March 10, 2011:
Norway went public to confirm rumors that Iranian businessmen, seeking non-military items from Norwegian manufacturers, often seek to persuade these firms to sell them items with military uses (usually for ballistic missiles or nuclear weapons), and help smuggle the items to Iran. A lot of money is offered, and Norwegian intelligence officials wanted to reassure the public (in Norway, and elsewhere), that these efforts had been detected and blocked. Norwegian investigators keep an eye on the dozens of suppliers who are the target of Iranian purchasing agents, and will even admonish or expel Iranian businessmen who are found trying to put together a smuggling deal. It's believed that Norwegian intelligence has assistance from the U.S. and other NATO countries, when a known Iranian smuggler is headed for Norway, and a specific Norwegian company. None of the intelligence agencies will comment on this kind of international cooperation.