According to the research published by the Reuters news agency, the Ministry of Defense of the Islamic Republic of Iran has created a secret network of thousands of fake companies around the world. The Islamic Republic of Iran is said to be smuggling explosives, missile parts and trucks into Iran from countries such as China, Russia and several European countries through this network. The value of the smuggled equipment is estimated at more than 2 billion dollars. According to Reuters, this equipment allows the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to manufacture drones and weapons, and also helps finance the suppression of protests inside the country.