NIV FRAUD RING DUPES WORKERS SEEKING US

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 000937

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CVIS KFRD PGOV NP
SUBJECT: NIV FRAUD RING DUPES WORKERS SEEKING US
EMPLOYMENT


1. SUMMARY: Post uncovered information about a ring of
con artists claiming to provide nonimmigrant visas for
approximately 6500 USD when Gobin Karki, a victim of the
scheme, appeared at the Embassy to collect the visa for
which he believed he had paid. The ring, with possible
ties to Darjeeling, uses an elaborate ruse including
invocation of the name of the current Nepali
representative to the United Nations to win the
confidence of laborers looking for overseas employment.
No fraudulent visa was actually handed over by the
perpetrators, and the photocopied foil shown to Karki is
unsophisticated and easily detectable as a forgery. Post
is working with Nepal Police to investigate the case, and
has secured Karki's cooperation for eventual prosecution
of the organizers of the ring. End summary.


2. On May 10, Gobin Karki (DPOB 27 February 1971,
Nepal) appeared at the Embassy to check on the status of
a visa he claimed to have been issued. Presenting a
photocopy of the visa foil as "proof" of the issuance, he
requested return of his passport. FSNs easily detected
that the photocopy was a badly done forgery and brought
the case to the attention of ConOff. Mixed typefaces,
obviously altered MRV code and a control number that does
not match the issue date are the most obvious problems,
and further investigation revealed that the foil number
(20482105) was originally issued to Mohan Shyam Shrestha
in January 1999. During further interview with ConOff,
Karki indicated that he had paid 500,000 Nepali rupees
(approximately 6500 USD) for a job in and visa to the
United States.


3. Having just returned from work in the Gulf, Karki
mentioned in a conversation with his sister's landlord,
Ram Krishna Shrestha, that he was eager to find
additional work overseas. Shrestha stated that he knew a
friend who could help and put Karki in touch with Arjun
Khatri, the apparent ringleader. Khatri won Karki's
confidence by stating that he worked with Murari Raj
Sharma, former Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and by
showing him photocopies of three U.S. visas he had
supposedly helped to obtain for former clients. (Note:
Murari Raj Sharma was former Secretary at the MFA and is
currently Nepal's Representative to the U.N. Karki never
had any direct interaction with Sharma, and post assumes
that the con artists are simply using Sharma's name
without his knowledge.)


4. Khatri stated that he could arrange German visas for
himself, Shrestha and Karki to work in Europe, and
collected a total of 340,000 NRs (approximately 4400 USD)
from Karki, half for Karki's own visa and half as a loan
for Shrestha's. When Khatri came back from Delhi with
Cuban visas instead of German, he told Karki that they
would have to get additional stamps from the French
Embassy in order to travel, and that an easier course
would be to apply at the U.S. Embassy. He told Karki that
the 340,000 NRs could be applied to his new application
with the U.S., and that he would have to pay an
additional 164,000 (approximately 2100 USD) in order to
claim the visa once issued. A few days later, after
Karki was shown a photocopy of the forgery, he deposited
the money in a bank account registered to Purushottam
Guragai and Rajendra Shivakoti, who Karki states are
travel agents. According to Karki, he finally became
suspicious when Khatri failed to produce either his
passport or the actual visa, and he came to the Embassy
himself to investigate.


5. Karki's original plan was to go to Darjeeling
himself to track down Khatri, whom he believes may have
fled there to live with a second wife, and to file a
complaint with the police station in his home district of
Jhapa. On the suggestion of ConOff, however, he has
decided to cooperate with the Embassy in prosecuting the
case through Kathmandu police. Post believes that
investigation and prosecution of the case will proceed
more quickly with Embassy backing. Karki will also file
a complaint with the Labor Ministry, as he was promised a
job by Khatri and the Labor Ministry has jurisdiction
over persons providing overseas employment.


6. Post will provide Kathmandu police with all
information pertaining to the crime, including
information about the original recipient of the visa
foil, and our RSO local investigator will accompany Karki
when he makes his statement to police.


7. Comment: Though the fraud involved in this scheme is
relatively unsophisticated and presents little or no
danger of malafide travelers reaching the U.S., the ease
with which Karki was duped and the amount of money he was
willing to pay help to demonstrate the growing
desperation among some of Nepal's working class. Post
has already seen an increase in simple fraud at
interviews and, as unemployment continues to increase,
expects to see additional attempts like this one to take
advantage of nave Nepalis seeking higher income in the
United States.