Smuggling. A Report

Smuggling report

Information compiled by Sonya Fay Ash

BCCI's drug money laundering. The UAE was a major center for heroin money. Banks in UAE catered for traffickers from the 'Golden crescent' countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran.

1991 - The fall of the Soviet system, presented Islamic finance with the greatest opportunity for growth since its revival in 1976.

1991-2002 - About 40kg of weapons usable, uranium and plutonium was stolen, from poorly protected nuclear facilities, in the former Soviet Union, between 1991 and 2002.

1995 - About 80% of the drugs that enter Europe transit through Turkey. In the late 1990's the annual drug budget of the Turkish mafia, was slightly higher than the annual budget of the Turkish government.

3 November 1996 - A car crash near Susurluk in Turkey. The passengers were all involved in smuggling drugs to Europe. High ranking politicians were also involved in this illegal trade, along with the Turkish mafia.

1997 - During Albanian unrest, 100,000 passports were stolen. Interpol says they could be used to smuggle, members of Islamist groups into Europe. Weak states with low law enforcement are ideal grounds for smuggling.

In 1998 - Albania's new role in the Balkans, when bin Laden and the Iranian revolutionary guards signed a deal, to use Albania and Kosovo, for forthcoming armed attacks in Europe. Iranian involvement in Albania dates back to 1997, robbery, terrorism, drug smuggling, arms, kidnapping and white slavery were primary sources of income. Mohsen Nurbakan the governor of the Iranian central bank, told domestic Iranian banks to invest in Albania. Iranian banks became a source of hard currency in Albania.

1998-99 - Defendants in the 1999 trial in Cairo, against the Islamic Jihad, Egyptian terror group, provided insights into the Afghan Arab network in Albania. Most of them were employed by Islamic charities in Tirana. Shawki Salama was al Qaeda's Albanian cell leader, he ran a racket in Tirana. He ran a forgery business, forging identities, passports and birth certificates, which he learned in 1994 in Sudan.