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SHAHEED "ROGER" KHAN: GUYANA'S OWN ESCOBAR?

Date: 2006 February 1, 13:37 (Wednesday) Canonical ID: 06GEORGETOWN112_a
Original Classification: SECRET Current Classification: SECRET
Handling Restrictions -- Not Assigned -- Character Count: 7051
Executive Order: -- Not Assigned -- Locator: TEXT ONLINE
Press release TAGS: Concepts:
GY - Guyana | KCOR - Corruption and -- Not Assigned --
Anti-Corruption | KCRM - Criminal
About PlusD Activity | NS - Suriname | PGOV -
Political Affairs--Government; Internal
Browse by creation date
Governmental Affairs | PINR - Political
1966 1972 1973 Affairs--Intelligence | PINS - Political
1974 1975 1976 Affairs--Internal Security | SNAR -
1977 1978 1979 Social Affairs--Narcotics
1985 1986 1987 Enclosure: -- Not Assigned -- Type: TE - Telegram (cable)
1988 1989 1990
Office Origin: -- N/A B -- Archive Status: -- Not Assigned --
1991 1992 1993
1994 1995 1996 Office Action: -- N/A B --
1997 1998 1999 From: G G Markings: -- Not Assigned --
2000 2001 2002 To: -- N/A B --
2003 2004 2005
2006 2007 2008
2009 2010
Content Raw content Metadata Share Print
Browse by Classification Show Headers
UNCLASSIFIED B. 05 GEORGETOWN 1253
CONFIDENTIAL
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE C. 05 GEORGETOWN 1122
SECRET
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR D. 04 GEORGETOWN 426
OFFICIAL USE ONLY
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN E. 04 GEORGETOWN 29
SECRET//NOFORN

Browse by Handling
Restriction
Classified By: Ambassador Roland W. Bullen
EXDIS - Exclusive Distribution for reason 1.4(b) and (d)
Only
ONLY - Eyes Only
LIMDIS - Limited Distribution
Only 1. (S) SUMMARY. Shaheed "Roger" Khan (DOB: 13-Jan-72),
NODIS - No Distribution (other
than to persons indicated) Guyana's number one narco-criminal, threatens to exert
STADIS - State Distribution
Only control over the fragile Guyanese state akin to Pablo
CHEROKEE - Limited to senior
officials
Escobar's erstwhile control over Colombia. Khan is presently
NOFORN - No Foreign
active in drug trafficking, money laundering, and arms
Distribution
LOU - Limited Official Use smuggling. His so-called legitimate economic interests
SENSITIVE -
BU - Background Use Only include construction and forestry. Vermont has an
CONDIS - Controlled
Distribution outstanding warrant for Khan's arrest on weapons charges.
US - US Government Only
END SUMMARY.
Browse by TAGS
US PFOR PGOV PREL ETRD
UR OVIP ASEC OGEN CASC
Narcotics
PINT EFIN BEXP OEXC EAID
CVIS OTRA ENRG OCON ---------
ECON NATO PINS GE JA UK
IS MARR PARM UN EG FR 2. (S) Khan is believed to be Guyana's leading drug
PHUM SREF EAIR MASS
APER SNAR PINR EAGR trafficker, more powerful than other established players such
PDIP AORG PORG MX TU
ELAB IN CA SCUL CH IR IT as Clay Hutson, Ricardo Rodrigues, and Brahma Nandalall. He
XF GW EINV TH TECH SENV
OREP KS EGEN PEPR MILI established connections with Colombian criminals a few years
SHUM KISSINGER, HENRY A
PL BR RP GR SF AFSP SP ago and has since become a major trafficker of cocaine from
PTER MOPS SA UNGA CGEN
ESTC SOPN RO LE TGEN PK
Colombia. Khan has risen to the top of Guyana's
AR NI OSCI CI EEC VS YO
AFIN OECD SY IZ ID VE
narco-criminal class quickly and ostentatiously. His
TPHY TW AS PBOR
Colombian associates scolded him in September 2004 for his
Media Organizations
Australia - The Age indiscriminate activities and advised him to get out of the
Argentina - Pagina 12
Brazil - Publica spotlight.
Bulgaria - Bivol
Egypt - Al Masry Al Youm
Greece - Ta Nea
Guatemala - Plaza Publica 3. (S) DEA developed a plan in 2004 to establish a
Haiti - Haiti Liberte
counternarcotics operation in Guyana. An informant leaked
India - The Hindu
Italy - L'Espresso details about the plan. After the leak, Khan threatened to
Italy - La Repubblica
Lebanon - Al Akhbar blow up the site of the operation and threatened the lives of
Mexico - La Jornada
Spain - Publico Ambassador and the then RSO (Ref D). These threats forced
Sweden - Aftonbladet
UK - AP the operation's abandonment.
US - The Nation

4. (S) Khan surrounds himself with a coterie of former police

tactical squad members for security. He reportedly pays his
low-level security personnel USD 1,600 per month -- at least
eight times what they previously earned with the police force.

Phantom Squad and Bouterse Connections

--------------------------------------
5. (C) Khan was a principle in the "Phantom Squad" (aka death
squad) that former Minister of Home Affairs Gajraj employed
to crack down on crime from 2002 to 2004 (Ref E).

6. (S) Minister of Home Affairs told us Khan regularly

travels to Suriname and Trinidad and meets with Desi
Bouterse. According to RNAS, Khan and Bouterse met at a
hotel in Suriname as recently as December 2005.

Arms Smuggling
--------------
7. (S/NF) According to RNAS, Khan has been active in
smuggling arms into Guyana from Suriname, French Guyana, and
possibly France. He exchanges cocaine for the arms. Khan
has also established connections with FARC and has acted as a
middleman in cocaine for arms transactions. In such
instances, Khan has smuggled guns into Guyana and then
exchanged them with the FARC for cocaine. There are strong
indications that Khan was deeply involved in a December 2005
shipment of weapons to FARC in Columbia.

Money Laundering and other Economic Interests

---------------------------------------------
8. (S) Khan has a business relationship with Farouk Razac of
Swiss House Cambio, a big money laundering operation, to
launder his narco-trafficking proceeds. According to RNAS,
Khan's drug proceeds have also funded mosques and sent
Muslims to study abroad.
9. (U) Khan acquired Kaow Island in the Essequibo River from
local entrepreneur and suspected drug dealer Harry Rambarran
in February 2005. Once owned by the now bankrupt Willems
Timber, Kaow Island has a wharf for ocean going vessels, an
airstrip, access to Guyana's bush roads that radiate out from
Bartica, and a 136,000-acre timber concession. In September
2005, Rambarran sued Khan for defaulting on a USD 1.1 million
promissory note made in partial payment for the island.

10. (C) Khan is reportedly in negotiations with former

GUYSUCO Chairman Vic Oditt to purchase a 200 square mile
ranch at Pirara in the Southern Rupununi region. The ranch
has a large airstrip, and Khan is believed to be acting at
the behest of Colombian or Panamanian narco-interests.

11. (U) In late 2005 the Guyana Forestry Commission granted

a State Forest Exploratory Permit for a large tract of land
in Guyana's interior to Aurelius Inc., a company controlled
by Khan (Ref C).

12. (U) Khan is a director of Classic Development Inc. and

Dream Works Developers, both construction concerns. Khan is
financing several real estate projects, including a 60-70
unit housing unit development in East Bank Demerara near the
new stadium under construction for the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

13. (C) Guyanese Bank executives tell us all this is being

done without any bank financing.

Run-ins with the Law

--------------------
14. (U) According to LEGATT/Port of Spain, Khan is wanted in
Vermont on weapons charges. Vermont has not sought Khan's
extradition.

15. (U) Khan and two other men, one an active duty policeman,
were arrested at a Guyana Defence Force roadblock in December
2002 at Good Hope, East Coast Demerara in a bulletproof
vehicle. The vehicle contained sophisticated cell phone
intercept equipment, satellite phones, and high-powered
weapons. All three were found not guilty of illegal
possession of arms and ammunition charges.

16. (C) A senior functionary in the Office of the President

told us that the communications equipment and weapons were
handed back over to Khan. Our interlocutor said the arrest
had been "a mistake" because Khan was "working with the
police" when the arrest was made.
 17. (U) According to local newspapers, Khan and a colleague
appeared in court January 4, 2006 on charges of "wounding"
following an incident in which an individual was assaulted
and had a gun placed to his head. Both pled not guilty and
were released on GYD 15,000 (USD 75) bail.

Political Influence
-------------------
18. (C) Khan has bought off countless people in Guyana.
Through this patronage he is able to operate with impunity.
It is believed that GoG is compromised to such an extent that
it will not pursue Khan, despite paying lip service to the
fight against narco-trafficking.

Comment
-------
19. (C) Multiple sources have expressed fears to Ambassador
that not only has Khan penetrated almost every level of
Guyanese government and society, but that he will exert ever
greater influence over the political scene beginning with
this year's elections. Most respected commentators believe
that Guyana has already become or is well on the way to being
a narco-state. If Guyana is a narco-state, then Khan is its
leader. Ambassador has spoken with GoG to little avail about
Khan's drug activities and unaccounted wealth. The GoG has
adopted a head-in-the-sand approach to Khan and
narco-trafficking in general. The GoG asks for hard evidence
and pretends not to know how Khan acquires his means. END
COMMENT.
BULLEN

References to this document in other cables References in this document to other cables
06GEORGETOWN489 04PARAMARIBO39
If the reference is ambiguous all possibilities are listed.

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