LIMA FRAUD PREVENTION UPDATES JULY-SEPTEMBER

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LIMA 005254

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR CA/FPP, VO, CA/EX, WHA/AND, DS
DEPT ALSO PASS TO KCC
MEXICO FOR DHS
DHS FOR CAO

E.O.E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFRD CVIS KCRM ASEC CMGT CJAN CPAS PE
SUBJECT: LIMA FRAUD PREVENTION UPDATES JULY-SEPTEMBER
2005

Summary


1. (U) During the July-September 2005 reporting period,
Lima's Fraud Prevention Unit (FPU) worked closely with
airline security personnel and the Peruvian National Police
(PNP) in the detection and arrest of multiple document
vendors and brokers of false U.S., Spanish, and Mexican
travel documents. Training and maintaining contacts are a
continuing priority and the Acting FPM and Visa Chief hosted
a productive meeting with Consular personnel from
neighboring Embassies to discuss areas of mutual concern and
future joint training. Field investigations and site visits
have proven to be effective tools in combating adoption
fraud. The Peruvian Passport Authority improved its
detection of fraud in the passport application process and
unveiled a new and more secure Peruvian/Andean Community
Passport. End Summary.

Combating Alien Smugglers and Visa Fixers: Detection and
Arrests


2. (SBU) During the reporting period, the Anti-Fraud Unit
of the Peruvian National Police (PNP) detected and
dismantled several groups engaged in visa fixing and selling
false documents in Lima. Several organizations now appear
to be focusing their fraud efforts on obtaining visas to
Mexico and Europe (principally Spain) as opposed to only the
United States as in the past. On August 19, 2005, two
subjects (Natali Isabel Calero Lopez, DPOB: 21May1967 Peru,
and Rosario Guzman Paredes, DPOB: 04Aug1956 Peru),were
arrested by the PNP after their involvement was discovered
in a scheme to obtain Mexican entry visas for a group of 27
"artisans" who applied at the Mexican Embassy in Lima to
attend a trade show in Mexico. After the arrests, the local
Peruvian press and the PNP reported that the 27 were not
artisans and intended to attempt a border crossing into the
U.S. The visa fixers were charging 5,000 USD per person to
facilitate the Mexican visas. FPU entered CLASS lookouts on
the artisans and fixers.


3. (SBU) Another PNP investigation resulted in the arrest
of Isabel Druett Janampa (DPOB: 30NOV1952 Peru),and Juan
Martinez Huapaya (DPOB: 22SEP1946 Peru),who promised
clients labor contracts and work visas to Spain, Mexico and
the U.S. In a different case, the PNP arrested Juan Cancino
Rodriguez Vera (age 32),who was charging customers 5,100
USD for washed or altered MRV's. Finally, visa fixer Victor
Leonardo Rosas Avendano, (DPOB: 16NOV1969 Peru),aka:
"Puertoriqueno" was arrested for promising to obtain work
visas for clients for the sum of 7,000 USD. These visa
fixers were all charged with fraud and prosecutions are
pending.


4. (SBU) The PNP Anti-Fraud Unit also arrested a suspected
passport forger at Lima's Jorge Chavez International
Airport, (Retman Luis Rios Soria, DPOB: 16JAN1978 Peru) who
was found in possession of three photo/page-subbed U.S.
passports: numbers 037279179, 152851768 and 015297252. On
September 22, 2005 the FPU coordinated with the TACA
Airlines security manager and the PNP in the arrest of
suspected child alien smuggler Flor de Maria Vera Falla,
(DPOB: 24NOV1961 Peru). Vera Falla was apprehended while
attempting to board a TACA flight to New York with three
Ecuadorian children presenting U.S. passports. TACA
contacted FPU for verification of the passports and FPU
provided information from the PIERS records that the true
passport owners should have known. The Ecuadorian children
were taken into protective custody and charges were filed
against the smuggler.

Adoption Fraud


5. (U) Using two unannounced site visits to the home of two
IV applicants, the FPU uncovered an adoption fraud case and
determined that the applicants could not be defined as
orphans under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). An
AMCIT maternal aunt had legally adopted the applicants in
Peru and petitioned for the two teenagers as their adoptive
mother after the death of their biological mother. The IV
unit discovered that the applicants were living with their
biological father and that he was supporting them. The
petitioner tried to conceal the fact that the applicants
were living in the home of their father by indicating a
different home address on their DS-230 form, and the
applicants and members of their family misrepresented their
living situation. When interviewed by the FPM and FPI,
family members claimed that the biological father did not
live in the home, that they had not seen him in six months,
and that they had been abandoned and were supported solely
by money sent by the aunt from the U.S. FPU site visits,
however, confirmed that the applicants were indeed living a
comfortable middle class lifestyle in a well-appointed and
clean home, that the father was living in the home, had
steady employment, was caring for them financially, and that
they were attending private school. The applicants did not
meet the FAM definition of an orphan and the petition was
returned to DHS.

Training and Outreach


6. (U) In an effort to strengthen our contacts with other
diplomatic missions in Lima, the Acting FPM and Acting Visa
Chief hosted a working breakfast with the Consuls from the
British, German, Canadian, and South African Embassies and
the Australian Consulate to discuss fraud trends and areas
of mutual concern. Contact information was exchanged, an e-
mail list was created, and plans were made to participate in
joint training on document detection, visa requirements, and
interviewing techniques. The FPU is working on scheduling
quarterly breakfast meetings with other Embassies including
Spain, Italy, Mexico, and Guatemala. The improved
communication and cooperation among the different Embassies
is already bringing rewards with the detection of fraudulent
documents and information sharing. FPU also conducted
training for four newly arrived FSO's and conducted City
Fraud Tours for each to familiarize them with the many
different neighborhoods and economic areas of Lima.

Peruvian Passport Authority


7. (U) Peruvian Immigration reported that in 2004, they
detected 180 cases of fraud in passport applications. Since
January 2005, one hundred cases of fraud have been detected
of applicants presenting fraudulent identity documents to
obtain a Peruvian passport.


8. (U) The Government of Peru also unveiled a new
Peruvian/Andean Community Passport with many improved
security features geared towards combating photo and page
substitution. Several cosmetic changes were made to
distinguish the new passport from older styles with the
addition of new colors and ultraviolet features included in
the inner pages and cover and a new fluorescing stitching
system. The most significant feature is a new laminate with
the biographic information and digital photograph printed
directly on it. The laminate is also designed to fall apart
(disintegrate) and flake off if tampered with, making photo
substitution attempts nearly impossible. Each laminate
includes a unique tracking number similar to a visa foil
viewable only under ultraviolet light.


9. (SBU) Comment: The new Peruvian/Andean Community
Passport's security features, while not completely tamper-
resistant, are a big improvement over earlier generation
passports. Nevertheless, corruption at local municipalities
and within the Peruvian immigration service provides the
greatest opportunities for fraud. Would-be malafide
travelers are able to obtain fake birth certificates and use
those documents to obtain real passports with fraudulent
identities. End comment.

Powers