UAE READY FOR JOINT CASH COURIER OPERATIONS

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001110 NOFORN SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SRAP, SCA/A, NEA/FO, NEA/ARP (MCGOVERN),S/CT AND INR E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2019 TAGS: EFIN PTER PGOV PINR PK AF AE SUBJECT: UAE READY FOR JOINT CASH COURIER OPERATIONS REFS: A) ABU DHABI 890 B) ABU DHABI 877 ABU DHABI 00001110 001.2 OF 002 CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR RICHARD OLSON FOR REASONS 1.4 (B AND D). ¶1. (S/NF) Summary: In a significant advance for our CT agenda, the UAE has agreed to operationalize cash courier interdiction with a joint training program in Al Ain (inter alia, home to a significant Afghan population). The UAE also provided us with the first detailed description of how they execute their existing anti-cash courier restrictions. End summary. ¶2. (S/NF) On November 23, Emboffs from DHS, State, Treasury, Justice and GRPO met with key UAE State Security Directorate (SSD) officials to follow up on the first meeting of the US-UAE Cash Courier Task Force (CCTF) in September. SSD officials, led by Lt. Col. Hamad Al Ameri, head of Border Security, said the UAE is fully committed to our joint goal of disrupting illicit financial flows. He outlined current UAE law enforcement efforts to identify, disrupt and investigate cash couriers. Following the September meeting, Al Ameri said the UAE completed an internal organizational and legal review and is now prepared to move forward with operational training. The UAE seeks to ensure local laws, practices and staff capacity allow for maximum law enforcement deterrence. The CCTF will meet next in mid-December to finalize arrangements for a February training/operational program. ¶3. (C/NF) Al Ameri opened the meeting by stating that, since the September meeting, UAE officials had completed the "first stage" of improving its cash courier enforcement. The UAEG reviewed its laws and regulations, and the Central Bank was "rapidly" drafting new outbound cash declaration requirements. Emboffs requested the draft be shared with the USG, in order to provide any necessary feedback, a step SSD officials agreed was essential. Al Ameri added that the September meeting also highlighted the dangers of cash couriers for all involved UAE entities, who are now committed to stronger enforcement and ready to proceed with appropriate training. Finally, SSD is committed to taking the legal, administrative and law enforcement steps to move the UAE from 70 percent effective to "101 percent." Al Ameri said SSD is prepared to move ahead with implementing the proposed DHS bulk cash courier training and airport operations, which will include key customs, police and security officials from across the UAE. He stressed that the highest levels of UAE officials had made it clear to all relevant agencies that the UAE must do more to disrupt illicit financial flows. ¶4. (C/NF) Acting DHS Attach provided SSD with a draft training/operations schedule and an outline of interim actions to implement the program. Participants agreed to have another coordination meeting on December 14 to finalize the training program, which is tentatively scheduled for February 7-10. While the first day will include an overview of related legal authorities, Al Ameri asked that the focus of the initial training be on law enforcement, as the short-term priority is seizing illicit funds. Prosecution is an imperative next step, but could be addressed separately but concurrently. SSD pledged to include appropriate legal officials in the December 14 coordination meeting in order to facilitate direct contact and program development between U.S. and UAE officials. ¶5. (C/NF) Al Ameri proposed holding the first iteration of the training/ops at Al Ain International Airport, with the involvement of approximately 5 key customs, police and security officials from each of the UAE's 6 international airports (Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Fujairah). He stressed that the UAE had had great success with similar training/operational programs when key officials from across the country were brought together in one location, trained and asked to apply their skills together in a controlled environment. SSD officials noted that Al Ain has direct flights to Pakistan and Egypt which could be examined in the operational stage. Upon the completion of this first program, the CCWG would conduct a joint review of lessons learned, then prepare to apply the program in Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports. EmbOffs agreed with this approach. ¶6. (S/NF) Al Ameri also spoke at length about the UAE's current cash courier interdiction practices, commenting that the UAE law enforcement officials undertake similar steps to US officials. Shedding light on a process that the UAE purposefully keeps opaque, Al Ameri explained that travelers entered the UAE with over AED 40,000 (USD 10,891) are required to declare the amount prior to passing through immigration/passport control, and explain its origin and purpose. While the UAE does not used mandatory declaration forms, it has two safeguards it considers more effective: 1) UAE ABU DHABI 00001110 002.2 OF 002 immigration and customs agents are trained to ask travelers about cash holding if they suspect illicit activity and 2) every hand carried bag is subject to x-ray immediately following immigration clearance. If undeclared cash is identified, the traveler and currency is immediately handed to SSD airport officials for further investigation. Secondly, every checked bag is x-rayed before reaching the baggage claim area. Customs officials place a unique sticker on bags with cash, tipping off customs agents monitoring passengers as they pass through the "goods to declare/nothing to declare" gateway. ¶7. (S/NF) Passengers who fail to declare cash imports but are found to be carrying cash on their person or in their baggage and referred to SSD for investigation are "considered guilty." Al Ameri provided several detailed examples of cash courier investigations, noting that SSD routinely contacts involved persons in the origin country and/or the UAE, requests the UAE Central Bank follow up on licit cash declarations to ensure funds are deposited as reported, and deports individual cash couriers. However, Al Ameri agreed that UAE laws should be amended to ensure cash couriers found guilty are imprisoned, not only deported. ¶8. (C/NF) Comment: The commitment and enthusiasm SSD participants demonstrated during the meeting was remarkable. Participants were well-informed, clearly prepared and empowered to move forward with the cash courier training/operations immediately. EmbOffs will follow up to ensure the December 14 meeting is productive and the February program is successful. End Comment. OLSON