PERU RESPONSE TO BLUE LANTERN LEVEL

C O N F I D E N T I A L LIMA 001426

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/23/2019
TAGS: ETTC KOMC PE
SUBJECT: PERU RESPONSE TO BLUE LANTERN LEVEL
3:POST-LICENSE/PRE-SHIPMENT END-USE CHECK ON LICENSE
050132068

REF: STATE 85081

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission James D. Nealon
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (U) The following responds to the Department's Office of
Defense Trade Controls Compliance (PM/DTCC) request for
information on a post-license/pre-shipment check on license
050132068 for the export of pistols to Peru. ECON Officer
visited the two Peru-based establishments involved in the
transaction, Armeria Eagles and Logwin Air and Ocean Peru
S.A., and spoke with their General Managers. ECON Officer
also met with Peruvian Government officials at the Ministry
of Interior.

ARMERIA EAGLES
--------------

2. (U) ECON Officer visited the Armeria Eagles facility on
September 11, 2009. Armeria Eagles is located in an office
building shared by multiple businesses. To enter the
building, a visitor must register at the front desk and carry
a visitor's badge. Upon entering Armeria Eagles, one passes
through a secured door and a secured gate. The facility
includes a small showroom and the General Manager's office.
There are no storage facilities on the premises. The Armeria
Eagles General Manager greeted us and introduced us to his
staff of four. He provided us with a copy of the company
bylaws, the Peruvian Tax Agency Business Registration,
license to sell arms, and the local municipality
authorization to operate a business. Currently, Armeria
Eagles imports weapons from Austria, Turkey, and the Czech
Republic.


3. (U) Following are the responses:

--When was your company established and who are its
principals? Three partners established Armeria Eagles in

2000. The partners named on the bylaws document included
Edgar Edilberto Quispe Ortiz, Nelson Espinoza Justiniano, and
Khader Ode Jamis. Today, only Quispe Ortiz remains involved
in the business.

--What products and services does your company provide? Who
are your regular customers and where do they reside? Armeria
Eagles sells pistols, revolvers, rifles, bullets, mace, and
accessories. The company provided us with a list of weapons
sold over the course of the last six months. The list
includes the following brands: Glock, CZ, Akkar, Baikal,
Jaguar, Bersa, Tisas, and Kora Brno. The regular customers
include security guards, police officers, hunters, and
private citizens. Their customers reside in Lima. Armeria
Eagles has a second location located outside of Lima in
Huancayo. This location sells the same products to residents
of Huancayo.

--What are your annual sales of U.S.-origin firearms or other
U.S.-origin defense articles? The company does not sell U.S.
origin firearms at this time. The company reported minimal
sells of other U.S.-origin defense articles, such as mace.


--Are you familiar with the regulations governing the import
of U.S.-origin defense articles, including restrictions on
re-transfer or re-export? Yes, the four employees are
familiar with the restrictions.

LOGWIN AIR & OCEAN PERU S.A.
--------------

4. (U) ECON Officer visited Logwin on September 14. The
company is located in a high rise building. Upon entry,
visitors must register with the front desk. LOGWIN is a
German company. Formerly, the company was known as
Birkhardt. Birkhardt split into two entities, with Logwin
taking one part of the business and Birk Trans remaining with
the other half. Logwin has been located at the address,
Victor Andres Belaunde 157, San Isidro for two weeks. This
address differs from the one on the cable, which is the
former address.


5. (U) Following are the responses:

--When was your company established and who are its
principals? The company was establish sixteen years ago.
The principals include the Country Manager Nick Bonifaz
Masias, the Financial Manager Manzur Aliosh, and the Regional
Manager Max Bernaldo.


--What products and services does your company provide? Who
are your regular customers and where do they reside? Logwin
provides international logistics and transportation services.
Clients for the Peru office hail primarily from China,
Japan, Korea, Germafo-QQUB*Qh> The Lima office handles
shipments exclusively of spare auto parts and electronics.
The company has not handled and does not have plans to handle
shipments of dangerous cargo.

--What is your role in this transaction? Will you ever have
possession of the defense articles listed below? The Country
Manager and the staff person handling transactions have no
knowledge of Armeria Eagles, Valor Corporation, or a
transaction regarding the shipment of firearms.

--Are you familiar with the regulations governing the import
of U.S.-origin defense articles, including restrictions on
re-transfer or re-export? The Country Manager has had a
career in international shipping and logistics and confirmed
his knowledge of the restrictions.

PERUVIAN GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES
--------------

6. (U) ECON officer met with the Director General of the
Ministry of Interior's Office of Control of Security
Services, Arms Control and Munitions, and Explosives for
Civilian Use (DICSCAMEC) on September 14. This Peruvian
Government Authority oversees the importation and control of
firearms. Under Peruvian law, the Ministry of Interior
stores imported weapons until purchased. Upon the shipment's
entry into Peru, a representative from DICSCAMEC and a
representative from the importing company will inspect the
cargo at the port. The shipment will then be transferred to
the Ministry's storage facility. Once a purchaser receives a
license to own and operate a handgun then the purchaser will
visit the storage facility, and present the license and
receipt, in exchange for the firearm. The purchaser must pay
for the weapon upfront at the gun store and then proceed to
obtain the proper licenses for the handgun being purchased.
Peruvian law requires an individual to complete a background
check, a psychological exam, and an operations and safety
test in order to qualify for a gun license. A license allows
a person to carry the weapon on his person, in a car, in his
home, and concealed. The weapon may be carried throughout the
country without further registration. DICSCAMEC requires
monthly and quarterly reports to be completed by the gun
suppliers.


7. (C) Following are the responses:

--Is Armeria Eagles properly authorized to import and sell
defense articles in Peru? Yes, the company has complied with
all requirements. In Peru, a company receives authorization
for two year periods. Armeria Eagles's authorization will
expire in May 2010.

--Do you have any information on Armeria Eagles that would
question their reliability as a recipient of U.S. defense
articles? Yes. The Director General asked to speak with us
in confidence and relayed his serious concerns regarding
Armeria Eagles. While the company has the proper licensing
and authorization to sell firearms in Peru, the Director
General raised serious concerns regarding the questionable
clientele of the company. The Director General does not have
substantive evidence of wrong-doing. Nonetheless,
intelligence authorities have indicated a concern. DICSCAMEC
has the company under close observation. The company raised
red flags due to a higher than normal occurrence of
administrative errors in the monthly and quarterly reports
submitted to DICSCAMEC. The company has undergone
Administrative hearings for errors in reporting, but at this
time there is no evidence to support a criminal procedure.

--Is Logwin Air & Ocean Peru S.A. properly authorized to
import defense articles in Peru? DICSCAMEC has no knowledge
of this company as an intermediary for importers of defense
articles.

--Do you have any information on Logwin Air & Ocean Peru S.A.
that would question their reliability as a recipient of U.S.
defense articles? No information.


8. (C) COMMENT: Armeria Eagles has the proper authorizations
and licenses to sell firearms and munitions in Lima. The
concerns raised by the Director General at DICSCAMEC should
be considered sincere. However, given the lack of
substantive evidence, we cannot recommend suspension of the



license. We do recommend close monitoring. With respect to
Logwin, more information will be needed to determine whether
this company is in fact involved in the transaction. At this
time, Post has no concerns regarding their operation in Peru.
MCKINLEY