US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO510

S E C R E T COLOMBO 000510 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
TERREP 
 
DS FOR DS/IP/ITA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 1.6X1 
TAGS: ASEC, PTER 
SUBJECT: WALK-IN CLAIMS LOCAL PASSPORT VENDOR HELPED FOUR 
SRI LANKAN MUSLIMS TRAVEL TO AFGHANISTAN 
 
REF: 03 COLOMBO 1810 
 
Classified By: Alex Moore, Regional Security Officer, Reason: Intellige 
nce Sources/Methods, Declassify: Exempt, Reason: 1.6 (X1) 
 
This cable is a retransmission of Colombo 00491 due to upgrade of decla 
ssification exemption.  Please destroy all copies of Colombo 0491. 
 
1. (S/NF) On March 18, a confidential source of undetermined 
reliability but known to RSO and ORCA New Delhi contacted the 
RSO to pass new information and advise he will be relocating 
to Abu Dhabi for work.  Source is identified as Mohamed 
Ilyars Mohamed HUNU, DPOB 12/15/1972 - Sri Lanka, National 
Identity Number 723501008V, SL PPT# L0130138 (protect). 
 
2. (S/NF) Source advised that the local passport vendor he 
had reported on in the past, Al-Hagg Illyas Faleel (see 
reftel), had recently helped four Sri Lankan Muslims travel 
to Afghanistan.  When pressed for additional details, such as 
the names of the travelers, their purpose, or their routes of 
travel, Source was unable to elaborate but advised he would 
attempt to get additional information.  Source offered that 
he believed the individuals departed Sri Lanka on/about March 
12.  In addition, Source advised Al-Hagg's father, who is a 
former member of Parliament, is currently a candidate for 
Parliament in the April 2 election as candidate number 11. 
 
3. (S/NF) Source also mentioned an unnamed "crazy man" who is 
a radical Muslim who talks of building a large explosive, 
possibly targeting a tourist bus in Sri Lanka.  Source 
speculated that the unidentified man has a thick "catalog" of 
weapons but does not at this time have the financing or means 
to fulfill his threats.  RSO asked the Source to obtain 
additional details on the man in question. 
 
4. (S/NF) Finally, Source advised that he would soon be 
departing Sri Lanka to take new employment in Abu Dhabi. 
Source will be traveling to Abu Dhabi on March 22 via EY 202. 
 Source will be employed in Abu Dhabi as a security officer 
at the Beach Rotana Hotel (971-2-644-3000).  RSO told the 
Source that his relocation to Abu Dhabi would be reported to 
appropriate authorities (ORCA New Delhi), and he may be 
contacted by U.S. Embassy personnel at some time in the 
future.  Source provided current phone numbers in Colombo as 
034-222-7851 and 034-2222787. 
 
5. (S/NF) RSO Comment:  Source is known to RSO and ORCA New 
Delhi, but the reliability of his information has yet to be 
proven.  RSO and ORCA have evaluated that the potential value 
of Source's information lies in his knowledge of possible 
U.S. document forgeries within the Sri Lankan Muslim 
community.  As reported in reftel, Source presented a good 
quality forged Sri Lankan passport and National Identity 
card, each containing his photograph and assumed identity. 
The information regarding Source's relocation is passed to 
the Department in the event that ORCA wants to continue 
communication with him while he is in Abu Dhabi.  Regarding 
Al-Hagg, RSO reported the document vendor's alleged 
activities (which includes forging U.S. passports) to the Sri 
Lankan Directorate of Internal Intelligence in October 2003 
but no action has been taken to date.  RSO will schedule a 
meeting next week with the police CID and attempt to energize 
a police investigation into Al-Hagg's activities in an effort 
to disrupt his illegal operation.  RSO will also relay 
information on Al-Hagg's father as a candidate for 
Parliament.  Colombo point of contact is RSO Alex Moore 
(94-11-244-8007). 
LUNSTEAD