Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09LIMA123
2009-01-28 22:36:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Lima
Cable title:
Smugglers Already Targeting Korean VWP Travel
how-toP 282236Z JAN 09 FM AMEMBASSY LIMA TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9958 INFO AMEMBASSY TOKYO AMEMBASSY QUITO AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL AMEMBASSY SEOUL AMEMBASSY BEIJING AMEMBASSY LA PAZ AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES AMEMBASSY PANAMA AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA
UNCLAS LIMA 000123
DEPT FOR CA/FPP
Posts for Fraud Prevention Managers
Quito also for DHS/ICE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CVIS ASEC SMIG KFRD PE
SUBJECT: Smugglers Already Targeting Korean VWP Travel
UNCLAS LIMA 000123
DEPT FOR CA/FPP
Posts for Fraud Prevention Managers
Quito also for DHS/ICE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CVIS ASEC SMIG KFRD PE
SUBJECT: Smugglers Already Targeting Korean VWP Travel
1. SUMMARY: On January 21, 2009, the Peruvian National Police (PNP)
arrested eight PRC nationals for allegedly planning to smuggle
Chinese asylum-seekers to the U.S. with phony Japanese passports. A
raid of the ring's "labs" in Lima suggests they were also targeting
Korea's VWP program, by concocting Korean passports and Korean
immigration stamps. The scheme, running since September 2008, poses
PRC nationals as Visa Waiver Travelers transiting the U.S. on their
way back to Asia. Once at the U.S. Port of Entry (POE),they
request asylum with their real PRC passports. END SUMMARY.
The Bust
--------------
2. A reliable contact within the PNP said that a tip-off started the
investigation, which led to the raid of two houses in Lima. Of the
eight detained PRC nationals, six are presumed to be current asylum
seekers. The other two are the alleged ring-leader,
Chinese-Peruvian Jin Gui Zheng who was born in Fujian province in
1971, and an assistant. Also found was 11,700 USD in cash;
equipment to forge immigration stamps from Peru, Argentina, Panama,
Guatemala, and Korea; and phony passports from Japan, Korea, and
Peru. Embassy note: although this current group was being disguised
as Japanese, the ring was also apparently targeting Korea's VWP
program. End note. Some passports were enhanced with fake
immigration stamps from Peru, Japan, and Argentina. Phone records
suggest the group had contacts in Hong Kong, Ecuador, Argentina,
Brazil, and Bolivia.
The Route
--------------
3. The PRC nationals would start their journey by flying to
visa-free Ecuador, and then transiting overland from Ecuador to Peru
where they receive the passports. They originally flew to the U.S.
from Lima, but once that route began presenting obstacles from
Peruvian Immigration, they would travel overland again to leave from
Bolivia, Brazil, and sometimes Argentina. During the flight to the
U.S. they would destroy the phony passports, and present their PRC
passports at the POE.
4. Post Comment: There is no information at this point whether the
aliens in this smuggling ring registered with ESTA or not. End
Comment.
McKinley
DEPT FOR CA/FPP
Posts for Fraud Prevention Managers
Quito also for DHS/ICE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CVIS ASEC SMIG KFRD PE
SUBJECT: Smugglers Already Targeting Korean VWP Travel
1. SUMMARY: On January 21, 2009, the Peruvian National Police (PNP)
arrested eight PRC nationals for allegedly planning to smuggle
Chinese asylum-seekers to the U.S. with phony Japanese passports. A
raid of the ring's "labs" in Lima suggests they were also targeting
Korea's VWP program, by concocting Korean passports and Korean
immigration stamps. The scheme, running since September 2008, poses
PRC nationals as Visa Waiver Travelers transiting the U.S. on their
way back to Asia. Once at the U.S. Port of Entry (POE),they
request asylum with their real PRC passports. END SUMMARY.
The Bust
--------------
2. A reliable contact within the PNP said that a tip-off started the
investigation, which led to the raid of two houses in Lima. Of the
eight detained PRC nationals, six are presumed to be current asylum
seekers. The other two are the alleged ring-leader,
Chinese-Peruvian Jin Gui Zheng who was born in Fujian province in
1971, and an assistant. Also found was 11,700 USD in cash;
equipment to forge immigration stamps from Peru, Argentina, Panama,
Guatemala, and Korea; and phony passports from Japan, Korea, and
Peru. Embassy note: although this current group was being disguised
as Japanese, the ring was also apparently targeting Korea's VWP
program. End note. Some passports were enhanced with fake
immigration stamps from Peru, Japan, and Argentina. Phone records
suggest the group had contacts in Hong Kong, Ecuador, Argentina,
Brazil, and Bolivia.
The Route
--------------
3. The PRC nationals would start their journey by flying to
visa-free Ecuador, and then transiting overland from Ecuador to Peru
where they receive the passports. They originally flew to the U.S.
from Lima, but once that route began presenting obstacles from
Peruvian Immigration, they would travel overland again to leave from
Bolivia, Brazil, and sometimes Argentina. During the flight to the
U.S. they would destroy the phony passports, and present their PRC
passports at the POE.
4. Post Comment: There is no information at this point whether the
aliens in this smuggling ring registered with ESTA or not. End
Comment.
McKinley