Italy’s secret services say they see increasing evidence militant groups such as al Qaeda are moving into the smuggling of illegal immigrants, a billion dollar trade they can use to fund other activities. An intelligence report released at the weekend says “terror networks” and groups who traffic in illegal immigrants share a natural overlap, often relying on false documents and intricate logistics, transport and communication setups. “There is the fear, too, that the same routes used for illegal immigration are being used by militants to help form Islamic terrorist groups,” says the report, compiled by Cesis, which coordinates the work of Italy’s secret services. The document comes just days before senior EU ministers are due to gather in Rome for an informal meeting to discuss immigration and terrorism-related issues. Full Story
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