Advertisement

The World - News from Dec. 2, 1987

Share

Documents seized by Swedish customs police from the office of an international arms dealer say Yugoslavia played a key role in the alleged smuggling of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of explosives to Iran. The documents were seized in raids between 1984 and 1986 on the offices of Karl-Erik Schmitz, head of Scandinavian Commodity, a company in Malmo, Sweden. Arms trade experts believe Schmitz smuggled explosives worth $600 million to Iran. “Yugoslavia was a vital clearinghouse for these deliveries,” a customs official said. According to police records, Schmitz has acknowledged supplying Iran with explosives but said it was done legally. He is awaiting trial on smuggling charges.

Advertisement