How well-connected Iranians import their goodies
Banned pianos still find their way in
Hassan is an unlikely smuggler. Affable and a bit nerdy, he looks better suited to his old job as an international public-relations adviser. Now he is one of the many shadowy operators who send contraband to Iran. Some reckon goods worth $20bn-25bn evade Iranian border guards each year. His particular speciality is pianos.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Iran’s bizarre contraband”
From the July 22nd 2023 edition
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