Iran buying coke

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Iran buying coke

Western Asia has long been a hotbed for various illicit drugs, including hashish, methamphetamine and Captagon. Cocaine, by contrast, has not gained a foothold in the region, despite continued increases in supply and demand worldwide. However, in recent years, there have been signs that Turkey may be becoming the next key cocaine transit hub. Although Turkish officials reported a 44 per cent increase in cocaine seizures between and , data on domestic consumption did not show a parallel increase, suggesting that the country is likely to serve as a drug corridor. In Western Asia, the infrastructure needed for cocaine to spread is already in place. However, it remains to be seen whether the drug will flood the regional market. This is especially true given that there is no shortage of alternatives. For cocaine suppliers from Latin America and Turkey to establish a significant presence in Western Asia, they would need, at a minimum, to align themselves with established drug traffickers in the region. This has been the case in Turkey, where Latin American groups capitalized on their expertise, resources and networks to establish a cocaine corridor stretching from Turkey to Europe, the Caucasus and Russia. This operation involved close collaboration with Turkish heroin traffickers and Balkan criminals , allowing them to leverage existing networks and knowledge from the long-standing heroin trade. It remains to be seen, however, whether cocaine suppliers can exploit such connections to reach the broader Western Asia region. Volatility in the region may well drive a quick need for cash, with the funding of conflict through drug trafficking becoming a vulnerability. Although cocaine may not be the preferred illicit substance among drug users in the region, there are some notable exceptions. In the Gulf states, as well as other hotspots in Lebanon and Israel , there are some vibrant consumer markets. In the Levant, cocaine use has reportedly increased among the growing middle and upper classes, and particularly young people. It is in these niche wealthy markets that the impact of a Turkish cocaine corridor would probably be most felt. However, UNODC findings do not reflect this, suggesting instead that smuggling activities appear to involve mainly foreign nationals with no apparent connection to Turkey catering to foreign individuals and expatriate communities. Similarly, seizures of cocaine being shipped from Turkey to Western Asia in have so far been remarkably low. Nevertheless, the Gulf remains the most likely candidate for an expanded cocaine market. In West Africa, high-ranking members of the group have been implicated in the cocaine trade between Latin America and Europe. Western Asia not only exports cocaine criminals, but also appears to afford them some protection. These individuals escape prosecution in their home countries and find opportunity for freedom in Gulf states. As the Gulf experiences an influx of cocaine expats, it is also witnessing the inflow of illicit proceeds from the drug trade. The real-estate boom in Dubai in recent years has been linked to the influx of illicit funds derived from the drug trade and other illicit activities. Even if Turkey were to further establish itself as a major cocaine corridor, it is unlikely that this would lead to an immediate surge of the drug in Western Asia. However, in the current context of instability and the drive for resources that come with it, this development may set the stage for the drug trade to introduce new dynamics and challenges to the region. The series explores, from a regional perspective, how drug trafficking is influenced by instability and broader geopolitics, the effects it has on local dynamics throughout illicit supply chains and its wider global impact. Sign up to our Western Asia mailing list. Author s Sarah Fares Laura Adal. Posted on 13 Oct Western Asia is perceived as playing a relatively minor role in the global cocaine trade. However, claims that Turkey may be emerging as a major cocaine corridor to Europe raise questions about a potential influx of the drug into the rest of Western Asia. Too many stakeholders For cocaine suppliers from Latin America and Turkey to establish a significant presence in Western Asia, they would need, at a minimum, to align themselves with established drug traffickers in the region. Opportunities in the Gulf? Related analysis.

Russian stores stocking up on Iranian Coca-Cola

Iran buying coke

After almost 60 years, Coca-Cola is on sale again in Burma. It's one of the world's most recognised brands, so are there any countries where the drinks giant still remains unsold? Coca-Cola says it sells 1. But for the last six decades, none has been in Burma. That's because of US trade sanctions on the military junta which ruled the country from to Those sanctions were suspended a few months ago, as the country began to move towards democratic reforms. But the company said on Monday its first delivery had arrived and local production would begin soon. Coca-Cola's rival PepsiCo has also announced plans to resume sales in Burma , external. There are now just two countries in the world where Coca-Cola cannot be bought or sold - at least, not officially. Cuba was actually one of the first three countries outside the US to bottle Coke, in But the company moved out as Fidel Castro's government began seizing private assets in the s, and has never returned. In North Korea - the other Coca-Cola-free zone - recent media reports suggested it was being sold in a restaurant , external in Pyongyang. But Coca-Cola says if any drinks are being sold in either North Korea or Cuba, they are being smuggled in on the black market, not via official channels. The dark fizzy soda was created in in Atlanta, Georgia. From the early days the Coca-Cola company looked to expand worldwide, and by the early s it was bottling the drink in Asia and Europe. There were more than 60 military bottling plants for Coca-Cola around the world during the war, and locals got a taste for the drink too. It became powerfully associated with American patriotism, says Standage, and was seen as so crucial to the war effort that it was exempted from sugar rationing. Dwight Eisenhower, at the time the supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe, was said to be a particular fan and he ensured its availability in North Africa. He also introduced the drink to top Soviet general, Georgy Zhukov, who asked if a special, colourless version - one that looked like vodka - could be made, and Coca-Cola duly obliged for a while, says Standage. These days Coca-Cola is regularly ranked as one of the top, if not the top, global brands , external. But not all countries have embraced the American-ness that seems to be embodied by Coca-Cola. It was the French who first coined the pejorative term 'coca-colonisation' in the s. Trucks were overturned and bottles smashed, says Standage, as protesters saw the drink as a threat to French society. During the Cold War, Coca-Cola became a symbol of capitalism and a faultline between capitalism and communism, says Webster. It was not marketed in the former Soviet Union due to the fear that profits would go straight into communist government coffers, says Standage. Other than the former Soviet Union, the main region that Coca-Cola has struggled in historically is the Middle East, largely due to a boycott implemented by the Arab League from , as a punishment for it selling in Israel. Pepsi picked up a lot of the sales in the Middle East - and many local versions of the drink thrived. Coca-Cola is not trying to get involved in politics, says Webster, but as a huge brand so closely associated with the US, it sometimes finds itself tangled up in politics, or singled out for criticism. As an ideology, it polarises. And sometimes those associations become unattractive,' he says. People are more ambiguous towards it. In , protesters in Thailand poured Coca-Cola onto the streets as a demonstration against the US-led invasion of Iraq, and sales were temporarily suspended, says Standage. Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has threatened to ban Coca-Cola , external and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez recently urged people to drink locally-made fruit juice , external rather than drink Coca-Cola or Pepsi. But years after its birth, Coca-Cola is still pushing forward in terms of sales, with strong growth - especially, it says, in the emerging markets of India, China and Brazil. Reporting by Cordelia Hebblethwaite. Coca-Cola in Burma, pre-embargo. Pepsi filled the gap and was widely sold.

Iran buying coke