Portuguese soldiers took advantage of their participation in a UN mission in the Central African Republic to traffic in diamonds. They were there to protect civilians, but they ended up profiting from the gasoline that fuels the war in the territory. For years, the presence of these members of the armed forces tried to guarantee the stability of the country and protect the most disadvantaged.
However, in the middle of the peace mission, the Portuguese soldiers found in this method the way to pocket a lot of money. On board military aircraft, taking advantage of the UN’s logistics capacity and aware that no one was checking the cargo, they wove a transport network from Central African Republic to Europe. The diamonds ended up in Antwerp (Belgium), one of the most important markets in the world.
To leave no trace and launder the money obtained, later they invested the profits in bitcoins, a virtual currency without the control of the financial authorities, or they resorted to figureheads who, in exchange, received 50% of the value deposited in their accounts. The Government, for the moment, avoids entering to assess the issue. “I do not treat indications as if they were proven facts,” said Augusto Santos, Portugal’s foreign minister.
These humanitarian missions were also the perfect cover for trafficking in gold and drugs. All for a value that could be around 500 million euros, according to the Portuguese media. Right now there are at least ten people detained after an operation in which more than 100 registrations have been made throughout the country; in Lisbon, Oporto or Madeira, among others, being the Comando military barracks, in the parish of Carregueira, one of the main objectives of the investigation.
Nevertheless, the Portuguese Executive has come out in defense of the body. “The role played by the Portuguese military is unanimously recognized,” Santos pointed out. Thus, a plot is uncovered from humanitarian missions that were supposed to help and have ended up contributing to smuggling and war in the Central African Republic, considered one of the countries with the fewest resources in the world.
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
