Baby Traffickers Resurface in Alexandria

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 002291

DEPT FOR CA/FPP, CA/EX, CA/OCS, DS/CR/OCI
ALSO FOR G/TIP, INL, DRL, PRM, NEA/RA, NEA/ELA, NEA/PPD
DS/IP/NEA

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

POSTS FOR FRAUD PREVENTION UNITS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFRD CVIS CMGT CASC KOCI ASEC PHUM SMIG EG
SUBJECT: Baby Traffickers Resurface in Alexandria

REFS: CAIRO 1828 and previous


1. (SBU) Summary: An American Citizen couple attempted to register a
newborn as their biological child during a scheduled consular
outreach visit held at the American Center in Alexandria. The
couple fit the profile developed by the Cairo Fraud Prevention Unit
(FPU) in reftels and the case was referred to Egyptian authorities
for further investigation. The couple subsequently admitted that
the newborn was not their biological child and paying about USD 70
for the premature infant. Egyptian authorities have detained the
alleged birth mother and have issued a warrant for the arrest of the
doctor who falsely attested to delivering the baby. End Summary.

Suspicion of Fraud
--------------



2. (SBU) After more than a year of local and international media
attention on the baby trafficking cases uncovered by the FPU in
reftels, another case has surfaced. The couple, who was attempting
to obtain a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) and passport for
their alleged newborn, appeared at the American Center in Alexandria
during a consular outreach visit by the American Citizens Services
(ACS) unit on December 6. The keen eye of an Entry Level Officer
quickly identified the case as fitting the profile developed by FPU
and referred the case to the Fraud Prevention Manager (FPM).

FPU Confirms Fraud
--------------


3. (SBU) The Senior Fraud Investigator spoke with the doctor who
allegedly delivered the child. The doctor admitted that she
provided a bogus letter attesting to the birth, and that she had
never met the couple. A visit by another Fraud Investigator to the
clinic where the woman allegedly gave birth confirmed that the
clinic handled only blood tests, not childbirths. When confronted
with this information, the couple admitted the newborn was not their
biological child. They indicated they had received the child from a
local Coptic hospital in Alexandria and had paid a nominal fee of
about USD 70.

Egyptian Authorities Confirm Fraud
--------------


4. (SBU) Egyptian State Security Investigative Services (SSIS)
arrested the couple as they left the American Center and referred
them to a local prosecutor for questioning. The Amcit husband
assumed all responsibility for the illegal adoption and the
prosecutor subsequently released his Amcit spouse, but barred her
from leaving Egypt pending the results of the investigation. The
prosecutor also ordered the questioning of the doctor, hospital
staff, and the alleged real birth mother who lives in Cairo.


FPU and SSIS Cooperation Yields Results
--------------


5. (SBU) Unable to locate the doctor with only a cell phone number
and partial name, SSIS asked for help from the FPU. Using the Text
Search function of the Consular Consolidated Database (CCD),the FPM
located a Diversity Visa record for the doctor and her family. The
records indicated that the family had received Legal Permanent
Resident (LPR) status in 2008. Based on experience with the cases in
Cairo involving baby trafficking, the FPU advised SSIS that the
doctor might attempt to flee Egypt for the United States. SSIS
promptly entered the doctor's name on to their watch list to prevent
her from leaving Egypt. Later the same day, the doctor was stopped
trying to leave from Cairo International Airport. SSIS in
Alexandria has requested a background briefing by the FPM and
A/RSO-I to understand how this case fits into the bigger picture
developed in Cairo.

Comment
--------------


6. (SBU) The investigation of the case is ongoing and will
undoubtedly uncover further details. It also has the potential of
uncovering a baby trafficking network in Alexandria similar to the
one uncovered in Cairo. Currently, there are more questions than
answers. A key question remains identifying who coordinated the
travel of the alleged birth mother from Cairo to a particular
hospital in Alexandria to give birth prematurely, days before the
arrival of the Amcit couple? Post will continue to report on this

CAIRO 00002291 002 OF 002


case as information is developed.

Scobey