- The security of New Zealand passports is under the spotlight
after two suspected Israeli spies were caught allegedly trying to obtain
the documents here.
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- Prime Minister Helen Clark has said the Government would
do everything it could to protect the reputation of New Zealand passports,
while National Party immigration spokesman Wayne Mapp is calling for a
review of the passport system.
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- "What the Government takes extremely seriously is
any action which sets out to challenge the integrity of the New Zealand
passport system and we will act in any way we can to protect the reputation
of the New Zealand passport," Miss Clark told National Radio.
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- Last night, she said the matter had been raised directly
with the Israeli government.
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- Miss Clark said she could not discuss details as the
case was still before the court.
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- "There will be a strong and public response to this
matter once the court action has concluded," she said.
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- Urie Zoshe Kelman, 30, and Eli Cara, 50, appeared in
Auckland District Court yesterday. They denied three joint charges including
attempting to obtain a New Zealand passport and participating in an organised
crime group to obtain a false passport.
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- Details that emerged in court revealed two other men
were involved. Zev William Barkan, 37, has fled the country and authorities
concede they would not know where to find him. A fourth man is believed
to be here but police say the others refuse to identify him.
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- Meanwhile, Dr Mapp said the case highlighted the importance
of the integrity of New Zealand passports.
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- "It's the sort of thing that happens to countries
but I think fundamentally we have to learn lessons from it and we have
to be prepared to tighten up," Dr Mapp told NZPA.
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- "A review of our passport system looks like it is
required. We're not in a benign environment any more we're in an age of
international terrorism where hundreds of people can die due to terrorist
incidents absolute vigilance is required."
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- The Government has not officially confirmed the two arrested
men were Israeli secret service (Mossad) agents but the New Zealand Herald
newspaper reported today that senior government officials said it was believed
they were.
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- The court was told the accused and the other two people
had been in and out of the country since last November. Cara, who says
he is a Sydney-based travel agent, travelled in and out 24 times since
October 2000.
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- The case is the first known example of foreign agents
appearing in a New Zealand court since the 1985 arrest of the Rainbow Warrior
bombers.
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- The court heard the visits since last year were allegedly
for the purpose of obtaining a false New Zealand identity for one of the
men.
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- They allegedly made a passport application using a birth
certificate of a person with cerebral palsy, who authorities say was an
innocent victim of the scam.
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- After being tipped off by Internal Affairs, detectives
mounted a surveillance operation on March 23, dispatching a package meant
to resemble the passport and watching to see who would pick it up, the
court was told.
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- In the meantime, Cara and Kelman were allegedly carrying
out their own surveillance of the package.
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- Cara was approached by police as he sat in a cafe across
the road from one drop-off point. Kelman was arrested after he was seen
walking away from another point, throwing a cellphone into bushes.
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- Kelman and Cara first appeared in court late last month.
At yesterday's appearance their case was fast-tracked in highly unusual
circumstances.
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- They were committed for trial by consent of the defence,
although they did not admit there was a prima facie case.
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- The men were granted bail by Judge Chris Field who imposed
reporting and curfew conditions after rejecting police applications to
keep them in custody because of flight risk.
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- Police were represented by Auckland-based prosecutor
Fletcher Pilditch, although the office of the Solicitor-General, Terence
Arnold, QC, has also been involved.
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- Outside court, Cara denied being a member of the Israeli
secret service. Asked if there had been a misunderstanding, he said, "I
think so."
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- As he left the building Cara pulled the hood of his green
coat over his head and put his sunglasses on. Kelman, who is a tall, slim
man with freckles, short red hair and glasses, refused to answer questions.
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- A person at Auckland's President Plaza hotel, where Cara
has been staying, said he knew Cara and that he seemed to spend a lot of
time in the gym. Kelman has been staying at the Kiwi Hotel and the Duxton
Hotel. He has Israeli and Canadian passports.
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- Internationally, there have been cases of Mossad agents
being discovered trying to pass themselves off as nationals of neutral
countries. In 1997, Mossad agents were caught using Canadian passports
during a failed assassination attempt on an Islamic official in Jordan.
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- In 2000, a Mossad operative was handed a suspended sentence
after being accused of espionage and repeated use of false identity documents
in Switzerland.
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- New Zealand passports have become increasingly sought-after
on the black market, not just for spies but for terrorists and drug couriers.
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- Four years ago, a member of an al Qaeda cell that plotted
to bomb Los Angeles at the turn of the millennium was uncovered travelling
on a stolen New Zealand passport. #para It was understood the Government
was concerned that revelations that Mossad agents may be using New Zealand
travel documents could put New Zealanders at risk.
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- http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2878523a11,00.html
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