of opium and 4.75kg ketamine to Canada concealed in
cooking equipment, via courier services, an increasingly popular smuggling method,
to North America. These Canadian nationals, Kamaljit Singh Chauhan, originally from
Jalandhar, and Davinder Nirwal (pictured right) are reportedly members of a large
international narcotics organization with strong links between India and Canada.
Kamaljit Singh Chauhan had been arrested previously for drug trafficking offenses in
2011.
PEAKY-BLINDERS: INDO-CANADIAN GANGS AND THEIR REACH
(U) Obtained from publicly available
sources: Canadian drug kingpin, Davinder
Nirwal
As illustrated above, it appears that the Canadian drug trade is at least partially controlled by Indo-Canadian gangs, which have links
with the Punjab as well as reaching further north into Pakistan. These gangs are major players and recognized as the third most
significant source of organized crime in India. Reports over recent years have indicated that Indo-Canadian and West Asian (including
Afghan) gangs have pushed out South Asian and Italian operators, to dominate the opiate trade, fighting violent turf wars in major
Canadian cities in the process. More historic links indicate that as far back as the early 2000s, large amounts of Southwest Asian
hashish were being brought to Canada, and the proceeds were being used to fund terrorist activities in the region.
KEY INFO:
In the interest of providing additional context to the stories Spotlight observes on a daily basis,
the ‘Research’ piece provides an extended analysis on a topic of newsworthy relevance.
UNCLASSIFIED
CANADA: THE SURGE OF ASIAN OPIUM AND HEROIN IN
NORTH AMERICA (8/16)
PEAKY-BLINDERS: INDO-CANADIAN GANGS AND THEIR REACH (CONTINUED)
Several Canadian residents were suspected of having close links to Afghanistan-based insurgent groups. These links could have provided
a useful foundation for smuggling and can provide a clear link to the region. Indian nationals can make huge profits by smuggling Afghan
heroin from India to Canada, according to the Financial Action Task Force.
An in-depth report in The Tribune India newspaper in February 2020 indicates
that the Canada/India nexus remains live. According to the report, an elaborate
smuggling network had been established stretching over Afghanistan, Pakistan
and India, focused on the Punjab region. Drugs were entering there from
Afghanistan via Pakistan, sometimes dropped by drones to avoid tighter border
controls. Indian counter-narcotics operatives named Simranjit Sandhu as the
kingpin of this Punjab-based network. On the international side, one high
profile Indian national operative, Amarinder Singh Chhina of Amritsar,
maintained a network of smugglers into markets including both Canada and
the US, as well as Mexico and Australia. He is now reportedly in hiding in
Canada.
(U) Obtained from publicly available sources:
Indian national Simranjit Sandhu
According to The Tribune’s report, the trade was not only one-way. Mexican cocaine was also smuggled by the gang into India,
concealed in printers, via both Canada and the US. Other key members of the gang (on the Indian side) were named as Akshinder Sodhi,
who received cocaine smuggled via Canada, and Yogesh Kumar Dhuma. It is unclear what connections the gang had in Afghanistan,
although it is said that many of the narcotics were smuggled overland to Gwadar Port, before being shipped by Pakistani boats and
handed to Indian operated vessels and brought to land. Another Canada connection appeared in a recent UNODC report based on
extensive interviews with dozens of Afghan opium traffickers. One of these acknowledged using a Canadian/Afghan dual national
woman as a courier for drugs into Canada via air routes.
ORGANIZED CRIME AND PEOPLE SMUGGLING
The flow of drugs is often linked to other illegal activities, and it is possible that the emergence and strengthening of people trafficking
networks from Afghanistan to North America may be opening up easier pathways by which narcotics can also flow. After decades of
conflict and upheaval, regional neighbors have tired of hosting large Afghan refugee populations, forcing them to look further afield. In
recent years too, Europe has tightened its borders, making North America an expensive ($30,000 USD per trip), but attractive
proposition. As the industry has professionalized, so too has the involvement of drug cartels. This phenomenon has been clearly
witnessed on the US/Mexico border, but there is also evidence that on the Canadian border, tighter border security has necessitated
more professional smuggling cartels, and attracted interest from criminal gangs. While there is no proven hard link, it is clear that if
smugglers can insert people deep into US territory undetected, they can do the same with illegal drugs.
KEY INFO:
In the interest of providing additional context to the stories Spotlight observes on a daily basis,
the ‘Research’ piece provides an extended analysis on a topic of newsworthy relevance.
UNCLASSIFIED
CANADA: THE SURGE OF ASIAN OPIUM AND HEROIN IN
NORTH AMERICA (9/16)
FROM PAKISTAN TO CANADA
There is a strong Pakistani-Canadian community in Canada. According to Canada’s Prime Minister, in 2019 more than 215,000 Canadians
of Pakistani origin were living in Canada, with the majority based in Toronto. Canada is primarily represented in Pakistan by a high
commission in Islamabad, while maintaining a trade office and consulate in Karachi and a consulate in Lahore. Pakistan is represented in
Canada by a high commission in Ottawa, and consulates-general in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. In 2017, Pakistan was Canada’s
sixth-largest source of immigrants and 29th-largest export destination for merchandise, with Canada-Pakistan bilateral trade reaching
$1.04 billion USD. Of this, imports from Pakistan totaled $351 million USD. Pakistan’s main exports to Canada are textiles and apparel,
however these are not the only things arriving at many airports across Canada, from Pakistan.
HEROIN, PAKISTAN’S FINEST
On 18 July 2017, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) found 0.799kg of heroin
from a shipment of female shoes, from Pakistan, at a cargo facility at John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport, Ontario. The airport
is known to be one of Canada’s largest and busiest cargo hubs, and as such an attractive transit, or even destination, point for the drugs.
The airport is also situated about an hours drive from Toronto, which is interestingly the home of the two arrested suspects.
Considering Pakistan’s proximity to Afghanistan, the world’s largest opium
supplier, it is likely that in the above seizure, the opium from Afghanistan was
smuggled into Pakistan. Pakistan’s Balochistan Province shares a border with the
narcotics-producing Afghan provinces of Kandahar, Helmand, and Nimruz. The
border between Balochistan and these provinces is porous and poorly
controlled, which could provide an opportunity for narcotics distribution
networks to move opium from Afghanistan into Pakistan, as in the case above.
Once across the border, it is probable that the opium reached a factory to be
converted into heroin, before being concealed in high heeled shoes.
Spotlight Pakistan frequently reports on heroin-manufacturing plants (see
Spotlight 05.07.19). Many of these factories are in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Province, with a large factory recently seized in Jamrud in February 2020 (see
Spotlight 02.19.20). The area is also home to many Afghan refugees that have
settled in the area, providing it once more with convenient links to Afghanistan.
The heroin seized above was recovered at a cargo facility, alongside similar cargo
goods such as apparel and shoes. It is probable that the traffickers expected the
shipment to go unnoticed, given the typical import and export patterns between
(U) A pair of women's heeled shoes found
filled with heroin.
Pakistan and Canada.
KEY INFO:
In the interest of providing additional context to the stories Spotlight observes on a daily basis,
the ‘Research’ piece provides an extended analysis on a topic of newsworthy relevance.
UNCLASSIFIED
CANADA: THE SURGE OF ASIAN OPIUM AND HEROIN IN
NORTH AMERICA (10/16)
HEROIN, PAKISTAN’S FINEST (CONTINUED)
In a similar example in 2019, the Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) found 0.25kg of heroin hidden in a consignment of oil filters at the Allama
Iqbal International Airport, Pakistan (see Spotlight 04.17.19). The shipment was destined for Toronto and had been sent by a Sialkotbased importation company. The correspondence in end destination, narcotics type and method of shipment could reflect a trend here,
the exploitation of Canada and Pakistan’s good trade relationship and drug cartels taking advantage of Pakistani contacts in the country.
In May 2018 on the other side of the country, over 3,000km west, RCMP and Canada Border Services arrested a 38-year-old woman
from Tanzania at Calgary International Airport. She had ingested 24 pellets of heroin and concealed more of the drug in her luggage. A
total of 1.3kg of heroin was recovered and the woman was arrested. She had been flying to Canada from South Africa. Another US news
source reported that the narcotics were destined for Alberta, to be sold a retail prices. According to UNODC 2014 figures, (the latest
available for this scenario) the narcotics could be sold retail for approximately $295,000 USD.
Since 2016, large heroin seizures in South Africa have been commonplace
due to its location on Africa’s heroin route, between the production of
opium and consumer states. In this seizure, the heroin most likely
originated in Afghanistan and was then transported through Pakistan and
Iran on the “Southern Route” to the Makran coastline. Spotlight Pakistan
regularly reports on large seizures of narcotics on the Makran coastline
(see Spotlight 03.03.20) where coastal towns and ports act as major
transit points for narcotics that have entered Pakistan from Helmand and
Kandahar Provinces in Afghanistan. The UNODC notes that the Makran
coastline is a key strategic exit for consignments destined abroad, via
dhows to Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
(U) A pellet of heroin found ingested by a woman at
Calgary Airport
In this seizure it is evident that the heroin had reached South Africa, before it had arrived in Canada by plane. How the narcotics
reached South Africa is unclear, however, the East African coastline, from Kenya southwards, is known for its porous borders and lack of
law enforcement. According to a 2018 ENACT report, heroin from Afghanistan reaches East Africa in large dhows, often fishing vessels,
where it is trafficked onwards. Previous seizures in Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique indicate that heroin is broken down and trafficked
onward across the continent in smaller quantities by narcotics organizations operating in the region with links to suppliers. The heroin is
then reportedly transported overland to major transit points, including Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. Interestingly, Tanzania,
the home country of the suspect, is also a key transit point for heroin produced in Afghanistan, which could further suggest the origin of
the seized narcotic in the article above to be Afghanistan. This route is detailed in “The Route Via Africa” at the end of this report.
KEY INFO:
In the interest of providing additional context to the stories Spotlight observes on a daily basis,
the ‘Research’ piece provides an extended analysis on a topic of newsworthy relevance.
UNCLASSIFIED
CANADA: THE SURGE OF ASIAN OPIUM AND HEROIN IN
NORTH AMERICA (11/16)
TANVEER AHMED
Tanveer Ahmed is well known by authorities in North America, Asia and Africa. A Pakistani national who, before being arrested and
extradited to the US earlier this year, was living in Matola, Maputo, Mozambique. Ahmed reportedly ran an international narcotics
organization with estimated annual revenues of $300m USD (see Spotlight 03.24.20).
As Mozambique is known to be a key onwards distribution hub it is likely that Ahmed
would be familiar with both where and how Afghan-produced heroin, opium and
hashish is trafficked out of Pakistan, how the narcotics then reach east Africa, as well
as the smuggling routes used once consignments leave Mozambique and other
countries on the coastline, as displayed in “The Route Via Africa” at the end of this
report, to reach the US and Canada.
Prior to Ahmed’s arrest, December 2019 saw the Mozambican Navy and the National
Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) arrest 13 Pakistani nationals who had tried to
smuggle more than 430kg of heroin into the country on a boat in the Bay of Pemba,
near Cabo Delgado. Interestingly, the vessel’s end destination was reportedly South
Africa, a known transit country for Asian narcotics destined for Canada and the US.
(U) Obtained from publicly available
sources:
Tanveer Ahmed in court
This seizure is an example of how Mozambique is used as part of the East African
corridor in the heroin trade originating in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
TIMELINE OF TANVEER AHMED’S ARREST
OCTOBER
2018
DECEMBER
2018
JANUARY
2019
MAY
2019
JANUARY
2020
In Mozambique, Ahmed
On 21 December
Ahmed was acquitted
The Mozambique
On Tuesday 28
is arrested along with
2018, the South
by a Pemba court on
Supreme Court
January 2020, it was
two Tanzanians and a
Texas District
the grounds of
ruled in favor of the
reported that Ahmed
Kenyan national, in
Court issued an
insufficient evidence.
US’s request to
arrived in the United
possession of 34kg of
international
Although acquitted,
extradite Ahmed
States of America
cocaine and 2kg of
arrest warrant for
he was not released.
and try him in Texas
aboard a South
hashish.
Ahmed and three
for drug trafficking
African Airlines flight.
others.
crimes.
KEY INFO:
In the interest of providing additional context to the stories Spotlight observes on a daily basis,
the ‘Research’ piece provides an extended analysis on a topic of newsworthy relevance.
UNCLASSIFIED
CANADA: THE SURGE OF ASIAN OPIUM AND HEROIN IN
NORTH AMERICA (12/16)
DOWN THE SMACK TRACK: MOZAMBIQUE & THE ROLE OF AFRICA
Tanveer Ahmed is just the tip of the iceberg as far as Mozambique’s involvement in the global narcotics framework is concerned. In
March 2020, an official report written by an American agency stated “heroin from Southwest Asia, cocaine from South America,
precursor chemicals and controlled pharmaceuticals from India, and methamphetamine from Nigeria frequently transit Mozambique
destined for more lucrative destinations in Southern Africa, Northern Africa, Europe, Canada, and the United States. Heroin originating
from Afghanistan arrives off the coast of Mozambique from launch sites along the Makran Coast in Pakistan and Iran on small boats
called dhows for further transhipment inland. Mozambique has an extensive coastline with hundreds of miles of isolated and unpatrolled
beaches and coastline where drugs are off-loaded daily.”
Similarly to India, Mozambique is also garnering a name for itself as part of the ever-expanding Southern Route. It is an important heroin
transit country and has been coined “The Smack Track”. Recent research has revealed that law enforcement efforts, coupled with the
breakout of conflict has led to significant volumes of heroin being diverted from The Balkan Route to the Southern Route and maritime
trafficking, where law enforcement is mostly absent. From the dhows landing off the coast of Mozambique, heroin is then taken by road
to Johannesburg, from where it is sent onward to Europe and, more recently, the Americas. See “The Route Via Africa” at the end of this
report.
As with any kind of material assets, there is a supply
chain involved for the drugs entering Mozambique.
This particular chain sees the heroin hydrochloride
(white powder or grey crystal blocks) being
produced in Afghanistan, then passing through
Pakistan and Iran before traveling by sea to
northern Mozambique. It is believed that heroin
comes ashore at one of three locations; Mocímboa
da Praia, Quissanga and Pemba itself. The drugs
then continue their journey south towards South
Africa where corrupt port authorities and strong
international trade links make the country an ideal
base to export to the west. Interestingly, following
an incident a few years ago which involved
contaminated, and therefore devalued, drugs,
(U) Map of the major illicit drug flows passing through northern Mozambique,
highlighting key landing points for incoming heroin
buyers are now known to demand heroin from a
specific, “recognized” Afghani supplier.
KEY INFO:
In the interest of providing additional context to the stories Spotlight observes on a daily basis,
the ‘Research’ piece provides an extended analysis on a topic of newsworthy relevance.
UNCLASSIFIED
CANADA: THE SURGE OF ASIAN OPIUM AND HEROIN IN
NORTH AMERICA (13/16)
DOWN THE SMACK TRACK: MOZAMBIQUE & THE ROLE OF AFRICA (CONTINUED)
It has proven relatively easy for drug supplies from southwest Asia to land in Mozambique, along with vast stretches of unpatrolled
coastline, there is little screening of incoming cargo which therefore allows the importation of heroin, hidden in containers of goods, to
flourish. For example, Pakistan is a major exporter of rice and Mozambique imports significant amounts of Pakistani rice, so traffickers
have taken advantage of this and hidden heroin in rice containers sent to the country. It can therefore be assumed that some of these
contaminated containers may also be sent onwards to western markets.
Despite this, there are few, if any, concrete examples of seizures of narcotics traveling directly to North America from Mozambique,
however in 2017 there was a notable example of 963kg of heroin (one of the largest seizures ever) detained that was headed for
Europe. The heroin entered the continent via Mozambique and was transhipped to South Africa before it was eventually discovered on
a Belgian owned wine estate, hidden in pallets of cases of wine, destined for export to Antwerp, Belgium.
KINGPINS OF AFRICA
For a small country Mozambique has seen its fair share of significant drug lords with
ties to the Americas. On 20 April 2020, one of Brazil’s most wanted criminals, Gilberto
“Fuminho” Aparecido dos Santos [referred to in this report as Fuminho], an alleged
narcotics kingpin, was extradited to Brazil following capture in the Mozambican capital
of Maputo. “Fuminho” (translated “Smoking”) – was arrested on 13 April 2020 at a
luxury hotel complex alongside several accomplices in an international sting operation
that involved agents from Brazil, Mozambique and the US.
Reportedly, Fuminho’s partners including a Nigerian “Import and Export” company,
had promised him protection and privacy. Several commentators also note links
between Fuminho’s network and the use of air-trafficking mules, particularly women.
It was also reported that he had potentially “recruited” a network of local prison
officials as well as enjoying significant patronage from influential locals.
(U) Brazil’s most wanted: Gilberto
“Fuminho” Aparecido dos Santos
Following the news of his arrest and extradition, the regional and international media reported widely on the success of the operation.
Statements from the Brazilian authorities noted that “the accused was considered the largest supplier of cocaine to a gang operating
throughout Brazil, in addition to being responsible for shipping tons of narcotics to several countries around the world.” However, such
an expedited deportation could have done more harm than good as it has potentially served to immediately stifle Mozambique-centric
investigations into Fuminho’s local network, potentially shielding said associates and denying authorities to uncover his local links.
Arlindo Guilamba, a local lawyer, argued that Fuminho should have remained in detention in Mozambique to help the country dismantle
the international drug trafficking network in which he is involved.
KEY INFO:
In the interest of providing additional context to the stories Spotlight observes on a daily basis,
the ‘Research’ piece provides an extended analysis on a topic of newsworthy relevance.
UNCLASSIFIED
CANADA: THE SURGE OF ASIAN OPIUM AND HEROIN IN
NORTH AMERICA (14/16)
KINGPINS OF AFRICA (CONTINUED)
Separately, but no less significant is former kingpin, Mohamed Bachir Suleman (MBS)
who, until recently almost exclusively controlled the local heroin trade in Mozambique.
On 1 June 2010, the then commander in chief of the United States designated MBS as a
"drugs kingpin", making it illegal for US citizens, US companies, and businesses which
operate in the US to conduct financial or commercial transactions with him or any of
his businesses. A federal government executive department stated that "Mohamed
Bachir Suleman is a large-scale narcotics trafficker in Mozambique, and his network
contributes to the growing trend of narcotics trafficking and related money laundering
across southern Africa. Suleman leads a well-financed narcotics trafficking and money
laundering network in Mozambique.”
CONCLUSION
(U) Former Mozambican kingpin,
Mohamed Bachir Suleman
As this report has demonstrated, there are complex existing networks linking Afghanistan and North America, primarily via Pakistan,
India and Iran. On arrival, it seems clear that Canada remains the hub for Afghan opiates on the continent, and there are signs that the
market there is expanding. The implications for the massive US market are clear: as more drugs enter Canada, more will filter
southwards across the border. In terms of the operatives behind the smuggling, the usual suspects apply, and diaspora communities
play a vital role, both as smugglers and in the case of opium, as consumers too. The predominance of Indo-Canadian gangs is a
noteworthy distinguishing characteristic of the Canadian market. Given Delhi’s recent attempts to crack down on their mounting
opiates problem, the possibility of counter-narcotics cooperation does exist. Meanwhile both Iran and Pakistan remain awash with
Afghan opiates, suffer from rampant criminality, and have long histories as smuggling hubs.
The threat of Afghan opiates to the US market should not be overstated, given the continued pre-eminence of synthetic opioids, and
possible indications of new production capabilities for these in Southeast Asia. Nonetheless, there remains a significant risk that the
sheer amounts of Afghan produce being trafficked, coupled with rock bottom prices, will drive interest in the ”emerging” North
American market.
KEY INFO:
In the interest of providing additional context to the stories Spotlight observes on a daily basis,
the ‘Research’ piece provides an extended analysis on a topic of newsworthy relevance.
UNCLASSIFIED
CANADA: THE SURGE OF ASIAN OPIUM AND HEROIN IN
NORTH AMERICA (15/16)
THE ROUTE VIA INDIA
CANADA
EUROPE
UNITED
STATES
AFGHANISTAN
PAKISTAN
INDIA
Flow of heroin/opium to
countries and regions
By air
On land
By sea
KEY INFO:
In the interest of providing additional context to the stories Spotlight observes on a daily basis,
the ‘Research’ piece provides an extended analysis on a topic of newsworthy relevance.
UNCLASSIFIED
CANADA: THE SURGE OF ASIAN OPIUM AND HEROIN IN
NORTH AMERICA (16/16)
THE ROUTE VIA AFRICA
CANADA
AFGHANISTAN
IRAN
PAKISTAN
Makran Coastline
WEST
AFRICA
KENYA
TANZANIA
MOZAMBIQUE
SOUTH AFRICA
Flow of heroin/opium to
countries and regions
By air
On land
By sea
KEY INFO:
In the interest of providing additional context to the stories Spotlight observes on a daily basis,
the ‘Research’ piece provides an extended analysis on a topic of newsworthy relevance.