Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ULAANBAATAR279
2007-05-14 03:57:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Cable title:
Mongolian Court Convicts Boy Band Drug Smugglers
how-toVZCZCXRO3777 RR RUEHLMC RUEHVK DE RUEHUM #0279 1340357 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 140357Z MAY 07 FM AMEMBASSY ULAANBAATAR TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1097 INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5552 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 2747 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1767 RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 1465 RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 1375 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2480 RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 0266 RUEHVK/AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK 0100 RUCPODC/USDOC WASHDC 1271 RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP WASHINGTON DC 0576 RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC RHEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC RUEABND/DEA HQ WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
UNCLAS ULAANBAATAR 000279
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR DS/IP/EAP, EAP/CM, INL, AND DRL
BEIJING FOR LEGATT
USAID FOR DEIDRA WINSTON
BANGKOK AND MANILA FOR USAID
TREASURY FOR T.T. YANG
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR ASEC PGOV SOCI MG CH
SUBJECT: Mongolian Court Convicts Boy Band Drug Smugglers
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION
UNCLAS ULAANBAATAR 000279
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR DS/IP/EAP, EAP/CM, INL, AND DRL
BEIJING FOR LEGATT
USAID FOR DEIDRA WINSTON
BANGKOK AND MANILA FOR USAID
TREASURY FOR T.T. YANG
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR ASEC PGOV SOCI MG CH
SUBJECT: Mongolian Court Convicts Boy Band Drug Smugglers
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION
1. (U) A Mongolian court convicted 13 persons accused of trafficking
drugs smuggled in from China, sentencing three of the defendants to
ten or more years in prison. The defendants included several
Mongolian hip hop boy band stars, the son of a wealthy businessman,
and several students. This is the most recent among a very few
cases of drug-related convictions handed down by the Mongolian
courts.
2. (SBU) Thirteen defendants were sentenced during a hearing on
April 30 in the Bayanzurkh district court in Ulaanbaatar. Three of
the defendants were convicted of an aggravated crime under Criminal
Code Article 192.3: "the habitual illicit production, purchase,
possession, transport, distribution or sale of drugs" for the
smuggling, sale and distribution of small amounts of cannabis
(apparently locally grown) and hashish purchased in Beijing and
transported with the group by rail. (Note: Law enforcement
authorities say most illegal drugs are smuggled by car across
Mongolia's porous borders.) The remaining ten defendants were
convicted of the lesser charge of purchasing and possession of drugs
and were sentenced to six months in prison. Prosecutors
successfully countered claims by some defendants that they were
beaten and coerced into giving false statements. Five other boy
band singers were under investigation, but their cases were
previously dismissed under the amnesty law passed before Mongolia's
800th anniversary in July 2006.
3. (U) Judge Tsogtzandan, in handing down the sentences, told the
defendants "Drugs, weapons and human trafficking are in worldwide
focus and your crimes were very dangerous to society." The
defendants were given ten days to appeal their sentences.
4. (U) Point of contact is RSO Craig Reistad, tel: (976 11) 329
095.
GOLDBECK
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR DS/IP/EAP, EAP/CM, INL, AND DRL
BEIJING FOR LEGATT
USAID FOR DEIDRA WINSTON
BANGKOK AND MANILA FOR USAID
TREASURY FOR T.T. YANG
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR ASEC PGOV SOCI MG CH
SUBJECT: Mongolian Court Convicts Boy Band Drug Smugglers
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION
1. (U) A Mongolian court convicted 13 persons accused of trafficking
drugs smuggled in from China, sentencing three of the defendants to
ten or more years in prison. The defendants included several
Mongolian hip hop boy band stars, the son of a wealthy businessman,
and several students. This is the most recent among a very few
cases of drug-related convictions handed down by the Mongolian
courts.
2. (SBU) Thirteen defendants were sentenced during a hearing on
April 30 in the Bayanzurkh district court in Ulaanbaatar. Three of
the defendants were convicted of an aggravated crime under Criminal
Code Article 192.3: "the habitual illicit production, purchase,
possession, transport, distribution or sale of drugs" for the
smuggling, sale and distribution of small amounts of cannabis
(apparently locally grown) and hashish purchased in Beijing and
transported with the group by rail. (Note: Law enforcement
authorities say most illegal drugs are smuggled by car across
Mongolia's porous borders.) The remaining ten defendants were
convicted of the lesser charge of purchasing and possession of drugs
and were sentenced to six months in prison. Prosecutors
successfully countered claims by some defendants that they were
beaten and coerced into giving false statements. Five other boy
band singers were under investigation, but their cases were
previously dismissed under the amnesty law passed before Mongolia's
800th anniversary in July 2006.
3. (U) Judge Tsogtzandan, in handing down the sentences, told the
defendants "Drugs, weapons and human trafficking are in worldwide
focus and your crimes were very dangerous to society." The
defendants were given ten days to appeal their sentences.
4. (U) Point of contact is RSO Craig Reistad, tel: (976 11) 329
095.
GOLDBECK