FRENCH RESPONSE ON NORTH KOREAN COUNTERFEITING

S E C R E T PARIS 003879 SIPDIS STATE FOR NKWG TREASURY FOR ZARATE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR HAYDEN OSD/EAPR FOR SCOTT FEENEY JCS FOR SLOAN CIA FOR KATULIS NSA FOR MINER E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/03/2015 TAGS: KCRM EFIN FR SUBJECT: FRENCH RESPONSE ON NORTH KOREAN COUNTERFEITING ACTIVITY REF: SECSTATE 97058 Classified By: ECON KENNETH MERTEN, Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (S) SUMMARY: French authorities have no knowledge of North Korean counterfeiting of other major currencies, including the Euro. We underscored our concern about North Korean counterfeiting activities, and French authorities said they would be happy to share any information that might come their way. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (S) Per reftel, we spoke with Philippe Menard, Police Commissioner at the French Ministry of the Interior, about DPRK counterfeiting activities, and requested information related to seizures of counterfeit US currency or specific criminal acts by North Koreans. Menard said he had no knowledge of any such activities. Although France has a relatively high rate of counterfeiting, this is because it is a relatively larger economy than most of its European neighbors. Most counterfeit bills come to the attention of the police from banks or other third parties, so little information is usually available about the print source. That said, police have uncovered some criminal rings, but he cited Bulgaria, Lithuania and Poland as being the primary residences of the ring members. The only remotely relevant incident he recalls involved South Koreans who were detected in Lithuania printing counterfeits around June 2004, but in his view the geographic nexus was with Lithuania, not Korea, and certainly not North Kor ea. He was well aware of the circulars concerning DPRK counterfeiting of US dollars and of the "Supernotes." He mentioned the good working relations he enjoys with the US Secret Service, and promised to provide any relevant SIPDIS information that may come up in the future to them. ¶3. (S) We also spoke with officials at the Bank of France, who professed to have no knowledge of any North Korean criminal counterfeiting activity. ¶4. (S) Last, we spoke with Clea Le Cardeur, desk officer for the DPRK at the MFA, who said to her knowledge France has had no incidents of DPRK abuse of diplomatic privileges. France does not maintain diplomatic relations with the DPRK, but the DPRK does staff a Mission to UNESCO based in Paris. None of those diplomats have been implicated in any criminal activity. ¶5. (S) The Paris-based office of the US Secret Service, which has responsibility for 70 countries in the region, has requested additional information from EUROPOL, and is awaiting a reply. WOLFF