Hezbollah has used special diplomats known as "honorary consuls" to smuggle and launder cash, according to an investigation published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and ProPublica on Monday.
Honorary consuls are private citizens, such as businesspeople, celebrities and former politicians, appointed by their governments to serve their interests in foreign countries and are afforded some of the privileges that career diplomats receive. For instance, their archives and correspondence cannot be seized and cargo belonging to them is protected from searches. Honorary consuls also often receive special ID cards, passports and license plates and even a form of diplomatic immunity.
While the system was originally meant to provide poorer countries with a way to have diplomatic representation without having to fund an embassy, these privileges have been abused by hundreds of appointees to easily commit crimes and finance terrorism, according to the investigation.
There are even online consultants who promise to deliver honorary consul appointments for tens of thousands of dollars in fees.
“It’s just amazing that you can become the honorary consul tomorrow if you want to and you’re willing to pay the money,” said Bob Jarvis, an international and constitutional law professor at Florida’s Nova Southeastern University, to ICIJ and ProPublica. “People buy these things or get them as a reward for supporting a political candidate, and people have no idea what they are supposed to be doing. And no one is busy checking them out.”
