Swedish TV exposé on Icelandic secret arms smuggler
Loftur Jóhannesson. Photo: Screenshot from Uppdrag Granskning
Among the Icelandic names to be found in the now infamous ‘Panama Papers’ is that of Loftur Jóhannesson – an alleged secret arms smuggler working for the CIA.
A Panama Papers exposé on Swedish television on Wednesday night looked into the suspected arms dealings of the man simply known as ‘the Icelander’, alleging he made millions of dollars from such activities as smuggling weapons from Eastern Europe to Afghanistan and Somalia.
Jóhannesson, now 85, made a fortune in the 1970s and 80s from spying and arms deals, according to the website of the documentary (link in Swedish).
The papers leaked from law firm Mossack Fonseca contain the names of some 600 Icelanders. Photo: AFP
According to the latest Panama Papers revelations, Sweden’s Nordea Bank managed offshore companies registered to Jóhannesson. They have declined to comment on the link.
“There can be no doubt that Jóhannesson was an arms smuggler,” says author of Private Warrior Ken Silverstein.
“Millions of dollars were paid for each successful arms-smuggling mission. The US secret services paid very well for work such as Jóhannesson carried out.”
