Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08JERUSALEM175
2008-02-01 15:02:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Jerusalem
Cable title:
PA POLICE RAID COUNTERFEIT DOCUMENT LABS IN HEBRON
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHJM #0175 0321502 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 011502Z FEB 08 FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0412 INFO RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 8068 RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 4654 RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 3849
C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000175
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR CA/FPP, NEA/IPA, DS/IP/NEA, AND DS/ICI/CR
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/01/2018
TAGS: CVIS KFRD PREL ASEC KWBG
SUBJECT: PA POLICE RAID COUNTERFEIT DOCUMENT LABS IN HEBRON
Classified By: Classified by Acting Principal Officer Thomas M. Duffy f
or reasons 1.4(b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000175
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR CA/FPP, NEA/IPA, DS/IP/NEA, AND DS/ICI/CR
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/01/2018
TAGS: CVIS KFRD PREL ASEC KWBG
SUBJECT: PA POLICE RAID COUNTERFEIT DOCUMENT LABS IN HEBRON
Classified By: Classified by Acting Principal Officer Thomas M. Duffy f
or reasons 1.4(b) and (d)
1. (C) SUMMARY. In recent months, PA Police have disrupted
several visa fraud rings in the West Bank. They briefly
detained and released two individuals suspected of creating
and selling counterfeit documents for U.S. visa interviews.
The two were among five questioned after ConGenOffs provided
PA Police in Hebron information and exemplars of fraudulent
documents, including birth certificates, ID cards, bank
statements, high school exam transcripts and chamber of
commerce registrations received at the visa window. PA police
were responsive to Post's concerns in effecting arrests, but
obtaining convictions may be complicated by tensions between
police and prosecutors. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) ConOff, RSO and Tel Aviv ARSO/I met in late October
with Hebron police chief BG Majid Hawari to discuss a
fraudulent document ring operating in the Hebron area.
ConGenOffs briefed Hawari on several individuals believed to
be responsible for over 100 linked cases involving fraudulent
documents used for non-immigrant visa (NIV) applications.
Shortly before a November 14 follow-up meeting with Colonel
Ibrahim Abu Ein, the Deputy Director General of Criminal
Investigations, police contacts informed Post that they had
raided two houses and detained five individuals for
questioning.
3. (C) Abu Ein provided additional details about the raids
and confirmed the arrests and subsequent referral to judicial
authorities for prosecution. Among those arrested were Maher
Mohammad Hassan Nasar al-Atawneh and Haitham Abdel Muhasen
Ahmad al-Sharif. The case against Al-Atawneh was developed as
part of a lead package created by the Consulate's Fraud
Prevention Unit and RSO as well as information from the
manager of Post's courier passback service. Al-Sharif was
arrested based on information developed during the PA
police's interviews with other subjects in the lead package.
A CCD search reveals that he was refused non-immigrant visas
at least seven times and most recently listed his occupation
as working for a professional printing business. CCD text
search revealed multiple links between al-Atawneh and
al-Sharif as well as a U.S. point of contact common to other
fraud ring clients.
4. (C) The two individuals were released shortly after the
case was turned over to a working-level prosecutor in the
Hebron district. The prosecutor cited a lack of evidence
sufficient for prosecution and accused BG Hawari of resting
on his laurels, comfortable with his level of access to
ConGen officers and disinterested in achieving real results.
At a January 2 Consular/Law Enforcement liaison meeting, Abu
Ein denied that insufficient evidence was passed to the
prosecutors and claimed that in cases like these, the
"atmosphere is not right" for prosecution. He deflected blame
for the releases from the quality of police investigation and
asserted that the current political situation leaves judges
fearful of imposing stiff sentences. He noted that cases
could be held open indefinitely and charges brought once
conditions allowed, but did not elaborate or provide a time
frame for concluding the cases.
5. (C) In general, Abu Ein characterized the production of
fraudulent documents as a serious concern but minimized the
culpability of end-users of the documents portraying them as
bona fide travelers seeking a respite from life in the West
Bank. He noted that the lack of full PA control over B/C
zones hampers his ability to investigate vendors operating in
those areas due to difficulties coordinating with Israeli
authorities. (Comment: The use of fraudulent documents by
otherwise qualified applicants is in fact very rare. The vast
majority of NIV applicants presenting fraudulent documents
would have been refused 214(b) regardless of the paperwork
they produced. Including our January 2 meeting, in recent
months Post has referred three separate leads into fraudulent
document vendors operating in the West Bank, all of which
were located in A zones under full PA security control. End
Comment.)
DUFFY
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR CA/FPP, NEA/IPA, DS/IP/NEA, AND DS/ICI/CR
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/01/2018
TAGS: CVIS KFRD PREL ASEC KWBG
SUBJECT: PA POLICE RAID COUNTERFEIT DOCUMENT LABS IN HEBRON
Classified By: Classified by Acting Principal Officer Thomas M. Duffy f
or reasons 1.4(b) and (d)
1. (C) SUMMARY. In recent months, PA Police have disrupted
several visa fraud rings in the West Bank. They briefly
detained and released two individuals suspected of creating
and selling counterfeit documents for U.S. visa interviews.
The two were among five questioned after ConGenOffs provided
PA Police in Hebron information and exemplars of fraudulent
documents, including birth certificates, ID cards, bank
statements, high school exam transcripts and chamber of
commerce registrations received at the visa window. PA police
were responsive to Post's concerns in effecting arrests, but
obtaining convictions may be complicated by tensions between
police and prosecutors. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) ConOff, RSO and Tel Aviv ARSO/I met in late October
with Hebron police chief BG Majid Hawari to discuss a
fraudulent document ring operating in the Hebron area.
ConGenOffs briefed Hawari on several individuals believed to
be responsible for over 100 linked cases involving fraudulent
documents used for non-immigrant visa (NIV) applications.
Shortly before a November 14 follow-up meeting with Colonel
Ibrahim Abu Ein, the Deputy Director General of Criminal
Investigations, police contacts informed Post that they had
raided two houses and detained five individuals for
questioning.
3. (C) Abu Ein provided additional details about the raids
and confirmed the arrests and subsequent referral to judicial
authorities for prosecution. Among those arrested were Maher
Mohammad Hassan Nasar al-Atawneh and Haitham Abdel Muhasen
Ahmad al-Sharif. The case against Al-Atawneh was developed as
part of a lead package created by the Consulate's Fraud
Prevention Unit and RSO as well as information from the
manager of Post's courier passback service. Al-Sharif was
arrested based on information developed during the PA
police's interviews with other subjects in the lead package.
A CCD search reveals that he was refused non-immigrant visas
at least seven times and most recently listed his occupation
as working for a professional printing business. CCD text
search revealed multiple links between al-Atawneh and
al-Sharif as well as a U.S. point of contact common to other
fraud ring clients.
4. (C) The two individuals were released shortly after the
case was turned over to a working-level prosecutor in the
Hebron district. The prosecutor cited a lack of evidence
sufficient for prosecution and accused BG Hawari of resting
on his laurels, comfortable with his level of access to
ConGen officers and disinterested in achieving real results.
At a January 2 Consular/Law Enforcement liaison meeting, Abu
Ein denied that insufficient evidence was passed to the
prosecutors and claimed that in cases like these, the
"atmosphere is not right" for prosecution. He deflected blame
for the releases from the quality of police investigation and
asserted that the current political situation leaves judges
fearful of imposing stiff sentences. He noted that cases
could be held open indefinitely and charges brought once
conditions allowed, but did not elaborate or provide a time
frame for concluding the cases.
5. (C) In general, Abu Ein characterized the production of
fraudulent documents as a serious concern but minimized the
culpability of end-users of the documents portraying them as
bona fide travelers seeking a respite from life in the West
Bank. He noted that the lack of full PA control over B/C
zones hampers his ability to investigate vendors operating in
those areas due to difficulties coordinating with Israeli
authorities. (Comment: The use of fraudulent documents by
otherwise qualified applicants is in fact very rare. The vast
majority of NIV applicants presenting fraudulent documents
would have been refused 214(b) regardless of the paperwork
they produced. Including our January 2 meeting, in recent
months Post has referred three separate leads into fraudulent
document vendors operating in the West Bank, all of which
were located in A zones under full PA security control. End
Comment.)
DUFFY