Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07THEHAGUE1977
2007-11-08 16:11:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy The Hague
Cable title:
NETHERLANDS/CASH COURIERS: DUTCH ANTI-CASH
how-toVZCZCXRO1746 OO RUEHAT DE RUEHTC #1977/01 3121611 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 081611Z NOV 07 FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0666 INFO RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI PRIORITY 0170 RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 0454 RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS PRIORITY 1026 RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 0660 RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION PRIORITY 0039 RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK PRIORITY 2742 RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 1741 RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA PRIORITY 1711 RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 0445 RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY 9444 RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES PRIORITY 0183 RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 0115 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 2718 RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM PRIORITY 0461 RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 0190 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 1024 RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA PRIORITY 0228 RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0324 RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR PRIORITY 0173 RUEHKU/AMEMBASSY KUWAIT PRIORITY 0240 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1739 RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 5059 RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA PRIORITY 0347 RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO PRIORITY 0268 RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI PRIORITY 0435 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0602 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 5180 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1386 RUEHPF/AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH PRIORITY 0085 RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA PRIORITY 0384 RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT PRIORITY 1182 RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH PRIORITY 0374 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 2246 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1788 RUEHAT/AMCONSUL AMSTERDAM PRIORITY 3825 RUEHFT/AMCONSUL FRANKFURT PRIORITY 3820 RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY 0576 RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASH DC PRIORITY RHMFIUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 001977
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EEB/ESC/TFS (JJALLORINA),EUR/WE (TSMITH)
STATE ALSO FOR S/CT, INL, EUR/PGI, EUR/ERA
TREASURY FOR TFFC AND OFAC
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM EFIN ETTC PREL PTER KTFN NL
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/CASH COURIERS: DUTCH ANTI-CASH
SMUGGLING REGIME
REF: A. STATE 152088
B. THE HAGUE 345
THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE HANDLE
ACCORDINGLY.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 001977
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EEB/ESC/TFS (JJALLORINA),EUR/WE (TSMITH)
STATE ALSO FOR S/CT, INL, EUR/PGI, EUR/ERA
TREASURY FOR TFFC AND OFAC
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM EFIN ETTC PREL PTER KTFN NL
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/CASH COURIERS: DUTCH ANTI-CASH
SMUGGLING REGIME
REF: A. STATE 152088
B. THE HAGUE 345
THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE HANDLE
ACCORDINGLY.
1. (SBU) Summary. The Dutch implemented on June 15
cross-border reporting requirements for travelers carrying
currency in excess of 10,000 euros. GONL deployment of dogs
at road checks and key air and sea ports to interdict cash
smuggling had already been catching some 30 cash smugglers
annually at Schiphol airport. Post works with host country
interlocutors regarding cash smuggling on a regular basis and
through its Law Enforcement Working Group process. End
Summary.
2. (SBU) Econoff discussed on November 7 reftel request for
additional information on host countries' bulk cash smuggling
regimes with Paul ten Westeneind, Policy Officer, Integrity
Division, Dutch Ministry of Finance (MOF). Econoff shared
reftel separately with members of Post's Law Enforcement
Working Group (LEWG).
3. (SBU) Ten Westeneind said the Dutch "Implementing Law
for EU Regulation 1889/2005 on Liquid Assets Control" came
into force June 15. According to the law, persons entering
or leaving the European Community must declare cash or
monetary instruments in excess of 10,000 euros to the
Netherlands Tax and Customs Administration (Belastingdienst).
While the EU regulation requires that the information be
provided in writing, orally, or electronically, the Dutch
consider electronic declarations insufficient and require the
use of a declaration form. The Belastingdienst collects the
information and reports it annually to the Office for
Disclosure of Unusual Transactions (MOT),the Dutch Financial
Intelligence Unit (FIU).
4. (SBU) According to ten Westeneind, the MOF has no
statistics on investigations and prosecutions as the law is
new and the Dutch are in the first reporting cycle.
Prosecutions for non-residents are difficult, he said, as
THE HAGUE 00001977 002 OF 002
they could leave after the money is seized. Ten Westeneind
also expressed concern that en-route travelers not caught by
the Belastingdienst could escape prosecution, as they would
no longer be in the Netherlands by the time the FIU received
its reports.
5. (SBU) On cash courier interdiction, ten Westeneind said
the Belastingdienst had deployed "cash-sniffing" dogs to air
and sea ports. This program -- in place before EU Regulation
1889/2005 came into effect -- has caught about 30 cash
smugglers each year at Schiphol alone, he added. In 2006,
dogs found 4 million euros hidden in passenger luggage at
Schiphol. Ten Westeneind noted dogs are also being used at
Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (KMAR) road checks, where they
detect smuggled cash, people, and drugs (see The Hague 00345
for more information on the dog program or KMAR's role).
There are, however, no border-based controls because of
freedom of movement within the EU, ten Westeneind said.
6. (SBU) Post engages regularly with GONL law enforcement
counterparts. During an October 25-26 Law Enforcement "Next
Steps" conference, USG and GONL attendees welcomed more
cooperation in the area of cash couriers. LEWG members
engage regularly with a wide variety of Dutch agencies,
including KMAR and the MOT, on law enforcement issues
including cash couriers. Post will continue to follow up and
report on any substantive actions taken.
Arnall
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EEB/ESC/TFS (JJALLORINA),EUR/WE (TSMITH)
STATE ALSO FOR S/CT, INL, EUR/PGI, EUR/ERA
TREASURY FOR TFFC AND OFAC
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM EFIN ETTC PREL PTER KTFN NL
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/CASH COURIERS: DUTCH ANTI-CASH
SMUGGLING REGIME
REF: A. STATE 152088
B. THE HAGUE 345
THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE HANDLE
ACCORDINGLY.
1. (SBU) Summary. The Dutch implemented on June 15
cross-border reporting requirements for travelers carrying
currency in excess of 10,000 euros. GONL deployment of dogs
at road checks and key air and sea ports to interdict cash
smuggling had already been catching some 30 cash smugglers
annually at Schiphol airport. Post works with host country
interlocutors regarding cash smuggling on a regular basis and
through its Law Enforcement Working Group process. End
Summary.
2. (SBU) Econoff discussed on November 7 reftel request for
additional information on host countries' bulk cash smuggling
regimes with Paul ten Westeneind, Policy Officer, Integrity
Division, Dutch Ministry of Finance (MOF). Econoff shared
reftel separately with members of Post's Law Enforcement
Working Group (LEWG).
3. (SBU) Ten Westeneind said the Dutch "Implementing Law
for EU Regulation 1889/2005 on Liquid Assets Control" came
into force June 15. According to the law, persons entering
or leaving the European Community must declare cash or
monetary instruments in excess of 10,000 euros to the
Netherlands Tax and Customs Administration (Belastingdienst).
While the EU regulation requires that the information be
provided in writing, orally, or electronically, the Dutch
consider electronic declarations insufficient and require the
use of a declaration form. The Belastingdienst collects the
information and reports it annually to the Office for
Disclosure of Unusual Transactions (MOT),the Dutch Financial
Intelligence Unit (FIU).
4. (SBU) According to ten Westeneind, the MOF has no
statistics on investigations and prosecutions as the law is
new and the Dutch are in the first reporting cycle.
Prosecutions for non-residents are difficult, he said, as
THE HAGUE 00001977 002 OF 002
they could leave after the money is seized. Ten Westeneind
also expressed concern that en-route travelers not caught by
the Belastingdienst could escape prosecution, as they would
no longer be in the Netherlands by the time the FIU received
its reports.
5. (SBU) On cash courier interdiction, ten Westeneind said
the Belastingdienst had deployed "cash-sniffing" dogs to air
and sea ports. This program -- in place before EU Regulation
1889/2005 came into effect -- has caught about 30 cash
smugglers each year at Schiphol alone, he added. In 2006,
dogs found 4 million euros hidden in passenger luggage at
Schiphol. Ten Westeneind noted dogs are also being used at
Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (KMAR) road checks, where they
detect smuggled cash, people, and drugs (see The Hague 00345
for more information on the dog program or KMAR's role).
There are, however, no border-based controls because of
freedom of movement within the EU, ten Westeneind said.
6. (SBU) Post engages regularly with GONL law enforcement
counterparts. During an October 25-26 Law Enforcement "Next
Steps" conference, USG and GONL attendees welcomed more
cooperation in the area of cash couriers. LEWG members
engage regularly with a wide variety of Dutch agencies,
including KMAR and the MOT, on law enforcement issues
including cash couriers. Post will continue to follow up and
report on any substantive actions taken.
Arnall