BHUTANESE CULTURE GROUP IN SMUGGLING PERFORMANCE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 000060

SIPDIS

CA/FPP FOR JILL NYSTROM, PLEASE PASS TO DHS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFRD CVIS ASEC IN BT
SUBJECT: BHUTANESE CULTURE GROUP IN SMUGGLING PERFORMANCE

REF: (A) 08 NEW DELHI 3190, (B) 09 NEW DELHI 000007


1. SUMMARY: New Delhi's recent confirmation that a P3 group of
Bhutanese cultural performers was a front for alien smuggling
demonstrates continuing and serious fraud issues with groups from
Bhutan initially reported a year ago (reftel A). Six of the twelve
associated applicants interviewed individually by the Fraud
Prevention Unit confessed to conspiring to work together along with
their fixer, a Bhutanese national, to allow them to work and/or
immigrate to the illegally. Given our relatively small Bhutanese
visa applicant pool (we adjudicated 599 cases in CY09),such a large
group gives us greater cause for reflection when interviewing these
applicants, especially in light of the findings of our Bhutanese
traveler validation study (reftel B). END SUMMARY.


2. Post recently interviewed a group of 12 Bhutanese nationals who
stated that their purpose of travel was to perform as members of a
Buddhist folk music and dance troupe, petitioned by Bhutan
Performing Arts Corp., at several US venues. As part of Post's
normal P3 adjudication procedure, FPU conducts a pre-appointment
review of the information provided by the group's members. In this
case, the review exposed several concerns including the fact that
the individual arranging the group's travel, Sonam Phuntsho (DOB
14MAR1949, PPT G006991),appeared to still be in the US although
ADIS records indicated his departure. As part of the review, we
called the contact number in the U.S., and spoke with a man
identifying himself as Phuntsho. During this conversation the
information he provided about his spouse did not agree with visa
application records. COMMENT: Post speculates that Phuntsho
provided his and his companion's passports to another traveler for
the purpose of establishing an ADIS record. END COMMENT.


3. With Post already alerted to the possible mala fide intent of the
applicants, the NIV interviewing officer noted that the applicants
did not possess any specific knowledge about their trip, such as the
performance venues. Moreover, five of the group, including the
leader, had no prior travel while the others had substantially
identical travel histories. Indian applicants often attempt to
enhance their travel history by taking brief visits to Southeast
Asian countries, in the hopes of improving their chances at
receiving a visa to a Western nation. As a result, the officer
referred the cases to the Fraud Prevention Unit (FPU) where six of
the twelve applicants were given individual follow-up interviews.


4. FPU first interviewed the putative group leader Gyembo Dorji (PPT
G0118258). He initially stated that he had been associated with
Kuenphen Performers Arts Thimpu for the past three years as a
coordinator and a mask dancer. However, when asked about his
performances with the other group members, he was unable to provide
any information about their background or his previous performing
experience with them. Despite being the team leader he was not aware
of even a basic travel itinerary for the group. After further
questioning, and faced with several inconsistencies between the
stories of the other group members, he admitted the fraud. He
informed the FPU team that travel arranger Sonam Phuntsho was
actually his father, and admitted that none of the members was a
performer, but all had relatives in the US, and their intention was
to travel to the US to work or settle illegally.


5. Dorji also informed FPU that his mother, Dema Phuntsho, was
currently in their village in Bhutan and the lady, alleged to be
Dema Phuntsho (DOB 01JAN1969, PPT G017113),who had travelled with
his father to the U.S. and posed as his wife during the visa
interview, was unknown to him. In fact, Dorji was unable to
identify her picture when shown it in a matrix of other Bhutanese
females. While Dorji initially stated that there was no money
exchanged between the group members and his father for the visa
scheme, two members (Kuezang Lhaden, and Kingley Zangmo) later
confirmed that they had been told to pay Phuntsho USD 3,000-4,000
after receiving the visa and arriving in the United States.


6. The other five group members interviewed by FPU admitted their
participation in the scheme after being confronted with the
information provided by Dorji, and all prepared written and affirmed
statements that they were actually intending to travel to the US to
meet family and work illegally. All stated that the entire group
had met previously to discuss the interview, that they had been
coached by Dorji and the arranger to maintain silence as to their
motives as well as the Dorji-Phuntsho family relationship, and all
admitted they knew that none of the other members of the group were
performers and that all were acting in concert to get to the United
States. While all six acknowledged that they knew that Sonam
Phuntsho's true wife was in their home village in Bhutan, none were
able to identify the lady who had posed as his wife.


7. COMMENT: Given the nature of the smuggling plan and the
concerted action of all members of the group, they were found
ineligible under Sections 212(a)(6)(E) and 212 (a)(6)(C)(i) of the
INA. There continues to be uncertainty about the true location of
Sonam Phuntsho and the woman posing as his wife; as ADIS indicates
they have departed from the U.S., Post speculates that perhaps other
Bhutanese nationals used their passports. As their visas have now
expired, there was no need to ask the Department for prudential
revocation. However, provisional 6C1 and 6E entries have been
placed against both records. This case illustrates the benefit of
the New Delhi's P3 pre-interview review process and highlights the
need for continuing careful scrutiny of Bhutanese group travelers.
END COMMENT


ROEMER