Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TAIPEI195
2006-01-20 06:03:00
UNCLASSIFIED
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:  

PRC NATIONALS CAUGHT IN BOARDING CARD SWAP

Tags:  KFRD CVIS CPAS CMGT ASEC TW 
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VZCZCXRO6714
RR RUEHCN
DE RUEHIN #0195 0200603
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 200603Z JAN 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8097
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4546
RUESLE/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 8292
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 8891
RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 4902
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 0984
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 7349
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 5746
RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE 6327
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 3097
UNCLAS TAIPEI 000195 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR CA/FPP AND EAP/TC
POSTS FOR FRAUD PREVENTION MANAGERS
HONG KONG AND TOKYO PLEASE PASS TO DHS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFRD CVIS CPAS CMGT ASEC TW
SUBJECT: PRC NATIONALS CAUGHT IN BOARDING CARD SWAP

UNCLAS TAIPEI 000195

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR CA/FPP AND EAP/TC
POSTS FOR FRAUD PREVENTION MANAGERS
HONG KONG AND TOKYO PLEASE PASS TO DHS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFRD CVIS CPAS CMGT ASEC TW
SUBJECT: PRC NATIONALS CAUGHT IN BOARDING CARD SWAP


1. Four Chinese (PRC) nationals were intercepted at Narita
International Airport on Dec. 25, 2005 trying to board
flight UA890 to Los Angeles using U.S. passports with
counterfeit biographic pages and swapped boarding passes.
The Chinese were from Fujian Province but in transit from
Dalian International Airport in Liaoning, PRC. They were
stopped at the boarding gate by United Airlines staff while
attempting to pass for four Taiwanese passengers on a flight
that originated in Taipei, Taiwan and was destined for Los
Angeles, California. The PRC nationals received the
boarding passes at Narita airport from the Taiwanese
passengers who flew the first leg of the trip from Taipei to
Tokyo. After giving their boarding passes to the PRC
nationals, the Taiwanese returned to Taipei the next day.


2. The four Taiwanese bought their plane tickets after
obtaining U.S. visas at the American Institute in Taiwan
(AIT). Two of them applied for visas separately,
approximately 10 days before they departed for Japan while
the other two received their visas several months in
advance. A review of their original visa applications shows
that this group included both men and women, ages 30 to 45.
All four stated they were going to Los Angeles for tourism
and staying at different local hotels. None of the
applications contained any information that would have
differentiated them from legitimate visa applicants; in
fact, two had prior U.S. visas and apparent prior legitimate
travel to the U.S. Two of the applicants appear to be
neighbors, and a clear indication of a connection between
the applicants is the fact that the applications were all
prepared by the same travel agency.


3. AIT has cancelled the four visas of the Taiwanese and
entered them as alien smugglers (6E) in the CLASS lookout
system. The PRC nationals, after being questioned by
Japanese immigration officials, presented their Chinese
passports. Using the biodata from those passports, they
have also been entered into the CLASS system as having made
false claims to U.S. citizenship (P6C2). FPU has also
alerted all interviewing officers about this case so they
can pay particular attention to any applications prepared by
the same travel agency. FPU will also initiate an
investigation into this travel agency to determine whether
there is a larger pattern of involvement with alien
smuggling. AIT has provided the information on the visa
applicants to Taiwan's Investigation Bureau of the Ministry
of Justice, the local equivalent of the FBI and Taiwan
authorities are in the process of contacting the four
Taiwanese applicants and the travel agency involved.

PAAL