INL-FUNDED BORDER GUARDS STOP PAKISTANI SMUGGLERS

UNCLAS MAPUTO 001228

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/ATAG S
SNAR, PINR, PTER, PREL, CLOK, MZ
SUBJECT: INL-FUNDED BORDER GUARDS STOP PAKISTANI SMUGGLERS


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Supported by INL funds, the US G and the
Government of Portugal jointly developed a program to train
and equip Mozambican border guards. The training bore fruit
on November 26, when graduates of the program detected and
participated in the joint task force that interdicted two
Pakistanis allegedly attempting to smuggle more than $2.5
million in cash from Mozambique into Zimbabwe. END SUMMARY.

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PAKISTANI NATIONALS INTERDICTED AT MOZ-ZIM BORDER
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2. (SBU) On November 26, at the Machipanda Border with
Zimbabwe, in Manica Province on the Beira Corridor,
INL-funded, USG/Portuguese trained Mozambican border guards
arrested two Pakistani national residents of the city of
Beira who were attempting to smuggle foreign currency in the
amount of $2,342,000, 122,490 Euros, and 25,000 British
Pounds into Zimbabwe, and then from Harare to Dubai.
According to press reports, the driver's name is Muhammad
Nazami, aka Mohamed Nazimo, aka Muhammad Ali Nazim, described
by various reports as being between 25 and 43 years old. The
second Pakistani national is Syed Muhammad, aka Syet Muhamed,
aka Tyed Mohamed, reportedly between the age of 26 and 38
years old. The two subjects were apprehended in a Toyota,
Mozambican registration number MLW-11-42. The car's trunk
included a welded false-bottom, which border officials opened
to reveal the hidden cash, which was packed in plastic sacks,
denominated in $50 and 200 euro notes (Note: GBP
denominations were not described by border officials. End
Note). The quantity of cash was so large, that the border
guards took 23 hours to manually count the foreign currency,
according to news reports.


3. (SBU) The two Pakistani nationals, who described
themselves as businessmen, gave differing responses about the
length of their visit and immigration status in Mozambique,
leading border guards to more closely scrutinize the
individuals and their vehicle, according to the press.
Detecting the crime in progress, the border security
officials notified customs officers and worked together in a
joint operation to apprehend the smugglers and the cash.
After being intercepted, the Pakistani subjects explained
that they were not aware that they were transporting money,
and that the car they were driving was loaned to them by an
associate in the town of Inchope. According to media
reports, the passport of another Pakistani national, Fayza
Zakir, 32 years old, was found in the car.

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COMMENT: INL-FUNDED TRAINING PAYS OFF, MORE SUPPORT NEEDED
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4. (SBU) Mozambique shares lengthy borders with six
countries. Border guards are under-trained and ill-equipped,
creating targets of opportunity for smugglers. Approximately
30 percent of Mozambican border guards have been trained
since the advent of the INL-funded program in 2007, with the
most recent class graduating in November, 2008. More courses
are scheduled for 2009, with plans to train Mozambican
trainers, giving the Government of Mozambique (GRM) an
internal capacity to continue to professionalize their border
guard force. Though additional training and equipment is
needed for Mozambique to effectively patrol its porous
borders against the threat of currency, narcotic, and human
traffickers, particularly in the run-up to the 2010 World
Cup, the GRM has already shown that the training is
successful.
Chapman