ICE OFFICIAL SEEKS FUNDING FOR NEPAL CUSTOMS

UNCLAS KATHMANDU 002781

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SA/INS, CA FOR VO
NEW DELHI FOR JDOZIER
USPACOM FOR JIATF WEST

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON KCOR KFRD CVIS SNAR PTER NP
SUBJECT: ICE OFFICIAL SEEKS FUNDING FOR NEPAL CUSTOMS

REF: A. KATHMANDU 2134


B. KATHMANDU 2257

SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) In recent meetings with James Dozier of the
Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Immigration and
Customs Enforcement Division (ICE) from Embassy New Delhi,
Nepali officials identified training and equipment needed to
improve immigration, customs, and drug trafficking
enforcement. Police officials noted their ongoing
cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) on
drug trafficking and requested training in money laundering
and financial crimes enforcement. Nepali Immigration and
Embassy Consular Section officials expressed their gratitude
for previous training and flagged the need for equipment and
further training (reftels). Dozier undertook to convey these
assistance requests at the upcoming Joint Inter-Agency Task
Force West (JIATF West) ICE Attache Regional Conference in
February 2006 in Hong Kong. End Summary.

CUSTOMS TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT REQUESTS
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2. (SBU) In a November 21 meeting with Dozier, Chandi Prasad
Dahal, acting Director General of Customs, explained that His
Majesty's Government of Nepal (HMGN) focused more on the
collection of customs revenue than on enforcement. He
admitted that mismanagement and a lack of work ethic had been
problems in implementing lessons learned from prior ICE
training (ref A). However, he was eager to cooperate with,
and receive assistance from, the U.S. Dahal stated that
Customs was planning to computerize all their operations
within a year and requested assistance with purchasing the
computers and database training. Madhu Sudhan Bhattarai,
Airport Customs Chief, stressed during a tour of the Air
Cargo facility that having no x-ray machines for the import
area and only two machines for exports prevented Customs from
checking cargo for compliance with Nepali customs
regulations. Noting the lack of a reliable x-ray machine at
customs in the arrival area of the international airport,
Bhattarai expressed the hope for U.S. assistance in
addressing the problem. Dozier said he would convey customs
enforcement assistance requests to JIATF West at the February
2006 ICE Attache Regional Conference in Hong Kong.

POLICE AND CUSTOMS ON DRUG TRAFFICKING AND MONEY LAUNDERING
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3. (SBU) In several meetings, Dozier discussed drug
trafficking and money laundering enforcement efforts with
Police and Customs officials. Airport Customs Chief
Bhattarai lamented that Customs did not have the proper
machines or competent manpower to combat drug trafficking at
the airport. Balgovinda Bista, Joint Secretary for the
Disaster Planning and Narcotics Division, echoed the need to
strengthen the drug enforcement unit at the airport. Both
officials requested U.S. assistance. Hemant Malla, Senior
Superintendent of Police, Narcotics Drug Control Law
Enforcement Unit, explained his unit's activities and the
good relations with DEA officials in New Delhi. Rabi Kant
Aryal, Additional Inspector General of Police, asked for
police training in money laundering and financial crimes
enforcement and training in inter-governmental cooperation.
Aryal also wanted to learn how to trace the origination of
e-mails, specifically mentioning Maoist propaganda. Dozier
noted that drug trafficking and money laundering enforcement
assistance were two of JIATF West's areas of concern.

IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS HOPE FOR CONTINUED ICE SUPPORT
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4. (SBU) Immigration officials also flagged the need for
training and equipment in a November 21 meeting with Dozier.
Mohan Krishna Sapkota, Director General, Immigration,
requested the following equipment assistance:
machine-readable passport devices (of which they have none),
ultra-violet lights, and computers and uninterrupted power
sources to link airport and border area databases. Sapkota
also sought training on computer databases, document control
for sensitive items such as passports and visas, and
follow-up document verification training. Bedh Prakash
Lekhak, Chief Immigration Officer, Tribhuvan International
Airport, said that he would like to learn more about how
other countries' immigration systems worked so that Nepal
Immigration could better coordinate efforts with other
nations. Dozier noted that such immigration training was
available from DHS sources other than JIATF West.

COMMENT
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5. (SBU) HMGN officials have expressed appreciation for past
ICE assistance. Post hopes ICE can continue to support
customs and immigration programs in Nepal in the future.


6. (U) James Dozier, ICE, New Delhi, cleared on this cable.
MORIARTY