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Viewing cable 06ULAANBAATAR139, GIA DETAINS U.S. AND JAPANESE CURRENCY CARRIED BY

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06ULAANBAATAR139 2006-02-26 23:38 2011-08-30 01:44 SECRET//NOFORN Embassy Ulaanbaatar
P 262338Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY ULAANBAATAR
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9507
INFO AMCONSUL HONG KONG PRIORITY
USSS WASHDC PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BEIJING
AMEMBASSY SEOUL
AMEMBASSY TOKYO
AMCONSUL SHENYANG
DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
DIA DAH WASHDC
SECDEF WASHDC
S E C R E T ULAANBAATAR 000139 
 
NOFORN 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/CM, HONG KONG FOR USSS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/22/2016 
TAGS: SNAR EFIN PREL PTER ASEC MG
SUBJECT: GIA DETAINS U.S. AND JAPANESE CURRENCY CARRIED BY 
DPRK DIPLOMATS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Pamela J. Slutz for reasons 1.5 (b), (c), 
(d), and (e) 
 
1. (S/NF) The head of the General Intelligence Agency's 
Counter Intelligence department requested a meeting the 
morning of February 23rd with SIMO to discuss their detention 
of one million U.S. dollars and 200 million Japanese Yen in 
cash from two DPRK males at Ulaanbaatar's Chinggis Khan 
(formerly known as Buyant Ukhaa) Airport on February 21, 
2006. The two men were carrying North Korean diplomatic 
passports and had arrived on a Mongolian International 
Airways (MIAT) flight from Beijing. The GIA promptly 
informed SIMO that the currency was comprised of new and old 
style $100 bills and 10,000 yen notes and that it was being 
carried in hand luggage. They said that the North Korean men 
had declared the currency on their customs forms and that a 
representative of Golomt Bank, a local Mongolian-owned bank, 
presented a customs declaration to Mongolia's Custom Agency 
one hour prior to the arrival of the aircraft. The GIA reps 
emphasized that the money entered Mongolia legally and that 
no arrests were made. They told SIMO that the two men's trip 
originated in North Korea. It is not clear at this time 
whether the two men are DPRK government officials or 
officials of North Korea's Daedong Bank. 
 
2. (S/NF) The GIA rep told SIMO that they are currently 
holding the currency until it can be determined if it is 
counterfeit (Embassy note: The fact that the money was 
apparently being delivered to Golomt Bank suggests that the 
currency was legitimate.). The GIA asked SIMO for assistance 
in determining the origin and authenticity of the dollars and 
yen as well as traces on the two North Koreans. They stated 
that they have limited time (approximately ten days) before 
they will be pressured to return the currency. The North 
Korean Embassy has already issued a diplomatic note to the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting the release of the 
currency. 
 
3. (S/NF) RSO reported the incident to the regional office 
of the United States Secret Service in Hong Kong and will 
work with the USSS to determine whether the currency can be 
analyzed in the limited time available before the GIA will be 
compelled to return the currency. Some information on this 
event has already appeared in local Mongolian language 
newspapers. Post will continue to follow-up and report. 
 
Slutz 
 
NNNN