PANAMA-BLUE LANTERN LEVEL 3 LICENSE 05-050023533

UNCLAS PANAMA 000066

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR PM/DTCC - BLUE LANTERN COORDINATOR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETTC KOMC PM
SUBJECT: PANAMA-BLUE LANTERN LEVEL 3 LICENSE 05-050023533

REF: STATE 203073



1. (U) On December 19, 2006, EconOff met with Jorge Aurelio
Cohen Jaen (Panamanian I.D. number 8-140-115),President and
sole shareholder of Panama Shooters & Arms Supplies, S.A.
(PSAS),at PSAS's offices on Via Espana and Avenida La Loma,
Centro Commercial San Fernando, Local # 16, Panama City,
Panama.


2. (U) Cohen confirmed to EconOff PSAS's order to purchase
the Walther handguns and ammunitions in the quantity and at
the cost set forth in Reftel. Cohen said this was PSAS's
first purchase from RSR Group, Inc. of Winter Park, Florida.


3. (U) Cohen told EconOff that PSAS is a wholesaler of
handguns and rifles. Its regular customers are retail
gundealers throughout Panama. PSAS's customers include the
department store Machetazo. Most of PSAS's customers are
located in Panama City. Cohen said PSAS has one gundealer
client in Chiriqui. Cohen said PSAS does very limited retail
business. Cohen said PSAS maintains a record with the names
and addresses of each customer.


4. (U) Cohen told EconOff that the handguns and ammunitions
listed in Reftel will be held in the Panamanian National
Police's (PNP) ammunitions depot in Cerro Tigre. Upon
arrival at Panama's Tocumen International Airport, Cohen
along with members of the PNP will inspect the weapons and
the PNP will transport the weapons to the PNP depot.
According to Cohen, the weapons will be held in the PNP depot
until they are sold to another gundealer. At such time, the
PNP merely moves the weapons from the part of the depot
allocated to PSAS to another part of the depot allocated to
the other gundealer.


5. (U) PSAS is a Panamanian corporation doing business since

1991. In 2004, Cohen purchased his partner's (Roberto
Alfredo Cowes Diaz (Panamanian I.D. number 8-131-373) 50%
interest in PSAS, thereby becoming the company's sole
shareholder. Cohen said PSAS has the appropriate Panamanian
licenses to import and sell the weapons listed in Reftel.
EconOff reviewed copies of PSAS's incorporation documents,
its firearms license, and documents related to Cohen's
purchase of Cowes' interest in PSAS. Cohen is the only
corporate officer of PSAS. His wife and son work at the PSAS
and his wife is a member of the board.


6. (U) Cohen said he was aware on the restrictions on
re-export of the weapons listed in Reftel.


7. (U) An official at the GoP Ministry of Government and
Justice told EconOff that PSAS had the requisite licenses and
permits to import and sell firearms, including the weapons
listed in Reftel, and that the Ministry has no derogatory
information on the conduct of PSAS.
Eaton