Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09MONROVIA609
2009-08-24 17:59:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Monrovia
Cable title:  

ARREST OF PAKISTANI MALAFIDE PASSENGERS LAYS BARE WEAKNESS

Tags:  ASEC EAIR ECON KFRD CPAS PREL PGOV KCRM EAID LI 
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VZCZCXRO9887
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHMV #0609/01 2361759
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 241759Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY MONROVIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1249
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 1500
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0059
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MONROVIA 000609 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/EPS, AF/W DS/IP/ITA AND CA/FPP

E.O.12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC EAIR ECON KFRD CPAS PREL PGOV KCRM EAID LI
SUBJECT: ARREST OF PAKISTANI MALAFIDE PASSENGERS LAYS BARE WEAKNESS
IN RIA SECURITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MONROVIA 000609

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/EPS, AF/W DS/IP/ITA AND CA/FPP

E.O.12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC EAIR ECON KFRD CPAS PREL PGOV KCRM EAID LI
SUBJECT: ARREST OF PAKISTANI MALAFIDE PASSENGERS LAYS BARE WEAKNESS
IN RIA SECURITY


1. (SBU) Summary: The removal of two malafide Pakistanis from a
Brussels Airlines August 12 flight to Brussels by airline officials,
and the GOL's subsequent investigation, has brought to light a well
developed smuggling operation using the Roberts International
Airport (RIA) VIP Lounge as a way to avoid normal security screening
checks. The ring was recycling stolen U.S. passports to purchase
the tickets. Members of the Bureau of Immigration and
Naturalization (BIN),the MFA Office of Protocol, an expeditor for
Firestone Rubber Plantation, and one member of Brussels Airlines'
local security company ESM are under investigation. President
Sirleaf has tasked Minister of Justice Christiana Tah to follow the
investigation. Also implicated is a local travel agency owned by
Randolph Cooper, a former RIA managing director who is on the UN
Travel Ban and Assets Freeze lists. Five Pakistanis are now in
custody, as well as several Liberians. The VIP Lounge has often
been seen as a weak link in RIA's security (including by Brussels
Airlines),and it must be eliminated or its use must be severely
curtailed in order to avoid a repeat. Ambassador has prohibited
Mission personnel or USG TDY personnel from using the VIP Lounge
without the prior consent of the DCM. If Brussels Airlines cannot
be assured of quick improvements to airport security, it will
consider suspending flights. A TSA-ASSIST team is in town to help
improve security at the airport. End Summary.

Smuggling Ring Operation
--------------


2. (SBU) The arrest of five Pakistani nationals and several
Liberians has uncovered a ring to smuggle Pakistani and perhaps
other nationals through RIA to Europe by means of Brussels Airlines
that has been in operation for at least several months.
Investigation resulting from the removal of the two Pakistani
nationals indicates collusion between a local travel agency,

immigration officials, employees of the VIP Lounge and at least one
employee from a local security service. It is not clear at this
time whether the same procedures were used to board the malafide
passengers on previous flights.


3. (SBU) According to Brussels Airlines Country Manager Luc
Metdepenningen, since January 1, 13 undocumented passengers have
entered Brussels from flights originating from Monrovia or
transiting Monrovia from Abidjan. In investigating the pattern, he
noticed the repeated occurrence the names of two AMCITS on the
flight manifests during every occasion when Belgian immigration
authorities detained the undocumented aliens. According to
electronic ticket records, though the two were purchasing round-trip
tickets, the return legs were never used and no baggage was ever
checked in under their names. He provided Consul the electronic
picture files of the passports of the two individuals:

-- Samuel SCHROCK; DPOB: 25 FEB 1985, Washington (state); US PPT
(Regular) #160275997; DPOI: 31 MAR 2000, Washington, DC.
-- Jason Donald KADLEC; DPOB: 19 FEB 1975, Nebraska; US PPT
(Regular) #112498570; DPOI: 22 FEB 2001, New York City.


4. (SBU) On July 6, Metdepenningen asked for Consul's assistance in
determining the validity of these U.S. passports as well as any
other information that would contribute to mitigating the fraudulent
use of U.S. travel documents through RIA. Consul informed RSO of
the request.


5. (SBU) PIERS and CLASS records checks revealed that USPPT
160275997 had, in fact, been issued to Sarah (not Samuel) Schrock,
DPOB: 21 NOV 1975, Washington (state). PIERS records show that this
PPT was subsequently reported stolen by Sarah Schrock on August 14,
2002 in Nairobi, Kenya. She was a Peace Corps Volunteer at the time
so the passport was valid for only five years. The passport
therefore appears to be both photosubbed and biodata altered. A
comparison of the PIERS record to the provided scan indicate that
USPPT 112498570 has not been altered. This passport, however, was
reported lost by the bearer in NYC in 2003.

Travel Agency, Other Involvement
--------------


6. (SBU) In a subsequent conversation with ARSO, the Brussels
Airlines Country Manager said that all tickets associated with this
activity had been purchased no more than 24 hours in advance of
departure (some on the day of the flight) through Liberia Travel
Services (LTS). LTS is owned by Randolph Cooper, who was Managing
Director of RIA under ex-President Charles Taylor and is currently
on the UN Travel Ban and Assets Freeze lists for being "instrumental
in the various violations of the arms embargo." Cooper is also the
general sales associate for Virgin Nigeria Airlines in Liberia as
well as the head of the Liberia Travel Agent Association.


7. (SBU) The Country Manager and ARSO agreed that the most likely
mechanism by which this fraud was being committed indicated the
complicity of some, if not all, layers of the security screening
process at RIA, as the passports bear the pictures of Caucasian
males who are unlikely to resemble the South Asian individuals
purporting to be the rightful bearers of these passports. They also
agreed that the investigation and research should remain
confidential between Brussels Airlines and USG until such time as
Liberian authorities could be briefed without presenting the
possibility of an internal leak at RIA.


8. (SBU) During a trip to Brussels in July, the Country Manager was
asked by Brussels Airlines security to discuss the case with
Director General of the Liberian Civil Aviation Authority (LCAA)
Richelieu Williams to develop a protocol for the return of the
malafide passengers to Liberia. Belgian authorities had attempted
to return one of the aliens to Liberia on July 15, but this
individual was refused by Liberian immigration officers at RIA and
returned on the same flight to Brussels.


9. (SBU) Metdepenningen met with Williams on August 8 and apprised
Williams that U.S. passports were likely being used to facilitate
the trafficking operation and that Brussels Airlines had been in
communication with the U.S. Embassy. Williams told Metdepenningen
that he wanted to "deploy a big operation" at the airport to set an
example about security at RIA. Later that day, Williams departed
Liberia for Ghana, returning on 12 AUG 2009.

Two Pakistanis Arrested
--------------


10. (SBU) On August 11, Metdepenningen observed that LTS had booked
a seat on the August 12 Monrovia-Brussels flight in Kadlec's name.
He waited until the next day (day of the flight) to verify that the
passenger was travelling (to be sure the ticket was actually
purchased, not just the reservation made). The ticket was purchased
midday on August 12.


11. (SBU) After confirming that a passenger posing as Kadlec had
checked in, the Country Manager placed himself in the aircraft
cockpit as the passengers were boarding. He observed two vehicles
moving from the VIP lounge to planeside, where the passports were
checked by a local Liberian employee of Brussels Airlines'
locally-contracted security handler ESM. Two males appearing to be
South Asian exited one of the vehicles at the aircraft and proceeded
to board. When all boarding was complete, Metdepenningen requested
that the cabin crew check the travel documents of the two South
Asian passengers. When he was satisfied that the two individuals
were not bearing proper documents, they were detained and
Metdepenningen notified Williams. The second individual was seated
under a reservation for Dennis Derrick MOORE; DPOB: 26 FEB 1951,
Texas; US PPT #133985070, which. The passport was reported stolen
in Indonesia in October 2002. According to Brussels Airlines
records, this was the only use of this passport in the past few
months.


12. (SBU) Metdepenningen could not confirm to us that the two
passengers had the passports in question in their possession, but
said that the two could provide no travel documents or
identification. Liberian Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization
(BIN) has been unable and/or unwilling to provide the Embassy with
location and status of any travel documents seized in this
investigation.


13. (SBU) According to BIN Commissioner Chris Massaquoi, the two
individuals arrested at RIA were Pakistani nationals:

Zahwer Abbas, DOB: 20 JUL 1987
Address: Sherupura, Jica Tajvel Munaka Tharanarrang, Pakistan
Father's Name: Abbas Ali Gursya
Mother's Name: Saifa Bibi

Ali Hasnain, DOB: 06 AUG 1990
POB: Sialkot, Pakistan
Father's Name: Mukhtar Ahmed Anjum
Mother's Name: Maqsoda Bibi
Address: No. 03 Sambrial Sialkot

BIN Commissioner Massaquoi told Emboffs that as of August 24 BIN has
five Pakistanis in custody.

Arrests Make the Press
--------------


14. (SBU) Post was made aware of the August 12 arrests only on
August 18 through an article in the local Heritage newspaper that
claimed that a "sting operation" had been conducted by the LCAA,
giving Williams full credit for busting the ring. Metdepenningen
has told Emboffs that the article was completely inaccurate, and
that Williams learned of the events only after the two were removed
from the plane by airline officials. The article did, however, give
the names and numbers of the U.S. passports. Metdepenningen said he
had tried to contact Consul (who has since departed post) and ARSO
(who is on TDY) but did not attempt to contact anyone else. Even
though U.S. passports were used in the scam, GOL officials did not
contact the Embassy.


15. (SBU) During a meeting with the Minister of Justice on August
21, Charge raised the arrest issue, noting that publicizing the
arrests before the investigation was complete may have made finding
the rest of the perpetrators more difficult, and expressed concern
that the U.S. passports used in by the ring still have not been
recovered. Later that day, charge called on President Sirleaf. The
Minister of Justice, BIN Commissioner and LCAA Managing director
were also present. President Sirleaf admitted that the press
release was ill-advised. Massaquoi and Williams then provided the
President their version of events, and Sirleaf instructed the
Minister of Justice to determine the facts of the case.

Next Steps
--------------


16. (SBU) The Embassy will continue to monitor the situation.
Charge briefed the incoming TSA-ASSIST team on the events.
Ambassador has prohibited all Mission personnel from use of the VIP
Lounge without prior approval by the DCM. Metdepenningen said that
Brussels Airlines will send a high level team to Monrovia (arriving
August 24) to assess the situation. Embassy is organizing a meeting
with TSA-ASSIST, the Brussels Airlines officials and UNMIL for
August 26.


17. (SBU) Comment: Post believes this smuggling operation may have
had high level support within the airport, as prior efforts by
Brussels Airlines to tighten security resulted in little change. It
is conceivable that Williams' actions were motivated by a desire to
demonstrate government resolve. However, the unintended consequence
was to make the activity public before the investigation could be
completed. RIA and Lockheed Martin, which has recently won a
six-month contract to manage RIA (septel),must now find ways to
eliminate this and other weaknesses in the airport's security. It
is clear that the GOL now understands that flights to the U.S. will
not occur until the security situation improves, and President
Sirleaf's personal interest in the matter and her entrusting the
case to her Minister of Justice, whom she trusts, is positive. The
arrival of the TSA-ASSIST team, the takeover of RIA management by
Lockheed Martin, and Brussels Airlines' desire to beef up security
allow for a window of opportunity for real improvement to the
airport, that the GOL must seize.

ROBINSON