NEW PERUVIAN NATIONAL AIRPORT POLICE DIVISION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LIMA 002451

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR CA/FPP, CA/EX, WHA/AND
MEXICO FOR DHS
DHS FOR CAO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFRD CVIS KCRM ASEC CMGT CJAN PE
SUBJECT: NEW PERUVIAN NATIONAL AIRPORT POLICE DIVISION

Ref: Lima 1543

Summary:
--------------

1. (SBU) Post's Fraud Prevention Unit (FPU) continues to
actively engage with Peruvian officials to rout out
corruption among the ranks of more than seven different
police units operating at Lima's Jorge Chavez International
Airport (JCIA). These discussions led to the idea of one,
overall division with responsibility for all security-
related functions at the airport. After months of
coordination and negotiations, on April 22, 2005 the
Interior Minister issued Ministerial Resolution # 0960-2005-
IN/PNP creating the special Airport Police Division to
centralize law enforcement at all international airports in
Peru. The first airport where the new Division will operate
is Lima's Jorge Chavez. Although the resolution has been
signed and President Toledo supports the creation and
installation of this Division, the selection of officers and
location in which to house them as well as identification of
funding, is ongoing. End summary.

Background
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2. (SBU) For decades, Lima's International Airport Jorge
Chavez had been administrated by a public institution,
CORPAC. Numerous interceptions of mala fide travelers at
the airport and follow-on investigations demonstrated that
the airport was ripe for corruption. Alien smuggling and
visa rings used the airport as a transit point for illegal
immigration to the U.S. and Europe. With cooperation from
corrupt police and immigration officials, criminal
organizations had easy access to restricted areas at the
airport. Mafias and official corruption had historically co-
existed with smugglers of Chinese and Cuban travelers along
with the smuggling of children and women via the Lima
airport.


3. (SBU) On February 14, 2001, Lima International Airport
Jorge Chavez was privatized. The new Lima Airport Partners
[(LAP)- a consortium made up of Frankfurt Airport Co.,
Bechtel and Cosapi] invested USD180 million in a concession
that they will hold for the next 30 years. LAP has worked
tirelessly to modernize the airport and improve security
controls and customer service. However, the airport still
lacked a reputable law enforcement presence.


4. (U) Consular officers routinely conduct airport spot
checks, checking with counter personnel and airline pre-
screeners. FPU has trained most of the airline personnel
extensively, with emphasis on recognition of fake documents,
washed visas, and identity theft. Our periodic presence at
the airport serves to reinforce that training and allows
airline officials to ask questions and share trend
information. In October 2003, at FPU's suggestion, the
Peruvian Attorney General issued a resolution assigning two
prosecutors to the airport to combat document fraud as well
as alien smuggling. The presence of these prosecutors has
assisted in arresting and prosecuting malafide travelers
attempting to board with fake visas, using false identities,
and through other fraud-related efforts.

New Airport Police Division
--------------

5. (SBU) Since November 2004, FPU has been working closely
with the Peruvian National Police (PNP) to create a new
Airport Police Division that would operate under one
command. This division would gradually replace the seven
different airport police units currently operating at Jorge
Chavez. FPU along with RSO, DHS, DEA and other Embassy
agencies have attended several meetings with staff from the
Peruvian Ministry of Interior and Peruvian Police
Headquarters to push for its creation. The project was
driven by two Peruvian National Police (PNP) officers, with
Post's senior FPI assisting by providing technical legal
assistance. The new Airport Police Division will be a more
specialized and reliable police force, made up of vetted
officers. It will operate under one command at the airport,
headed by PNP Col. Oswaldo HURTADO Caceres. The Minister of
Interior, Dr. Felix Murazzo, and PNP Director, General Marco
Miyashiro, approved the project and Peruvian President
Alejandro has come out in the press in support of the new
Division. The Embassy has supported the appointment of Col.
Hurtado. He is well and favorably known to us, having
worked with a variety of Embassy offices and agencies for
the last 15 years.


6. (SBU) At a May 3, 2005 meeting at the Embassy, officers
from the PNP, the Ministry of Interior and LAP established
working groups to implement the project, with DEA
spearheading the negotiations for the construction of office
space, selection and training of officers, and security
groups.


7. (SBU) Comment: Work on the project continues, as the
Ministry tries to locate financial support. Post firmly
believes that the new Division will be successfully
established in the course of the next year. We will
continue to report on developments in establishing the
Division and we will continue our efforts with airline and
airport officials to combat alien smuggling and document
fraud. End comment.

Struble