FRANCE: BLUE LANTERN LEVEL 3: PRE-LICENSE END-USE CHECK ON

UNCLAS PARIS 004714 SIPDIS STATE FOR PM/DTCC - BLUE LANTERN COORDINATOR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC KOMC FR SUBJECT: FRANCE: BLUE LANTERN LEVEL 3: PRE-LICENSE END-USE CHECK ON APPLICATION 05-999048 REF: STATE 81335 ¶1. Per reftel, Post Blue Lantern Action Officer contacted French Guiana firm Amazonie Loisirs as well as French authorities to verify the bona fides of the end-user. ¶2. Although we were not able to conduct the requested site visit, company owner Pierre Mendez responded to our list of questions by letter on July 10. Following is an unofficial translation of his letter: We confirm that we did order from Outdoors sports headquarters of Dayton, Ohio, the merchandise listed in your letter. The final end users will be residents of Overseas French Department of Guiana for the purposes of sporting and recreational shooting. Amazonie Loisirs was established in 1992. Pierre Mendez (father) is the owner and Patrice Mendez (son) is the director. Our clients are residents on the French soil of Guiana and must present us with the required gun permits. Our company employs a security system which meets the standards required under French law for authorized gun dealers. We also employ an additional surveillance alarm system linked to a private security company. All our sales are itemized in a register with the identity of the purchaser. The applicable laws in force in the territory (of French Guiana) are the same as on French national soil. End unofficial translation. ¶3. The French Prefect for French Guiana was able to confirm that Amazonie is registered "armurerie", i.e. a licensed gun dealer, authorized to import and resell weapons in the 5th, 6th, and 7th categories of French law, specifically hunting rifles and shooting rifles. French Customs also independently confirmed that Amazonie has the appropriate authorizations to import and resell these weapons. Stapleton