US embassy cable - 05PARIS3879

S E C R E T PARIS 003879 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NKWG 
TREASURY FOR ZARATE 
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR HAYDEN 
OSD/EAPR FOR SCOTT FEENEY 
JCS FOR SLOAN 
CIA FOR KATULIS 
NSA FOR MINER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/03/2015 
TAGS: KCRM, EFIN, FR 
SUBJECT: FRENCH RESPONSE ON NORTH KOREAN COUNTERFEITING 
ACTIVITY 
 
REF: SECSTATE 97058 
 
Classified By: ECON KENNETH MERTEN, Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (S) SUMMARY: French authorities have no knowledge of North 
Korean counterfeiting of other major currencies, including 
the Euro.  We underscored our concern about North Korean 
counterfeiting activities, and French authorities said they 
would be happy to share any information that might come their 
way. END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (S)  Per reftel, we spoke with Philippe Menard, Police 
Commissioner at the French Ministry of the Interior, about 
DPRK counterfeiting activities, and requested information 
related to seizures of counterfeit US currency or specific 
criminal acts by North Koreans.  Menard said he had no 
knowledge of any such activities.  Although France has a 
relatively high rate of counterfeiting, this is because it is 
a relatively larger economy than most of its European 
neighbors.  Most counterfeit bills come to the attention of 
the police from banks or other third parties, so little 
information is usually available about the print source. 
That said, police have uncovered some criminal rings, but he 
cited Bulgaria, Lithuania and Poland as being the primary 
residences of the ring members.  The only remotely relevant 
incident he recalls involved South Koreans who were detected 
in Lithuania printing counterfeits around June 2004, but in 
his view the geographic nexus was with Lithuania, not Korea, 
and certainly not North Kor 
ea.  He was well aware of the circulars concerning DPRK 
counterfeiting of US dollars and of the "Supernotes." He 
mentioned the good working relations he enjoys with the US 
Secret Service, and promised to provide any relevant 
 
SIPDIS 
information that may come up in the future to them. 
 
3. (S)  We also spoke with officials at the Bank of France, 
who professed to have no knowledge of any North Korean 
criminal counterfeiting activity. 
 
4. (S)  Last, we spoke with Clea Le Cardeur, desk officer for 
the DPRK at the MFA, who said to her knowledge France has had 
no incidents of DPRK abuse of diplomatic privileges.  France 
does not maintain diplomatic relations with the DPRK, but the 
DPRK does staff a Mission to UNESCO based in Paris. None of 
those diplomats have been implicated in any criminal activity. 
 
5. (S)  The Paris-based office of the US Secret Service, 
which has responsibility for 70 countries in the region, has 
requested additional information from EUROPOL, and is 
awaiting a reply. 
WOLFF