The US administration imposed sanctions this Tuesday on 52 people and international companies linked to the money laundering and financing network of the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah, EFE reported.
The US Treasury Department said in a statement that the operation was carried out in coordination with authorities from several countries, including individuals and companies from Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), South Africa and Angola. Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Belgium, United Kingdom and Hong Kong.
According to Washington, the network, which the US describes as Hezbollah banker Nazem Said Ahmad, was sanctioned by northern authorities for the payment, shipment and distribution of funds, diamonds, precious stones, art pieces and luxury goods. -Americanas in 2019.
According to the Treasury Department, the network allegedly helped Ahmad evade U.S. sanctions, allowing him to maintain a lavish lifestyle and the ability to fund Hezbollah.
“Individuals involved in this network used shell companies and fraudulent schemes to conceal Nazem Said Ahmad’s role in financial transactions,” charged Brian Nelson, the Treasury Department’s Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.
Among those sanctioned were Ahmad’s family members and business associates, who were allowed to continue operating in places such as Beirut, Dubai (UAE) and Johannesburg (South Africa), taking advantage of the nature of the diamonds, precious stones and art business.
The U.S. Treasury alleges that the network used “legal and illegal agreements” to force unwilling and unwilling participants in its deals to obtain false engineering certifications required when it comes to pricing and taxing diamonds in order to give your companies the chill. see
It also alleges that the network falsified documents and used shell companies to allow Ahmed to buy and distribute luxury goods and artworks to auctions and galleries around the world.
To do so, the network undervalued these goods and, under Hezbollah’s influence, sent bulk quantities through ports to move the goods into Lebanon without paying taxes and duties.
Far from the oversight of Lebanese authorities and financial regulators, Ahmed evaded U.S. sanctions by using the network to transact clandestinely and accumulate large amounts of currency, the U.S. Department of Defense warned.
The sanctions now in place freeze assets and prohibit entities and individuals designated by Washington from engaging in financial transactions with U.S. persons or entities in U.S. jurisdiction.
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