Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05MILAN500
2005-11-03 15:12:00
SECRET
Consulate Milan
Cable title:  

FIELD-LEVEL IMPLEMENTATION OF ITALY'S

pdf how-to read a cable
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 MILAN 000500 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/WE, EUR/ERA: BROWN, EUR/PGI: REASOR,
EB/ESC/TFS: CLARK, S/CT: KUSHNER, NL/C/CP: PETERSON
TREASURY FOR OFAC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/02/2015
TAGS: EFIN ETTC KTFN PREL KISL PTER IT ANTITERRORISM FORCE PROTECTION
SUBJECT: FIELD-LEVEL IMPLEMENTATION OF ITALY'S
ANTI-TERRORISM FINANCE CONTROLS

REF: A. A) ROME 3479 (NOTAL)

B. B) 04 MILAN 477

Classified By: Classified by Consul General Deborah Graze for reasons 1

.5 (b) and (d).

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 MILAN 000500

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/WE, EUR/ERA: BROWN, EUR/PGI: REASOR,
EB/ESC/TFS: CLARK, S/CT: KUSHNER, NL/C/CP: PETERSON
TREASURY FOR OFAC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/02/2015
TAGS: EFIN ETTC KTFN PREL KISL PTER IT ANTITERRORISM FORCE PROTECTION
SUBJECT: FIELD-LEVEL IMPLEMENTATION OF ITALY'S
ANTI-TERRORISM FINANCE CONTROLS

REF: A. A) ROME 3479 (NOTAL)

B. B) 04 MILAN 477

Classified By: Classified by Consul General Deborah Graze for reasons 1

.5 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Further to reftels, in recent follow-up
meetings, our contacts reiterated that Muslim extremists in
Italy are not using the official banking and formal money
transfer systems. The formal financial sector appears to be
actively implementing Italian legal controls. Law
enforcement and magistrates are grappling with how best to
investigate informal means of transferring funds, often
smaller amounts carried by a trusted member of the group
(pocket transfers). These investigations are often further
complicated by the lack of cooperation by authorities in the
destination country. One banker complained of the lack of
central coordination of the various lists of names (e.g. UNSC
1267 Committee, EU, OFAC). Further, while reconfirming the
bank's eagerness to cooperate fully with authorities, he
expressed frustration that banks are increasingly being asked
to do law enforcement work. End Summary.

Informal Market Remains a Concern
--------------


2. (SBU) Reftel B reported meetings Congen Milan held summer
2004 with banking contacts and money transfer operators to
discuss implementing anti-terrorism finance controls.
Econoff recently conducted similar meetings on developments
this past year. Everyone with whom we spoke (bankers, money
transfer operators, law enforcement and judicial authorities)
was confident that the current controls have disrupted
financial flows through the formal sector to support
extremist activities. However, many thought that extremists
now use alternative transfer methods, which are more
difficult to detect and control.


3. (C) As Luigi Orsi, an investigative magistrate in Milan
specializing in terrorism finance cases explained, "the more
primitive the approach, the more difficult it becomes to

detect," adding that his investigations show "almost nothing"
transferred through official banking channels. Contacts at
Western Union told of "known" immigrant bus drivers who carry
cash to Eastern Europe for a fee, although Western Union
noted that this system provides no security for the sender.
Guardia di Financia (financial police) and magistrate
contacts explained that the current preferred method to
transfer funds is via trusted individuals and personal
contacts serving as couriers. If extremists are attempting
to use official channels, it is usually to send small amounts
for personal reasons, mainly to family members back home, our
interlocutors said.

Banks Feeling the Burden
--------------


4. (C) Emmanuele Difenza, Director of Banca Intesa's
Anti-Money Laundering Office was optimistic that almost all
major European banks are "on the same wavelength" regarding
terrorism finance controls. He also reported that Banca
Intesa bases its controls on the U.S. laws and regulations to
ensure that its branch in New York is in compliance. While
he thought that controls are working well, Difenza expressed
frustration at not having a central coordination body to
manage all anti-terrorism finance lists. He noted in
addition to the EU list, his office monitors the OFAC list,
UN lists and local lists from Italian authorities with names
of individuals currently under investigation for connections
to someone on any other existing list. Although the names on
this last list are not public to safeguard investigations, he
gave Ahmed Nasreddin's personal secretary as an example of
the type of individual on the list.


5. (C) Difenza complained that banks are increasingly asked
to be responsible for things unrelated to banking -- such as
verifying customers, identity and detecting false documents.
Banks are "more than happy" to cooperate, but such tasks he
feels ought to be law enforcement responsibility. He gave
the hypothetical of a young bank teller facing an individual
whose name is on a list. Does the teller ask the individual
to return later? Or, send the customer away, perhaps
revealing to the individual that he/she may be under
SUBJECT: FIELD-LEVEL IMPLEMENTATION OF ITALY,S
investigation? Such situations require specialized training,
best left to the police, Difenza argued.
Notifications -- Quality Not Quantity
--------------


6. (C) As reported reftel B, Western Union enjoys almost 70
percent of the official money transfer market in Italy.
General Counsel Paulo Zadra predicted that the number of
"suspect transactions" notified to the Ufficio Italiano Cambi
(UIC) in Rome this year would likely be the same, or slightly
higher, than last year. In 2004, Western Union notified 120
suspect transactions, including 13 names from the UIC's
terrorism blacklist, 31 for frequent transactions and 17 for
false documents. He noted that in the past it took months,
or longer, for the UIC to follow-up with Western Union on
suspicious transaction reports; now the contact is almost
immediate. Other Consulate contacts predicted that the
number of notifications to Rome would remain constant, but
that their "quality" would improve, as financial institutions
gain more experience with the notification process.

Comment
--------------


7. (C) The quick follow-up time by the UIC to entities
reporting suspect transactions is a positive development.
The IMF found in its recent detailed assessment Italy,s
anti-money laundering and TF regime that the UIC did
insufficient filtering of the suspect transaction reports
that it receives. The IMF contended that this filtering
deficit did not allow for immediate feedback to reporting
entities. End Comment.

Can't Track the Funds at the Destination
--------------


8. (C) Milan magistrate Orsi confided to Econoff that one of
his greatest challenges is tracing funds to their
destination. Unlike the official banking system that leaves
formal traces and is under official oversight, investigation
of possible funds coming through informal channels requires
more coordination and cooperation with local authorities in
the countries to which the funds are sent. Orsi lamented
that investigations in one of his current cases show that
extremist funds are being funneled into Algeria, but lack of
cooperation by Algerian authorities has caused his
investigation to come to a standstill.

Rome Comment: Is Orsi Nudging USG?
--------------


9. (S) Orsi,s lament about lack of cooperation may have also
been a gentle nudge for U.S. assistance in his investigation
of Ahmed Nasreddin, listed on the UN 1267 Committee list.
Senior Finance Ministry officials told U/S Levey that Orsi,s
investigation had not yet turned up clear ties within Italy
between Nasreddin and TF. Orsi has channeled his informal
request for additional information usable to build a legal
case to the Financial Security Committee or FSC (Italy,s PCC
equivalent). The head of the FSC passed on Orsi,s request
to Treasury U/S Levey. End Rome Comment.

Encouraging Immigrants to Use Official Channels
-------------- --


10. (C) Director of International Affairs for San Paolo Bank
in Turin, Giuseppe Cuccurese, briefed Econoff on a new San
Paolo Bank pilot project to create "multi-ethnic points" in
select branches in cities with large immigrant populations.
The first such point was opened in Turin, and a second is
planned for Naples. Multi-cultural points will offer
information and forms in several languages (including
Arabic). The eventual goal is to have bank employees who
speak prospective customers, languages. While Cuccurese
admitted attracting new customers was the key motivation, a
second objective, which Cuccurese says has MFA and Italian
Banking Association support, is encouraging immigrant,s to
use the official banking system, rather than unregulated
parallel systems.
GRAZE