Hizbullah Receives $20 million Annually from Proceeds of Pirated Films
A report by RAND Corp. said Hizbullah receives $ 20 million annually from proceeds of pirated films in the tri-border area of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay.
According to the report released Tuesday, organized crime is taking on a larger role in film piracy.
The report warned that the terrorist connection could increase in the future.
It said that in the tri-border area, which is an important financing center for Islamic terrorism, channeling $20 million annually to Hizbullah, at least one transfer of $3.5 million was made by known DVD pirate Assad Ahmad Barakat.
Barakat was described as a "specially designated global terrorist" by the U.S. government in 2004.