Criminal Justice
Money Launderers Trade Commodities
Terrorist sympathizers are moving money to banned destinations through commodities trades.
Terrorist supporters buy commodities such as sugar and transfer them to countries where they can be sold for cash, the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) reports. Food products are easier to transfer to countries that have been sanctioned by the U.S. government.
Some of the money is then funneled to terrorist groups.
French authorities recently uncovered one such operation in which a Paris charity designated as a terrorism sponsor was buying large lots of commodities for Palestinian territories.
Investigators claim some of the proceeds from the deals went to terrorists.
