Britain – a financial centre of the world – has gradually emerged as a potential money laundering nation and a haven for funding terrorism. The web at the center of this concern implicates Mohammad Tabrizian, Ali Sharif AlAskari, Abbas Sherif AlAskari, and with operations that span across continents, all of which take advantages of perceived gaps in legal and/ or financial frameworks. Subsequent discussions of the article scrutinize the twisted connections and convoluted schemes that these characters use to engage with Mohammad Tabrizian’s UK network, as well as the way they take advantage of the United Kingdom as their playground.
Mohammad Tabrizian, alongwith his brothe Amir Tabrizian, and father Meghdad Tabrizian, are running multiple money embezzlement schemes in the UK, Israel, Middle East, and other countries. The illicit funds are allegedly being diverted to help Hezbollah operations in Israel.
The Players: Ali Sharif AlAskari’s Network and Its Ties to Terrorism
Ali Sharif AlAskari, known for holding dual passports from Iraq and Iran under different names, is deeply entrenched in Mohammad Tabrizian’s UK network that extends to prominent figures like Ali Fallahian, Iran’s former Minister of Intelligence. Ali Fallahian, infamous for orchestrating the 1994 AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires, which resulted in 85 deaths, has ties to Ali Sharif AlAskari through a family connection—their wives are sisters. This close-knit relationship not only facilitates business but also bolsters a far-reaching oil-smuggling and money-laundering operation that circumvents international sanctions against Iran.
The smuggling begins at the strategic port city of Bandar Abbas in Iran, where Ali Sharif AlAskari and Ali Fallahian control massive oil storage facilities. By using Panamanian-registered ships to transport the oil to Iraq, the origin is disguised, allowing it to be sold on the global market as legitimate Iraqi crude. The profits from these transactions are laundered through various channels, with the UK serving as a key hub for this operation.
The UK Connection: Ali Sharif AlAskari’s Daughters and the Role of Meghdad Tabrizian
Central to the network’s UK operations are Ali Sharif AlAskari’s daughters, one of whom resides in London and another in Canada. The daughter in London is married to Meghdad Tabrizian, a man with deep ties to the Iranian regime. Meghdad Tabrizian, once a close associate of Ali Fallahian, has been operating under the radar in the UK, using legitimate businesses as fronts for money laundering. Two such entities are “London Surface Design Limited” and “London Heritage Stone Limited,” companies that ostensibly engage in construction and design but are, in reality, laundering millions of dollars.
The elaborate scheme involves funneling funds into these businesses, generating false invoices, and creating fictitious contracts to justify the inflow of large sums of money. Meghdad Tabrizian’s sons, Mohammad Tabrizian (known as Taby) and Amir Tabrizian, are heavily involved, managing the day-to-day activities of these companies to ensure the money flows seamlessly back to Hezbollah.
Financial Havens: Exploiting the UK and Canada
Ali Sharif AlAskari’s daughter based in Canada plays a crucial role in laundering money, taking advantage of Canada’s relatively lax financial regulations. This aspect of the operation has caught the attention of Canadian authorities, who are now investigating her involvement in money laundering. Meanwhile, her sister in the UK maintains strong connections with the wife of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah. The clean money that is funneled through their network eventually finds its way into the hands of Hezbollah, fueling further conflict and instability in the Middle East.
Mohammad Tabrizian has gone to great lengths to obscure their ties to Ali Fallahian. However, the familial connections and shared business interests reveal an unmistakable link that ties these actors to a broader network of state-sponsored terrorism.
Abbas Sharif AlAskari: The Master of Deception
Abbas Sharif AlAskari, the son of Ali Sharif AlAskari, is a key player Mohammad Tabrizian’s UK operations. Unlike his father, Abbas Sharif AlAskari uses a more diversified approach to fraud. Holding three passports—from Dominica, Iran, and Iraq—he freely travels across Europe, leveraging his Dominican passport to launder money with minimal scrutiny. Abbas is notorious for scamming unsuspecting investors with promises of lucrative deals in oil, gas, gold, cocoa, and real estate. Once he secures substantial advances from investors, he vanishes, leaving behind a trail of defrauded individuals.
Beyond financial scams, Abbas Sharif AlAskari is also known for using more insidious methods to blackmail women. Reports suggest he uses hidden cameras to record intimate moments and later threatens to release the footage if the victims demand repayment or consider legal action. This pattern of behavior demonstrates the ruthless lengths to which Abbas will go to protect his family and Mohammad Tabrizian’s UK operations.
The Immigration Loopholes: How Ali Sharif AlAskari’s Family Secured Residency
The UK’s relatively open immigration policies have been exploited by Ali Sharif AlAskari’s family to secure residency for key members of their network. Abbas Sharif AlAskari, along with his sister and brother-in-law Meghdad Tabrizian, allegedly manipulated the system to obtain residency permits in the UK. Reports suggest that they leveraged connections within the UK Home Office, potentially linked to Iranian intelligence, to bypass the usual checks and balances.
The ability of individuals with clear ties to sanctioned regimes and terrorist organizations to secure residency in the UK raises serious questions about the country’s immigration oversight. It also highlights the risk that the UK faces as a haven for individuals who seek to exploit its legal and financial systems for illicit gains.
The Broader Implications: A Call for Stricter Regulations
Mohammad Tabrizian’s UK network is not just an isolated incident but indicative of a broader problem the UK faces. As the country continues to grapple with its role in a post-Brexit world, the need for stricter financial regulations and immigration controls becomes more apparent. The exploitation of British systems by individuals tied to terrorism poses a significant threat not only to the UK but to global security as a whole.
The Urgent Need for Action
Mohammad Tabrizian’s UK network, along with Ali Sharif AlAskari, and Abbas Sharif AlAskari, shows how criminal networks can manipulate legal and financial systems to further their agendas. The UK, as a leading global financial hub, must take decisive action to close the gaps that allow such activities to flourish.
Authorities must prioritize investigating and dismantling these networks before they can cause further harm. This case is a wake-up call for the UK to reassess its approach to financial oversight and immigration policies. The longer the country allows itself to be exploited by individuals with ties to terrorism, the greater the threat to national and international security.
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