VZCZCXYZ0002
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKT #0333/01 0331243
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 021243Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0149
INFO RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO PRIORITY 4126
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 9196
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 2111
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 9136
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY

UNCLAS KATHMANDU 000333 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SA/INS 
NEW DELHI FOR JDOZIER 
USPACOM FOR JIATF WEST, 
FROM THE AMBASSADOR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON KCOR KFRD CVIS SNAR PTER NP
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR JIATF-WEST ASSESSMENT 
 
REF: A. 05 KATHMANDU 2781 
     ¶B. 05 KATHMANDU 2948 
     ¶C. 05 KATHMANDU 2257 
     ¶D. 05 KATHMANDU 2134 
     ¶E. 05 KATHMANDU 2727 
 
¶1. (U) This is an action request, see paragraph 6. 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) There is considerable political instability in 
Nepal, which is in the midst of an ongoing Maoist insurgency. 
 The current condition of the country has contributed to 
Nepal being used as a staging and transit area for alien 
smuggling, with the increasing possibility of terrorists 
using Nepal as a transit point to the United States.  There 
is an upsurge in the number of Nepalese involved in narcotics 
trafficking.  According to media reports, it is highly likely 
that Maoist insurgents traffic weapons into Nepal for their 
own use.  Also, if the Maoists ever took control of the 
country, a rise in crimes such as money laundering and 
cyber-smuggling would likely follow.  Post requests that the 
Joint Inter-agency Task Force West (JIATF West) conduct an 
assessment in Nepal.  End Summary. 
 
ALIEN SMUGGLING, POSSIBLE TRANSIT POINT FOR TERRORISTS 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶3. (U) Nepal's proximity to India and China, its lax or 
corrupt border patrols, and the sizeable number of 
international flights in and out of Kathmandu have 
contributed to Nepal being used as a staging and transit area 
for the organized smuggling of people to the United States 
and Europe.  Post is concerned that terrorists could use 
Nepal as a transit point or conduit for entry into the United 
States (ref B).  High levels of corruption in the country, 
combined with the open border with India, provide a setting 
in which a third-country national with ill intent could 
easily buy fraudulent Nepalese documents and attempt to 
travel from Nepal to the United States, pretending to be a 
Nepalese citizen.  Obtaining fraudulent documents is very 
easy in Nepal.  There is a thriving business for fraudulent 
documents as increasing numbers of Nepalis seek to leave the 
country due to the ongoing Maoist insurgency.  Corruption of 
government officials also makes genuine, but illicit, 
documents easily obtainable.  Immigration and customs 
officials have noted a need for equipment and training in 
order to enhance overall enforcement efforts at the 
international airport and border areas (ref A).  Embassy 
Kathmandu has worked closely with officials from the 
Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement, New Delhi, who conducted well-received 
document verification and contraband identification and 
seizure training in Kathmandu in 2005 (refs C and D). 
 
NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING INCREASING 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) Nepal's Narcotics Drug Control Law Enforcement Unit 
(NDCLEU, the main government body charged with combating drug 
trafficking in Nepal) reports that Nepalese are investing and 
taking a larger role in running narcotics trafficking 
operations (ref E).  The pattern of narcotics seizures 
suggests that narcotics transit Nepal from India, Pakistan 
and Afghanistan to other countries in the region and to 
Europe, North America and Japan.  The NDCLEU has identified 
the United States as a final destination for some drugs 
transiting Nepal.  A lack of transport, communications and 
surveillance equipment constrains the NDCLEU's effectiveness. 
 Security measures to interdict narcotics and contraband at 
Kathmandu's international airport are inadequate.  The 
ongoing Maoist insurgency has also had an impact on the 
rule-of-law and interdiction efforts in many parts of the 
country.  Maoist insurgents have used drug smuggling to 
finance their insurgency. 
 
ARMS TRAFFICKING, MONEY LAUNDERING, CYBER-SMUGGLING 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶5. (U) Arms trafficking, money laundering, and 
cyber-smuggling are problems of varying degrees in Nepal. 
There is draft legislation pending cabinet approval that 
would strengthen Nepal's money laundering enforcement regime. 
 According to media reports, it is highly likely that Maoist 
insurgents bring weapons into Nepal through the porous border 
with India for their own use, but they do not appear to 
traffic weapons to third countries.  While there are no 
indications that Nepal is a center for money laundering or 
cyber-smuggling, police have expressed interest in training 
on money laundering and financial crimes, as well as how to 
track propaganda e-mails sent by Maoists, which could be 
relevant to various forms of cyber-smuggling.  If the Maoists 
ever succeeded in taking control of Nepal, the greatest fear 
would be that Nepal could become a safe-haven for other 
terrorists, similar to Afghanistan under the Taliban.  To 
avoid this doomsday scenario, any efforts to improve 
enforcement efforts related to arms trafficking, money 
laundering, and cyber-smuggling would be of benefit to Nepal 
during these tenuous times. 
 
REQUEST FOR JIATF WEST ASSESSMENT 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) From the information above, one can see the 
potential for harm against the United States.  I strongly 
believe an assessment from JIATF West could enhance USG 
efforts to strengthen Nepal's overall enforcement capacity in 
areas such as alien smuggling, terrorist insurgency, and 
border interdiction methods to address transnational crime 
(narcotics interdiction, money laundering, trade fraud, 
cyber-smuggling and general smuggling), thus taking necessary 
steps to protect the United States.  I hereby request JIATF 
West to conduct an initial assessment in Nepal at its 
earliest convenience and to inform Post of its ability to do 
so. 
MORIARTY