More than US$4 billion in conflict-affected or high-risk gold from Central and East Africa gushes every year through world gold centers like Dubai to permeate international markets, according to a report published Monday.

The years-long rise in international gold prices has driven a new artisanal gold mining and refining rush in conflict-affected areas in East and Central Africa and has turned the United Arab Emirates into the foremost launderer of such gold, according to a new report from The Sentry.

A US think tank claims that poor enforcement has turned Dubai into a hotbed of dodgy dealings by allowing the emirate to serve as a major crossroad for gray networks and international finance. 

Ten people have been arrested on suspicion of smuggling more than £15.5 million (US$20 million) out of the United Kingdom into Dubai, hidden in suitcases over the past three years, British authorities say.

Current and former members of parliament, tax officials, honorary diplomats, and other Armenian officials have purchased expensive properties in Dubai — raising questions about how they could afford them.

An $8 million villa on Dubai’s luxurious Palm Jumeirah has been controlled for years by the family of Igor Shuvalov, Russia’s former first deputy prime minister. Its ownership structure shows how the wealthy use offshores to obscure their assets.