Interpol Warns of New Terrorist Tactics to Finance Terrorism

 

Roger Wilkison

Interpol, the international police network, is warning that terrorists are turning to the lucrative¹ trade in counterfeit² goods to finance their operations. The agency says governments are only beginning to wake up to the threat.

At a two-day conference that ended in Brussels Wednesday, law enforcement officials and international business leaders sought to form a common front against counterfeiting³, which is estimated to yield $600 billion a year for criminal organizations. That is equivalent to six percent of total global trade last year.

Counterfeiting does not just involve compact discs, clothes or cosmetics⁵. Fake medicines and baby food are also a growing problem, as are counterfeit auto⁶ parts and even aircraft parts.

And yet, Interpol says that, despite the threat counterfeiting represents for safety and health, most governments overlook the problem.

Interpol chief Ronald Noble told the conference that counterfeiting is now being used to finance terrorist activities. He cited the seizure⁷ last year in Lebanon of $1.2 million dollars worth of counterfeit brake pads and shock absorbers. The profits, he said, were destined⁸ for supporters of Hezbollah, which the United States considers a terrorist organization.

Mr. Noble told the gathering⁹ that paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland and Colombian Marxist rebels also benefit from sales of fake compact disks and cigarettes.

Interpol calls counterfeiting a low-risk, high profit crime that is not a high priority for most governments and police forces. Counterfeiters, says the agency, face a low risk of prosecution¹⁰ if caught and relatively¹¹ light penalties if convicted.

The main goal of the Brussels conference was to spur greater cooperation between law enforcement and business in the fight against counterfeiting. But William Dobson, who heads a private sector¹² anti-counterfeiting alliance, says it will not be easy.

"This is a unique area of enforcement, where the legislation and the controls are all in public hands but the knowledge of the products and so on is largely in private ownership, and that's why we need this partnership¹³ to come together," he said.

Mr. Dobson says even though companies are the main victims of counterfeiting, they have often been reluctant to publicize their losses. He says clothing and footwear companies lose $9 billion a year in Europe alone due to counterfeiting. The illegal trade is also responsible for the loss of up to 100,000 European jobs a year.

注释：
interpol [5intE(:)pEul] n. 国际警察组织
lucrative [5lu:krEtiv] adj. 有利的
counterfeit [5kauntEfit] adj. 伪造的，假冒的
yield [ji:ld] v. 产生
equivalent [i5kwivElEnt] adj. 相等的，相当的
compact discs 简称CD， 音碟片
cosmetic⁴ [kCz5metik] n. 化妆品
fake [feik] adj. 假的
Lebanon [5lebEnEn] n. 黎巴嫩（西南亚国家）
brake pads 刹车片
absorber [Eb5sC:bE] n. 减震器
Hezbollah n. 真主党
Colombian Marxist rebels 哥伦比亚马克思革命武装力量
priority [prai5Criti] n. 优先, 优先权
prosecution [7prCsi5kju:FEn] n. 起诉
penalty [5penlti] n. 处罚，罚款
spur [spE:] v. 刺激
sector [5sektE] n. 部门，部分
footwear [5fJtweE(r)] n.［美］鞋类（鞋，靴，拖鞋等）

1 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

2 counterfeit   

vt.伪造，仿造；adj.伪造的，假冒的

参考例句：

• It is a crime to counterfeit money.伪造货币是犯罪行为。
• The painting looked old but was a recent counterfeit.这幅画看上去年代久远，实际是最近的一幅赝品。

3 counterfeiting   

n.伪造v.仿制，造假( counterfeit的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was sent to prison for counterfeiting five-dollar bills. 他因伪造5美元的钞票被捕入狱。 来自辞典例句
• National bureau released securities, certificates with security anti-counterfeiting paper technical standards. 国家质量技术监督局发布了证券、证件用安全性防伪纸张技术标准。 来自互联网

4 cosmetic   

n.化妆品；adj.化妆用的；装门面的；装饰性的

参考例句：

• These changes are purely cosmetic.这些改变纯粹是装饰门面。
• Laughter is the best cosmetic,so grin and wear it!微笑是最好的化妆品，所以请尽情微笑吧！

5 cosmetics   

n.化妆品

参考例句：

• We sell a wide range of cosmetics at a very reasonable price. 我们以公道的价格出售各种化妆品。
• Cosmetics do not always cover up the deficiencies of nature. 化妆品未能掩饰天生的缺陷。

6 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

7 seizure   

n.没收；占有；抵押

参考例句：

• The seizure of contraband is made by customs.那些走私品是被海关没收的。
• The courts ordered the seizure of all her property.法院下令查封她所有的财产。

8 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

9 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

10 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

11 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

12 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

13 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。