Smuggling foreign fighters into Iraq
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 [...]
More on the tunnel smuggling buinsess in the Gaza Strip
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 [...]
Tunnel smuggling in Gaza is now big enough to be an industry
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 [...]
Angola attempts to halt arms trafficking trail
Angola is asking a French court to stop an arms trafficking trail because the case would harm the national security of the country.
From the AP (via IHT):
A lawyer representing Angola, Francis Teitgen, argued that the investigation jeopardized the African country’s defense secrets and that letting this information emerge in a public trial would be an [...]
Somali Pirates negotiating for $8 million
The pirates holding a Ukraine ship filled with arms is currently negotiating a $8 million bounty.
From the IHT:
The Somali pirates who hijacked an arms-laden Ukrainian freighter nearly two weeks ago may soon be getting their treasure — loads of it, maritime officials and associates of the pirates said on Wednesday.
After sticky negotiations, which several people involved [...]
French elite head to trial for arms trafficking to Angola
A group of high-profile members of French’s elite are heading to trial for trafficking arms to the African state of Angola.
From the Financial Times:
Thirteen members of France’s political establishment will go on trial on Monday over the sale in spite of an international arms embargo of millions of dollars in weapons to oil-rich Angola.
Jacques Attali, [...]
Israel accuses North Korea of nuclear trafficking
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 [...]
World Famous Arms Trafficker fighting extradition
Arms Trafficker Victor Bout is currently in Thailand fighting extradition to the United States.
From Reuters:
A lawyer for a suspected Russian arms dealer urged a court in Thailand on Monday to refuse a U.S. request to hand him over for trial.
U.S. prosecutors say Viktor Bout, arrested in Bangkok in an American sting operation after arriving from [...]
ATF loses its own guns and laptops to carelessness
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms lost 76 weapons and 418 laptops over the last five years due to carelessness and theft, an audit has found.
From CNN:
Of the 76 missing weapons, 35 were stolen from agents’ homes, hotel rooms or vehicles, the report said. Some of the others were left in public places or [...]
Small arms flooding into Iraq with no monitoring
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 [...]
