The New York Times writes about the killing of an Israeli Mobster last week. From the NY Times: The Alperon hit had dominated the news for days. A narrow strip of a country, Israel has a limited pool of celebrities. So when Mr. Alperon, referred to by many as Israel’s Tony Soprano, was killed at 54, the [...]

According to Israeli Officials, Hamas is solidifying its hold on the smuggling tunnels in the Gaza strip. From the Jerusalem Post: Sixteen months after assuming full control over the Gaza Strip, Hamas appears to be stronger than ever - largely thanks to the growing number of tunnels that are used to smuggle goods and weapons under the [...]

The New Zealand Herald has an article on the market in smuggling fighters from Syria into Iraq. From the NZ Herald: For years, he operated along Syria’s remote border providing young Arabs from as far away as Morocco and the Gulf with passports, guides and weapons as they slipped into Iraq to wage war. But recently, the Iraqi [...]

The Los Angeles Times has a blog posting on sex trafficking in Lebanon. From Babylon and Beyond: They are lured into Lebanon to work as models, masseuses or dancers in nightclubs. But some of these young Eastern European women, especially from Moldova, are sold by criminal networks to brothels, where they are forced to work as prostitutes. These [...]

Another article on the money being made from the tunnels in the Gaza Strip. From the Guardian: Hamas is receiving a steady revenue licensing illicit tunnels in Gaza’s south to smugglers and business people who are importing fuel and other items from Egypt to meet shortages created by Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian territory. Hundreds of tents covering [...]

UN Officials are stating that the tunnel smuggling in Gaza is large enough to be considered “an industry”. From BBC News: The level of smuggling tunnels between the Gaza Strip and Egypt now amounts to an industry, according to UN officials. A UN report said the tunnels had become a lifeline for Gaza’s Palestinians because of the Israeli [...]

Israel accused North Korea of trafficking nuclear technology and arms to various countries in the Middle East.  From the AP (via Google News): Israel accused North Korea on Saturday of covertly supplying at least half a dozen Mideast countries with nuclear technology or conventional arms. The allegation was made at an International Atomic Energy Agency meeting in Vienna [...]

The kidnappers of 11 Europeans and 8 Egyptians in Cairo has publicly demanded $6 million in ransom. From the IHT: The kidnappers of 11 European tourists and 8 Egyptians who were taken in a remote desert area of southwestern Egypt on Friday night have demanded $6 million to free them, an Egyptian government official said early Tuesday. [...]

Amnesty International is reporting that thousands of small arms is flooding into Iraq with no monitoring or tracking done by the United States and the United Kingdom. From the Guardian: There is no clear accountable audit trail for some 360,000 small arms supplied to the Iraqi security forces, many by the US and UK, it says. Subcontracting [...]

Use of Amphetamines is increasing in parts of Asia and the Middle East, according to the United Nations.  This stands in contrast to the United States where the use of amphetamines such as ecstasy has remained fairly stable over the last several years.  From the AP (via NPR): Asia is still driving demand, with nearly half the region’s [...]