The smuggling of cultural values becomes a source of financing of terrorism - UN

Almaty. November 6. Silkroadnews - Appear more and more information that organized crime groups are increasingly engaged in looting, smuggling and trafficking of cultural property, said the representative of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, John Brandolino.
"The smuggling of cultural property - a source of huge illegal profits. According to UN data, the annual income of transnational criminal activities related to works of art and cultural treasures can account fot 3.4 to 6.3 million dollars, that is 0.8% of all illicit financial flows", - quotes the UN News Center Dr.Brandolino, speaking at a conference on corruption in St. Petersburg.
According to him, the smuggling of cultural values is ​​often closely associated with corruption, which is a source of funding terrorist activities and used for money laundering.
Representative of the United Nations stressed that this threat requires international attention and urgent action.