Billions of dollars’ worth of gold is being smuggled out of Africa every year through the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East – a gateway to markets in Europe, the United States and beyond – a Reuters analysis has found. Customs data shows that the UAE imported $15.1-billion worth of gold from Africa in 2016, more than any other country and up from $1.3-billion in 2006. The total weight was 446 t, in varying degrees of purity – up from 67 t in 2006.
