JAPAN'S POLICE RESPONSE TO POTENTIAL DPRK INTEREST

S E C R E T TOKYO 002852 SIPDIS SIPDIS TREASURY FOR JENNIFER FOWLER AND KRISTIN HECHT; SECRET SERVICE FOR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE DIVISION E.O. 12958: DNG: CO 06/22/2017 TAGS: KNNP MNUC PARM PREL KH KS SZ JA SUBJECT: JAPAN'S POLICE RESPONSE TO POTENTIAL DPRK INTEREST IN CURRENCY PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT REF: A. STATE 061051 ¶B. BERLIN 000963 ¶C. SECSTATE 71148 ¶D. BERN 00543 ¶E. TOKYO 02530 ¶F. TOKYO 2787 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i., Joe Donovan. Reasons 1.4 b/d ¶1. (S) FINATT, DHS/ICE, and LEGATT met with National Police Agency (NPA),Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Department, Assistant Director and Police Superintendent Tomoaki Onizuka June 21 to share ref C information. Onizuka confirmed that NPA was both able to access Interpol's June 2006 Orange Alert information, and aware of the discussions of the January 2005 Interpol meeting in Lyon, France. ¶2. (S) Onizuka admitted that the NPA had no relationship with Japanese currency producer Komori, and speculated that were DPRK to approach the firm, that banknote production equipment could be trafficked via a third country to North Korea. He further surmised that Komori,s staff might already have been approached by DPRK personnel. Articulating concerns regarding the proliferation risk posed by the sale of currency printing machinery, Onizuka pledged to approach Komori, collect data on their activities, and share information with Post. ¶3. (S) Following discussion of Komori, Onizuka raised related developments; one of the North Korean refugees that landed in Aomori Prefecture on June 2 (ref E),was carrying ten U.S. $100 notes. Onizuka showed a copy of one of the notes which bore serial number FH22300051A H8, Series 2003 A. In addition to the U.S. notes, the fisherman was also carrying ten bills of Chinese currency. The NPA has not confirmed the authenticity of either series of but is currently analyzing the money, which was apparently exchanged for North Korean currency at a black market in Chung Jin, DPRK. When asked if Secret Service expertise was required to assess the notes, authenticity, Onizuka said, "Not yet," but suggested that this was a great deal of money for a fisherman. ¶4. (S) Finally, Onizuka confirmed that the Japanese government has not yet seen anything resembling a "Super Yen" in circulation. To date they have only encountered individuals passing small denomination yen notes of poor quality. Post will follow up with NPA and report any further information. schieffer