Another in a long list of connections between drug trafficking and jihadists. “Bulgaria drugs trade funds Hezbollah,” from Reuters:
SOFIA (Reuters) – Profits from drugs trafficking through Bulgaria have been used to fund organizations like Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad, the parliamentary security commission said on Tuesday.
Bulgarian crime groups trading in synthetic drugs and Arabs linked to militant groups had been cooperating in the trafficking, said the draft report obtained by Reuters and due to be debated in parliament this week.
“Part of the money accumulated from drugs trafficking are being used to fund terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad,” said the report. It gave no further details.
Lebanese Hezbollah, a guerrilla group backed by Iran, fought a 34-day war in 2006 against Israel. Islamic Jihad is a Palestinian militant group sworn to destroying Israel.
Bulgaria lies on one of the main drug trafficking routes between Europe and southwest Asia.
There is growing pressure on Bulgaria’s Socialist-led government at home and from the European Union to get serious about fighting rampant organized crime and graft.