Report: Turkey Seizes $18.5 billion from Iran to Hizbullah
Mystery still shrouds the $18.5 billion worth of foreign currencies and gold seized by Turkish customs from a truck heading from Iran to Lebanon in July, al-Arabiya reported Thursday.
The satellite TV network wrote on its website that Iranian media close to the regime in Tehran have said the money and gold belonged to an Iranian trader who wanted to make investments in Turkey. Other opposition sources said the cargo was on its way to Hizbullah.
Al-Arabiya also reported that Turkish TV had said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan thanked God for being able to seize the huge amount of money amid an international crisis.
The cargo was reportedly seized from the truck driver named Ismail Safarian, who holds an Iranian passport, and Turkish customs later transferred the money to Turkey”s Central Bank.