CONSULATES REPORT SIGNIFICANT ADVANCES IN LAW ENFORCEMENT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 000874 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, DS/ICI/CR/OCI AND DS/IP/EAP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KCRM SOCI CVIS VM SUBJECT: CONSULATES REPORT SIGNIFICANT ADVANCES IN LAW ENFORCEMENT COOPERATION IN HCMC REF: (A) HCMC 00796 (B) STATE 099332 HO CHI MIN 00000874 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: During the most recent law enforcement and security coordinating meeting among Consulates General in Ho Chi Minh City, law enforcement personnel from participating Consulates described the atmosphere for active cooperation with GVN authorities as difficult but considerably better than in past years. The Australian, French and British Consulates all reported numerous areas of improved cooperation and offered numerous specific examples of successful cooperation in areas such as drug enforcement and document fraud. Over the past 18 months, in particular, the improved atmosphere for cooperation has led directly to numerous arrests both in Vietnam and abroad. END SUMMARY. The HCMC TransNational Crime Forum -------------- ¶2. (U) On August 22, the Australian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) hosted the quarterly meeting of the HCMC TransNational Crime Forum, an informal grouping consisting of staff from a number of the larger consulates in HCMC. With its police liaison unit staffed by two Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers, its robust consular anti-fraud unit and its considerable resources for law enforcement training, the Australian Consulate General has the most active roster of law enforcement activities of any Consulate in HCMC. Cooperation Better -- But Still Not Great -------------- ¶3. (U) The senior AFP officer in Vietnam described his country's robust program of cooperation with the Vietnamese as having blossomed over the past 18 months. While Hanoi remains the base for planning national programs and policy liaison, the opening of an AFP office in HCMC in 2004 has led to a number of significant breakthroughs -- as well as many frustrating opportunities missed. Over the last 18 month, in particular, constant efforts at cooperation and training have begun to bear fruit, despite changes in personnel on the Vietnamese side in HCMC that have hampered progress. ¶4. (SBU) As examples of successful cooperation, he cited the interdiction of 20 "internal drug couriers" or "mules" over the past few years compared to zero as of 2003. Good cooperation on drug enforcement cases has also led to numerous arrests of drug dealers in both Vietnam and Australia. Thanks to both information and training from the AFP, the Vietnamese recently made their first ever arrest for smuggling amphetamine precursors -- a crime they did not even understand a year ago. In this case, a 200 kilogram package of crushed OTC cold medicine was seized that could have been used to produce 140 kg of illicit drugs. The GVN has also agreed to return two Vietnamese-born Australians to Australia for prosecution and the Australians have agreed to help prosecute other Vietnamese-Australians in Vietnam. Both the French and British consulates reported similar successes in cooperation aimed at obtaining prosecutions in either Vietnam or in their home countries. ¶5. (SBU) Other areas where law enforcement liaison operations between Australia and Vietnam are showing at least some success are programs to combat trafficking in women and children and the prosecution of pedophiles. An area of more recent success cited by the Australians, French and Canadians concerned document fraud. Australia has provided training and equipment to help the Vietnamese police to track fraudulent documents and all three countries reported successes when they requested assistance from the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) in determining the authenticity of a variety of documents such as business licenses, marriage certificates and drivers' licenses. In one notable case, a counterfeit operation that had been providing false business registration documents to applicants for Australian visas was broken up and its operators sentenced to 10 years in prison for counterfeiting GVN documents and seals. ¶6. (SBU) The area where several Consulates agreed that the Vietnamese are making the biggest strides is in detecting fraudulent documents. Equipped with a new Australian-supplied document laboratory, Vietnam has volunteered to host a special ASEAN forum on combating document fraud to be held late this year. While cooperation is possible in a number of areas, the GVN is particularly prompt in responding to requests to determine the validity of business registrations and related documents since combating business fraud is a major GVN law enforcement goal. ¶7. (SBU) All Consulates with active law enforcement liaison operations lamented that cooperation certainly could be better. They cited personnel changes in HCMC that took place last year as a step back due entirely to the personalities involved -- the HO CHI MIN 00000874 002.2 OF 002 former senior police officials were simply easier to deal with. Consulates also reported that cooperation remains spotty. While the GVN will usually reply to requests for assistance, there are times when requests go unanswered and attempts at follow-up are fruitless. Areas for Future Cooperation -------------- ¶8. (SBU) The French, in particular, have an aggressive training program centered on intellectual property rights violations. They are providing ongoing training and laboratory equipment to detect counterfeit products ranging from spirits to cosmetics and have sponsored participation by Vietnamese police in numerous international fora. ¶9. (SBU) Turning to intra-Consulate coordination, both the French Consul General and senior French National Police officer at the Consulate gave an open invitation for cooperation with other Consulates on programs aimed at combating IPR violations and improving the climate for IPR protection. Similarly, the Australian senior AFP officer expressed a willingness to meet with law enforcement counterparts from other nations to share more detailed experience and insights. He also offered to make some documents available to law enforcement personnel at other Consulates, such as detailed information on a recent major drug lab bust. ¶10. (SBU) COMMENT: ConGen HCMC found this meeting highly valuable and the insights into areas of improved cooperation will undoubtedly help our future operations, particularly in the Consular Section's Anti-Fraud Unit. The anticipated arrival of an A/RSO-I (reftels) will help enormously in cementing better relations with local law enforcement. We also plan to look for ways to take up offers of cooperation made by the various other participating Consulates. END COMMENT. ¶11. (U) This cable was coordinate with Embassy Hanoi. FAIRFAX