A global trafficking ring bent on illicit weapons transfers to UN-sanctioned conflict zones has been exposed in an investigation by the Conflict Awareness Project. Presented today in a briefing at UN headquarters, the investigation reveals convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout’s top lieutenants at the center of a gunrunning operation gearing up on the island of Mauritius.
“Many actors involved in this network had a connection to Viktor Bout and are back in the game of shipping arms to war zones,” said Kathi Lynn Austin who led the investigation. “These brokers go to extreme lengths to reap profits from conflict, atrocity and UN sanctions-busting. They flip companies, corrupt officials, and bust blacklists. As we speak, gunrunners are out there exploiting every loophole in a global arms trade that is out of control.”
The revelations come at the critical mid-point of the UN-led Arms Trade Treaty negotiations this month. Representatives from more than 190 governments are meeting in New York all month-long at the United Nations to agree on a treaty, which would control the supply of weapons, ammunition and armaments. One key element of the treaty will cover brokers. A robust definition of brokers includes the entire cast of intermediaries facilitating an arms trade transaction, such as dealers, transporters, financial entities, insurance agents and holding company managers.
“The Arms Trade Treaty language must require licensing and registration of brokers. That is a bare minimum element of any treaty that would attempt to rein in gun smugglers and their global networks,” said Austin.
As revealed in the investigation, classic techniques of illicit arms brokers include flags of convenience, false documentation, money laundering and other financial crimes. Experienced traffickers are adept at establishing mazes of front companies and agents, foreign residencies, drop-box addresses, transport leases, off-shore banks, and financial holdings to evade detection and accountability.
“It took nearly two decades to put Viktor Bout behind bars while everyone knew he was more than just a transporter. We need to give governments effective tools to go after these gunrunners, and the Arms Trade Treaty is by far our best chance to do just that.” explained Austin. “Unless the treaty includes clear text on brokers in all their forms, the ‘Catch Me If You Can’ game is likely to continue.”
“We’ve stopped a trafficking operation from taking root in Mauritius,” says Austin, “but multiple governments still need to take direct action to shut down this global network for good.”
“You can have solid laws, good track records, and well-meaning intentions,” notes Austin, “but without a uniform international standard, arms traffickers can still take advantage of the best-governed nations of the world.”
The full investigative report, “Viktor Bout’s Gunrunning Successors: Catch Me if You Can” is scheduled to be published on July 18, 2012.
No comments:
Post a Comment