Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ATHENS1672
2009-09-16 12:25:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Athens
Cable title:  

THEFT OF 692 BLANK GREEK RESIDENT PERMITS

Tags:  KFRD CVIS CMGT ASEC GR 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO6961
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RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSL RUEHSR RUEHVK
RUEHYG
DE RUEHTH #1672 2591226
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 161225Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS
TO RHMFIUU/HQ BICE INTEL WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0685
RUEHPNH/NVC PORTSMOUTH 0001
RUEPICB/USCIS FDNS WASHINGTON DC
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHIK/AMCONSUL THESSALONIKI 0010
UNCLAS ATHENS 001672 

SIPDIS
DEPT FOR CA/FPP (LEDESMA-LEESE)
CA/VO
INL/HSTC (GORELICK)
EUR POSTS FOR FRAUD PREVENTION MANAGERS
DHS CBP FORENSIC DOCUMENT ANALYSIS UNIT
DHS ICE FORENSIC DOCUMENTS LAB

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFRD CVIS CMGT ASEC GR
SUBJECT: THEFT OF 692 BLANK GREEK RESIDENT PERMITS

UNCLAS ATHENS 001672

SIPDIS
DEPT FOR CA/FPP (LEDESMA-LEESE)
CA/VO
INL/HSTC (GORELICK)
EUR POSTS FOR FRAUD PREVENTION MANAGERS
DHS CBP FORENSIC DOCUMENT ANALYSIS UNIT
DHS ICE FORENSIC DOCUMENTS LAB

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFRD CVIS CMGT ASEC GR
SUBJECT: THEFT OF 692 BLANK GREEK RESIDENT PERMITS


1. Summary: The Greek recently press reported that, during
the weekend of 15/16 August 2009, the Office of Immigration
and Aliens Affairs at Kavala in northern Greece was robbed. A
small safe containing government documents, including blank
alien registration cards, blank provisional legal residence
statements, and blank resident permit foils was stolen. The
Greek police confirmed press reports that roughly 2500
documents were taken. End Summary.


2. The director of the Greek police Aliens Division, Brigadier
Kousoutis, provided the following details to posts Fraud
Prevention Unit Assistant regarding the stolen documents:

-- 692 blank Greek resident permits with serial numbers
ranging from GR1425247 to GR1425300 and GR1425361 to GR1426000.

-- 911 permanent resident identification cards (issued to non-
Greek EU nationals); one batch of 897 with serial numbers
ranging from 2011103 to 2012000 inclusive and another batch of
fourteen (14) with serial numbers ranging from 20186 to 21000
inclusive.

-- an unspecified number of provisional legal residence
statements (an interim document of temporary validity which is
given as receipt for submitting an application for a resident
permit and does not have a serial number0.


3. Comment: Unlike Greeces blank passport inventory, which
is stored in a heavily secured police facility, resident
permits are more vulnerable since they are distributed to less
protected regional government offices. The loss/theft of
resident permit foils in Greece occurs occasionally and
Brigadier Kousoutis claimed is always reported quickly to the
Schengen Information System (SIS) database. Post has so far
not noticed any of the recently stolen documents being used by
visa applicants. End Comment.
SPECKHARD