Bermuda Luxury Hotel

US DEPARTMENT OF STATEBUREAU OF INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS MATTERSINTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRAGEGY REPORTAPRIL 1994FINANCIAL CRIMES AND MONEY LAUNDERING1994 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY REPORTINTERNATIONAL MONEY LAUNDERINGOVERVIEWIntelligence findings from North and South America, Eastern and Western Europe, South and East Asia, Africa and the Middle East confirm that another significant shift has occurred in money laundering trends and methods, requiring changes in policy and strategy for 1994.The critical aspects are the volume of non-drug related money laundering; increased investment of illegal proceeds in legitimate business, including the financial industry; and the targeting of financial systems in countries/territories (some with little or no domestic involvement in drug trading or other serious proceeds-generating crimes) to launder drug and other proceeds generated by crimes committed in other jurisdictions.In 1988, when the United Nations Convention was ... [Read More]

M) Money Laundering and Financial Crimes

Greece’s Central Bank stepped up measures to counter money laundering, as part of its effort to cooperate with an investigation by authorities in Belgrade into the illegal transfer of funds abroad during the rule of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, an alleged war criminal. There have been several arrests for money laundering since January 2002. These involve the Greek owners (and their spouses) of vessels transporting cocaine from Colombia and other Western Hemisphere countries. The guilty parties received five-year sentences. Legitimate businesses can be seized if used to launder drug money. The government recently seized a hotel that was used as a cutting mill and storage facility for drugs. As Greece is becoming a major gateway for illegal narcotics to the Balkans, Western Europe and the United States, the amount of assets seized has steadily increased. ... [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

Good quality white loaf bread is baked daily. A variety of canned and bottled goods gradually are becoming more common in shops. Nespray powdered milk and tinned cheese, cream, and condensed milk are nearly always sold locally. Frozen meat is available as well as ice cream. Coca-Cola is bottled locally. Seven-Up in cans and other soft drinks are also available. Beer, wine, spirits, and other drinks containing alcohol are sold only in tourists hotels, and foreign visitors not staying in a hotel cannot use the bar unless he/she is a guest of a hotel resident. ... [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

The Barbados National Trust holds an open house each week from January to April at some of the finer homes on the island, which include plantation great houses as well as luxury winter homes. These tours are popular with residents and tourists alike. ...

Mt. Hillaby, the highest point, is only 1,104 feet above sea level. Bridgetown, the capital, is located on the southwest corner of the island. The west and south coast areas are densely populated, with hotels, residential, and commercial areas intermingling. The rugged, windswept East Coast boasts the scenic Scotland District. The currents on the East Coast are very dangerous, and swimming is forbidden on many of its beaches. The interior of the island rises gently and sugarcane fields are interspersed with villages, farms, and the occasional plantation Great House. ... [Read More]

Serbia and Montenegro (Former Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of)

CRIME:  Street crime is at a level similar to other large European cities.  Difficult economic conditions have led to the growth of an organized criminal class.  Violent crime is most commonly associated with organized crime activities. While confrontational and gratuitously violent crimes rarely target tourists, Mafia-style reprisals have sometimes occurred, including in hotels, restaurants and shops.  Theft and carjacking, especially of "Volkswagen" brand cars, four-wheel drive vehicles and luxury cars, occur at all times of day or night and in all sections of Belgrade and other parts of the country.  As in other parts of the world, travelers should be especially on guard walking in city centers.  In case of emergency, the police telephone number is 92. ... [Read More]

Tips for Travelers to Sub Saharan Africa

March 2001 Foreword Your trip to Africa will be an adventure off the beaten path. Conditions and customs in sub-Saharan Africa can contrast sharply with those in the United States. These pages contain advice to help you avoid inconvenience and difficulties. Take our advice seriously but don’t let it keep you at home. Most Americans have unforgettable experiences in Africa. We are often welcomed and helped by Africans who are happy to share not just their scenery, but their culture and tradition ... [Read More]

The Caribbean

The BahamasI. SummaryThe Bahamas is a major transit country for U.S.-bound cocaine and marijuana from South America and the Caribbean. The Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas (GCOB) cooperates with the United States Government (USG) to interdict drugs in Bahamian territory, reduce drug demand, combat exploitation of the offshore financial sector by money launderers and other financial criminals, and enhance the ability of the Bahamian judicial system to prosecute and convict drug traffickers and money launderers.During 2000, The Bahamas continued its active participation in Operation Bahamas and Turks and Caicos (OPBAT), a three-nation interdiction effort against air and maritime drug smuggling. Total GCOB cocaine seizures were 47 percen ... [Read More]

Bulgaria

Visitors may exchange cash at banks or Exchange Bureaus, but they should know that Exchange Bureaus sometimes post misleading rate quotations that confuse travelers.  People on the street who offer high rates of exchange are usually con artists intent on swindling the unwary traveler.  Damaged or very worn U.S dollar bank notes are often not accepted at banks or Exchange Bureaus.  Major branches of the following Bulgarian banks will cash travelers' checks on the spot for Leva, the Bulgarian currency, or another desired currency:  Bulbank, Bulgarian Postbank, Biochim, First Investment Bank, and United Bulgarian Bank (UBB).  UBB also serves as a Western Union agent and provides direct transfer of money to travelers in need.  There are also many Western Union branches in major towns and c ... [Read More]

Zimbabwe

Upon arrival in Zimbabwe, travelers should keep all travel documents readily available, as well as a list of residences or hotels where they will stay while in Zimbabwe.  Travelers to Zimbabwe must carry some form of identification at all times. ...

The main roads throughout Zimbabwe are generally well maintained.  Service stations frequently lack fuel or repair parts.  Inter-city commuter bus travel, except by “luxury coaches,” is dangerous due to overcrowding, inadequate maintenance, and drivers who are fatigued and who fail to adhere to local speed limits and to obey traffic rules or regulations.  Travelers are advised to avoid driving at night due to pedestrians (in dark clothing) and animals walking in the poorly lit roads.  Motor vehicles on the road at night often have no headlights or tail lights. Traffic moves on the left and many people drive over the speed limit.  The passing lanes are not always clearly marked, and road visibility at times can be restricted.  Few roads outside the urban areas have shoulders ... [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

During the first 300 years of the colony’s existence, except for its function as a military bastion of the British Empire and periods of prosperity generated by the American Revolutionary and Civil Wars, Bermuda itself remained quite isolated from developments abroad.  The industrial revolution virtually passed it by.  By the turn of the 20th century, wealthy Americans, Canadians, and Britons, seeking refuge from the pressures of modern life, were renting or buying homes and estates for seasonal occupancy in Bermuda.  Soon shops and restaurants sprang up to cater to this carriage trade.  As the economic benefits of tourism became apparent, the colony sought to cultivate and broaden it.  Several impressive luxury hotels were built in the 1920s and, in the early 1930s, large passenger steamships were put into service between New York and Bermuda.  In 1937, passenger seaplane service between New York and Bermuda was inaugurated.  The tourist in ... [Read More]