CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
by Léa Ratsiazo, Madagascar, May 1999
THEME = DRUGS
The National Drugs Watchdog considers Madagascar
to be a "new Eldorado for drugs and money- laundering"
In Madagascar, there's not just a boom in the cannabis growing industry, because other drugs are being introduced as well. Several outsiders, both individuals and organisations are suspected of being involved in drugs and money-laundering. A law to prevent and suppress money-laundering will be drafted this year and will come into effect between now and 2003.
In 1998, two operations, called "Mantasaly I" and "Mantasaly II", were carried out in the north of the island to eradicate cannabis crops. 12,456 kgs of cannabis were seized, as well as 15,782,243 cannabis plants, weighing 3,291 tonnes. Almost 600 people were detained. Since the beginning of the year, more than 5 tonnes of plants have been destroyed. "These figures show that Madagascar is a major cannabis producer, not only in the illegal national market, but also and especially in the international market", reports Maurice Randrianame, director general of the Inter-Ministerial Body for Co-ordinating the fight against Drugs (OICLD). He is also a member of the National Drugs Watchdog (OGD).
These figures concern just the operations carried out in the north. It must be remembered that cannabis is grown throughout the island from north to south. In the south, Madagascar's most arid region, cannabis is seen as "manna from heaven", since nothing else will grow there. The work involved in growing cannabis, provides a living for tens of thousands of families. Destroying the crop will reduce many people to poverty and subsequent serious socio-economic problems.
Up till now, all the anti-drug operations have been concentrated in the north, Madagascar's richest zone. Some people say the south has been left in peace because there's frequent droughts here, and so it's pointless to add yet more disasters. These observers recognise that the interests of Western countries and those of the Madagascar's south are not always compatible. Cannabis is a crop grown in poor countries, so it should not therefore be banned by international society.
In its annual report for 1997-98, the OGD notes that Madagascar, where cannabis has traditionally been grown and consumed, is currently growing and exporting this drug on an industrial scale. The traffic in the Indian Ocean region is experiencing a spectacular increase. Madagascar is the main supplier to the neighbouring islands, especially Comoros, Réunion and Mauritius, much to the displeasure of the law enforcement bodies in these islands, it must be said. Maurice Randrianame deplores the lack of co-operation between the various law enforcement agencies in the Indian Ocean. The islands in question are used for transhipping cannabis to mainly European countries.
The OICLD sees the best way of fighting drugs is to offer the producers an alternative crop, and to reduce demand from consumers. The combat policy it is presently drafting, is directed first at prevention among young people. The minister responsible for the policy also recommends setting up a "sport against drugs" project.
According to Madagascar's Central Narcotics Agency, the traffic is not so much run by organised crime, but by a multitude of isolated individuals. The programme governing this small-scale traffic is generally always the same. A group of three or four people walk through the bush for a few days. When they reach the production site, they each buy three 20 kg sacks of rongony for about 160,000 Malagasy francs the sack, which they then carry on their backs right up to an urban centre. In Antananarivo, the capital, they can sell the same sack for anything up to 1 million Malagasy francs. Lorries then carry the rongony, hidden among other products, to the large towns in the interior of the country.
Some of the drug is intended for a multitude of dealers who supply the urban markets, in the form of "bombs": i.e. twenty gram packets selling for about 4,000 Malagasy francs. The remainder, (a larger proportion) is taken to the various ports of Madagascar for export to the target countries (Réunion, Mauritius and Comoros).
The poor road system and the police/army road blocks at the exits from large towns means the lorry drivers carrying the drug, have to use a double strategy to avoid confiscation of their load: either they bribe the officials, or they send scouts ahead to the checkpoints to see what the "score" is. They also hide their goods in several vehicles. These methods are made that much easier by the fact that they rely on real or symbolic family ties. This extended family network which is the basis for the rongony traffic, means that trade links can be established throughout Madagascar, in the islands of the Indian Ocean (which have large Malagasy communities), in southern Africa, and also in Europe (mainly France)
The illegal cannabis traffic to Comoros is conducted mainly via Majunga, Nosy Boraha and Morondava. It is sometimes indistinguishable from the legitimate vanilla trade. All the illegal operations are helped by the lack of customs resources and personnel. Controls are almost non-existent, which helps with the transhipment of illegal goods from the dhows to large merchant ships, destined for Africa or Asia. Fast motor launches also make the voyage to the Comoros archipelago or pass through the Mozambique channel.
Last year, the Comorian authorities announced they had seized drums containing the drug originating in Madagascar, but without specifying how many there were. The authorities said a drum contains almost 213 kg of cannabis. In August 1997, narcotics officers arrested the head teacher of a private primary school. He had bought ten 30 kg sacks of rongony at a price of 10,000 FF each. The drug was labelled: "Vanilla from Madagascar".
Madagascar has other problems apart from the illegal Cannabis trade. The cultivation and use of khat is increasing among the Muslim population in the north. The OICLD notes that no steps have yet been taken to curb the increase in khat cultivation - an increase already noted in Mahajanga (west), Toliary (south) and in the capital, especially in the poorer parts of the city. The new law on drugs, dating from 1997, was drawn up in such a way that it can control the growing and distribution of khat while awaiting the United Nations Narcotics Committee to put it under international control.
The OICLD's main concern, however, is with cocaine. Initially used only by European tourists holidaying on the island of Nosy Boraha,
This drug has now appeared in discotheques in the capital, at a price of 400-600 FF per gram. The OGD notes that the appearance of this stimulant is linked to sexual tourism. The appearance of a consumer market for new drugs may result in experimentation with new types of illegal cultivation, such as the coca plant and the poppy, both of which can grow in the climate and soil of Madagascar. You can see fields of poppies in the Maroantsetra region (north-east).
Similarly, according to the OGD, there are strong suspicions concerning money-laundering, carried out by foreigners, especially Italians. They are however obliged to have Malagasy associates, who see it as an opportunity to get rich quick. These Italians manage many property businesses associated with tourism, especially in the islands of Nosy Boraha (north) and Sainte Marie (east).
Suspicions are also raised, notes the OGD again, about increasing Malaysian investments. Malaysians, states the report, hold 60% of the capital in the Madagascan lottery and have 500 bedroom luxury hotel projects in hand. A Malaysian bank suspected of carrying out money-laundering operations in other parts of the world, is about to open a branch in the capital.
How do you go about money-laundering? Maurice Randrianame says there are many ways, mainly through gambling and off-shore banks. Because of the well-known banking rule on confidentiality, it's difficult to check the sources of this money. This year, Madagascar will draft a law allowing the authorities to require the rule on confidentiality to be lifted for the sake of investigations into money-laundering. This term covers money derived from criminal activity of any kind. This step has been taken following a UN recommendation, and Madagascar, following the example of every other country in the world, will bring this law into force by the year 2003.
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CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
PeaceLink 1999 - Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgement