| An Interpol expert in contraband and counterfeiting said Thursday that smugglers in along borders shared by Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay is linked to Al-Qaeda's network. "There are strong indications that terrorists such as Al-Qaeda do derive some incomes from (smuggling), for example in the tri-border area between Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina, there are traders originating from the Middle East that are recycling some of the profit, donating some of the profit to some of these organizations," said Interpol expert John Newton. "We have the same suspect involved in cigarette smuggling, Al-Qaeda could be involved with cigarette smuggling to Brazil." "There are evidences from 2003 onwards," he said. Julio Lopes, a Brazilian participant, said "We have the same suspicions, Al-Qaeda could be implicated in cigarette trafficking to Brazil." Interpol is paying particular attention to the financing of the terrorist organizations. |