17th December 2001 - immediate
Dubaiambassador to London organised smuggling of BAT cigarettes
Confidential British American Tobaccodocuments released today reveal that the United Arab Emirates ambassador toLondon has run a smuggling operation for British American Tobacco [1]
1n 1991, Easa Saleh Al-Gurg was awarded anhonorary CBE for his services to British business and became Dubai's ambassadorto the UK - yet he was a key lynchpin in BAT's global smuggling enterprise [2]He is now the ‘doyenne' of Middle East ambassadors in London.
The documents show the Easa Saleh Al-Gurgran a trading company that supplied the ‘transit trade' to Somalia and othercountries. Numerous documents clarifythat ‘transit' is a euphemism for smuggling. Transit cigarettes are diverted illegally onto the black market of acountry they are supposed to be passing through. In one document [3] BAT executives agree their approach toJordan and Somalia implicating Al-Gurg in illegal activity (Kental is anotorious Cyprus-based trader)
“Jordan - opportunities for legalimports need to be fully investigated before we seek transitopportunities.
“In future transit to Sudan will besupplied via Kental and Somalia via Easa Gurg.”
The documents also reveal BAT's tightcontrol over this trade - with their system of permission and restrictions,penalties and sanctions for stepping out of line. BAT tells its traders where they can sell, where they must notsell and at what price.
Clive Bates, Director of ASH said:
ASH said it wouldforward relevant documents to the Department of Trade and Industry, which isinvestigating BAT over smuggling.
"Ifthe DTI look at these papers properly alongside the hundreds of documents theyalready have, they can only conclude that BAT was treating smuggling like anormal distribution channel and using people like Easa Saleh Al Gurg asmiddlemen to keep the smugglers at arms length while keep iron-grip on theblack market."
Thesepapers very clearly show the modus operandi of the global tobacco smugglingtrade - BAT has agents that control the smugglers, but BAT has overallcontrol. BAT is the Mr. Big in thisloathsome sleazy trade. Not contentwith killing people for legal gain, they are so greedy they are prepared toorchestrate mass law-breaking.
