TERRORIST FINANCE: INITIAL GOU RESPONSE TO USG

C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 000503 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN, EB/ESC/TFS (LEAHY AND CANNON) AND S/CT (HILL, GALER, AND NOVIS) E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/28/2017 TAGS: EFIN ETTC PREL PTER UZ SUBJECT: TERRORIST FINANCE: INITIAL GOU RESPONSE TO USG CONCERN OVER ILLICIT CASH COURIERS REF: STATE 16120 Classified By: Amb. Jon R. Purnell for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Poloff conveyed reftel information on USG concern over the increasing use of cash couriers to finance criminal organizations and terrorist groups to MFA U.S. Division Chief Ismat Fayzullaev on March 28. Fayzullaev said that the Government of Uzbekistan was concerned about the movement of cash into or out of the country. Uzbekistan has appropriate rules in place to regulate cash coming into or leaving the country, including a requirement that everybody entering or departing the country declare the total amount of cash and other negotiable instruments they are carrying. The State Customs Committee, in cooperation with other law enforcement organizations, has primary responsibility for enforcement of the regulations. Fayzullaev said he would arrange a meeting with these organizations so that poloff could obtain a more complete picture of the government's efforts against cash smuggling. ¶2. (C) Fayzullaev reminded poloff that Uzbekistan remains a cash economy and that it is common for people to carry relatively large amounts of money when they come home from abroad. He said that he supports efforts to cut off illicit cash to terrorists and criminals; however, such efforts must be balanced so that they do not hurt ordinary people who are trying to scrape out a living based largely on cash remittances from family members working outside of the country. PURNELL