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A6 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 25 april 2024
Iran rejects Argentina’s request to arrest interior minister over 1994

bombing at Jewish Center

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina the attack.
(AP) — Iran lashed out at In a move cheered by Is-
Argentina on Wednesday rael, Argentina’s highest
after the South American criminal court this month
country sought the arrest ruled the Iranian govern-
of Iran’s Interior Minister ment had plotted the 1994
Ahmad Vahidi over his al- attack as well as a 1992
leged involvement in the bombing of the Israeli Em-
deadly 1994 bombing of a bassy in Buenos Aires that
Buenos Aires Jewish com- killed 29 people. Judges
munity center. singled out three former
Without mentioning Vahidi Iranian officials for their in-
by name, Iran’s Foreign volvement in the Jewish
Ministry warned Argentina community center attack
against “making baseless including Minister Vahidi
accusations against citi- who at the time led the
zens of other countries.” The Revolutionary Guard’s ex-
warning Wednesday came peditionary Quds Force.
a day after Argentina de- The court also accused the
manded that Pakistan act Iran-backed militant Hez-
on an Interpol red notice to bollah group of executing
arrest Vahidi during an offi- the attack. Earlier this week
cial visit to Islamabad. Vahidi accompanied Ira-
Vahidi, who is wanted by In- nian President Ebrahim
terpol, cut his government Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi briefs the media on elections in Tehran, Iran, March 4, 2024. Raisi to Islamabad, where
Associated Press
trip to Southeast Asia short, he met with his Pakistani
making an unexpected re- wing President Javier Milei er Kanani urged Argentina But in recent weeks as Iran counterpart to discuss intel-
turn to Tehran Wednesday. reshapes foreign policy “not to be influenced by faces increasing global ligence-sharing. Although
There was no immediate to align more closely with those who are enemies of isolation and sanctions Ar- expected to continue on
response from Pakistani au- Iran’s bitter enemy, Israel, our bilateral relations.” gentina has escalated ef- with Raisi’s delegation to
thorities. and as tensions surge be- No one has been convict- forts to condemn Iran and Sri Lanka, Vahidi abruptly
Argentina’s renewed push tween the Mideast foes. ed for planning or carry- its overseas militant net- turned back, raising specu-
to hold Iran accountable In an apparent reference ing out the 1994 bombing work for its alleged involve- lation that Argentina’s re-
for the worst such attack to Israel, Iranian Foreign that killed 85 people and ment. Iran has repeatedly quest had complicated his
in its history comes as right- Ministry spokesperson Nass- wounded over 300 others. denied any connection to international travel.q

The head of Mexico’s detective service says his country is the

‘champion’ of fentanyl production

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The “Believe me, metham- tralia, and the cartels have
head of Mexico’s detec- phetamine production has found ways to avoid detec-
tive service acknowledged become industrialized, it’s tion of their drug money.
Tuesday that the country is not just in the mountains “The business models have
“the champion” of fentanyl anymore,” Gallo said. “We become very innovative,
production, something that now expect to see (drug) or as old and antiquated
appears to run counter to laboratories not just in the as barter; ‘I’ll trade you pre-
past statements by Presi- mountains of Sinaloa and cursor chemicals for meth,’
dent Andrés Manuel López Sonora, but in Hidalgo as to avoid leaving a money
Obrador. well, Puebla, and also in trail,” Gallo said.
López Obrador has hotly Jalisco.” There is little question that
denied in the past that He was apparently referring drug production goes on
any fentanyl is produced to thousands of drug labs at a huge scale in Mexico.
in Mexico, saying Mexican detected in previous years In February, Mexico’s Navy
cartels only press it into pills in the hills and scrublands seized over 45 tons of meth-
or add finishing touches. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador gives his around Culiacan, the capi- amphetamine at the big-
But Felipe de Jesus Gallo, regularly scheduled morning press conference at the National tal of the northern state of gest drug lab found during
the head of Mexico’s Crimi- Palace in Mexico City, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Sinaloa. Those clandestine, the current administration.
nal Investigation Agency, Associated Press rural production sites were The lab was in Quiriego, a
said that since the 1990s in Mexico use precursor amphetamine addiction is often bare-bones, impro- township in a remote part
“Mexico has been the chemicals from China and commonplace. vised labs covered with of the northern border state
champion of methamphet- India to make the synthetic Gallo said that Mexican tree branches and tarpau- of Sonora.
amine production, and opioid and smuggle it into cartels have launched lins. The 91,000 pounds (41,310
now fentanyl.” He spoke at the United States, where it industrial-scale produc- Now, the meth trade has kilograms) of meth found
a U.S.-Mexico conference causes about 70,000 over- tion of meth in many states become so lucrative and there was more than half of
on synthetic drugs in Mexi- dose deaths annually. throughout the country so sophisticated that Mexi- the 162,000 pounds of the
co City. While fentanyl is not widely and now export the drug can meth is exported as far drug Mexico has seized so
Experts agree that cartels abused in Mexico, meth- around the world. away as Hong Kong or Aus- far this year.q