US embassy cable - 05KATHMANDU2781

UNCLAS KATHMANDU 002781 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SA/INS, CA FOR VO 
NEW DELHI FOR JDOZIER 
USPACOM FOR JIATF WEST 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON, KCOR, KFRD, CVIS, SNAR, PTER, NP 
SUBJECT: ICE OFFICIAL SEEKS FUNDING FOR NEPAL CUSTOMS 
 
REF: A. KATHMANDU 2134 
 
     B. KATHMANDU 2257 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
1. (SBU) In recent meetings with James Dozier of the 
Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement Division (ICE) from Embassy New Delhi, 
Nepali officials identified training and equipment needed to 
improve immigration, customs, and drug trafficking 
enforcement.  Police officials noted their ongoing 
cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) on 
drug trafficking and requested training in money laundering 
and financial crimes enforcement.  Nepali Immigration and 
Embassy Consular Section officials expressed their gratitude 
for previous training and flagged the need for equipment and 
further training (reftels).  Dozier undertook to convey these 
assistance requests at the upcoming Joint Inter-Agency Task 
Force West (JIATF West) ICE Attache Regional Conference in 
February 2006 in Hong Kong.  End Summary. 
 
CUSTOMS TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT REQUESTS 
--------------------------------------- 
 
2. (SBU) In a November 21 meeting with Dozier, Chandi Prasad 
Dahal, acting Director General of Customs, explained that His 
Majesty's Government of Nepal (HMGN) focused more on the 
collection of customs revenue than on enforcement.  He 
admitted that mismanagement and a lack of work ethic had been 
problems in implementing lessons learned from prior ICE 
training (ref A).  However, he was eager to cooperate with, 
and receive assistance from, the U.S.  Dahal stated that 
Customs was planning to computerize all their operations 
within a year and requested assistance with purchasing the 
computers and database training.  Madhu Sudhan Bhattarai, 
Airport Customs Chief, stressed during a tour of the Air 
Cargo facility that having no x-ray machines for the import 
area and only two machines for exports prevented Customs from 
checking cargo for compliance with Nepali customs 
regulations.  Noting the lack of a reliable x-ray machine at 
customs in the arrival area of the international airport, 
Bhattarai expressed the hope for U.S. assistance in 
addressing the problem.  Dozier said he would convey customs 
enforcement assistance requests to JIATF West at the February 
2006 ICE Attache Regional Conference in Hong Kong. 
 
POLICE AND CUSTOMS ON DRUG TRAFFICKING AND MONEY LAUNDERING 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
3. (SBU) In several meetings, Dozier discussed drug 
trafficking and money laundering enforcement efforts with 
Police and Customs officials.  Airport Customs Chief 
Bhattarai lamented that Customs did not have the proper 
machines or competent manpower to combat drug trafficking at 
the airport.  Balgovinda Bista, Joint Secretary for the 
Disaster Planning and Narcotics Division, echoed the need to 
strengthen the drug enforcement unit at the airport.  Both 
officials requested U.S. assistance.  Hemant Malla, Senior 
Superintendent of Police, Narcotics Drug Control Law 
Enforcement Unit, explained his unit's activities and the 
good relations with DEA officials in New Delhi.  Rabi Kant 
Aryal, Additional Inspector General of Police, asked for 
police training in money laundering and financial crimes 
enforcement and training in inter-governmental cooperation. 
Aryal also wanted to learn how to trace the origination of 
e-mails, specifically mentioning Maoist propaganda.  Dozier 
noted that drug trafficking and money laundering enforcement 
assistance were two of JIATF West's areas of concern. 
 
IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS HOPE FOR CONTINUED ICE SUPPORT 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
4. (SBU) Immigration officials also flagged the need for 
training and equipment in a November 21 meeting with Dozier. 
Mohan Krishna Sapkota, Director General, Immigration, 
requested the following equipment assistance: 
machine-readable passport devices (of which they have none), 
ultra-violet lights, and computers and uninterrupted power 
sources to link airport and border area databases.  Sapkota 
also sought training on computer databases, document control 
for sensitive items such as passports and visas, and 
follow-up document verification training.  Bedh Prakash 
Lekhak, Chief Immigration Officer, Tribhuvan International 
Airport, said that he would like to learn more about how 
other countries' immigration systems worked so that Nepal 
Immigration could better coordinate efforts with other 
nations.  Dozier noted that such immigration training was 
available from DHS sources other than JIATF West. 
 
COMMENT 
------ 
 
5. (SBU) HMGN officials have expressed appreciation for past 
ICE assistance.  Post hopes ICE can continue to support 
customs and immigration programs in Nepal in the future. 
 
6. (U) James Dozier, ICE, New Delhi, cleared on this cable. 
MORIARTY