In 2008, the United States Department of State reported that up to 30 percent of refined fuels in Iraq were being diverted to the black market for sale or smuggled out of the country.

Source: Nathan Vardi, “The Energy Underworld,” Forbes, June 11, 2008.

Between 2007 and 2008, a human smuggling gang was smuggling people from Iraq into the United Kingdom and charging $10,500 (7,500 British Pounds) a person. The gang, who authorities believe smuggled 1,000 people into the country, would often charge up to $21,000 (14,000 British Pounds) to people who were desperate to leave Iraq.

Source:  Peter Allen, “‘Baghdad ring’ of people-smugglers ‘helped hundreds of migrants sneak into Britain’ ,” Telegraph, March 4, 2010.

In 2009, Dubai customs seized more than a hundred cultural artifacts that were smuggled from Iraq.

Source:  Tamara Walid, “Dubai foils new attempt to smuggle Iraq artefacts,” Reuters, February 10, 2010.

After the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, 15,000 items were stolen or looted from the National Museum of Iraq.

As of February 2010, only 6,000 items have been returned.

Source:  Tamara Walid, “Dubai foils new attempt to smuggle Iraq artefacts,” Reuters, February 10, 2010.

In 2008, 630 arrest warrants were issued against officials suspected of corruption in Iraq, but only 97 people were convicted.

In addition, 135 cases of corruption involving 211 people who were mostly from the Oil Ministry were closed down by the decision of senior officials.

Source:  “Iraq chases many for corruption, catches few,” Reuters, December 23, 2009.

According to oil officials in Kuwait, $2.5 Million of diesel a day, or $912.5 Million a year, is smuggled into Iraq from Kuwait.

Source: “Kuwait MP calls to question Oil Minister over fuel smuggling to Iraq,” Alsumaria, September 30, 2009.

Between 2007 and 2009, US Border Patrol Agents apprehended 2, 285 illegal immigrants from China attempting to enter the United States from the US-Mexico border.

In addition to the Chinese, those apprehend by Border Patrol included nearly a thousands people from Europe, 80 from Pakistan, 36 from Somalia, 19 from Yemen, 25 from Iraq and 26 from Iran.

Source:  Pierre Thomas, “Exclusive: FBI Says Corrupt Border Officials Accepting Bribes Expose U.S. to Terrorist Risk,” ABC News, September 24, 2009.

Human traffickers are buying and selling at least 150 children each year in Iraq, according to an article in The Guardian Newspaper.  The children are being sold by gangs of traffickers at prices between $300 to $5500.

Source:  Afif Sarhan, “Iraqi babies for sale: people trafficking crisis grows as gangs exploit poor families and corrupt system,” The Guardian, April 6, 2009.