Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Abdul Rashid Thomas
Published on 2024-03-21 10:18:56
Abdullah Alfalasi, the mastermind behind a money laundering group responsible for smuggling millions of pounds of criminal cash out of the UK, has been hit with a confiscation order totaling £3,496,778.68. This follows an investigation by the National Crime Agency into his financial activities.
Alfalasi, a 48-year-old Emirati national, was previously convicted for coordinating a network of couriers who illicitly transferred £104 million from the UK to the United Arab Emirates between November 2019 and October 2020. Sixteen couriers involved in the operation have also been convicted. These couriers carried suitcases filled with hundreds of thousands or even millions of pounds in vacuum packed bundles, flying business class to exploit higher luggage allowances. The cash smuggled was believed to be proceeds from drug trafficking.
Additionally, Alfalasi himself made multiple cash trips between Dubai and the UK from November 2019 to March 2020. He used the name Omnivest Gold Trading LLC to mask the cash declarations made by the couriers, and his phone number was linked to their flight bookings.
In December 2021, Alfalasi was arrested by NCA officers at a flat in Belgravia, owned by his wife’s family, during a visit to the UK. He was sentenced to nine years in prison in July 2022 after admitting to money laundering charges. Under the terms of an order imposed by Isleworth Crown Court on 19 March, he faces an additional 10 years in jail if he fails to pay the confiscated amount within three months.
Assets seized from Alfalasi include savings and investments in Emirati banks, his share of properties in the UAE, cryptocurrency funds in a Binance account, vehicles such as a Mercedes G63, Ford pickup truck, and Toyota Yaris, along with three Rolex watches and a Patek Philippe watch.
NCA’s senior investigating officer, Ian Truby, hailed the confiscation order as a significant success in combating serious and organized crime. He emphasized the agency’s determination to prevent criminals from profiting from their illicit activities. Adrian Foster, CPS Chief Crown Prosecutor, highlighted the extensive efforts made to secure the Confiscation Order, covering all of Alfalasi’s current available assets to prevent him from benefiting financially from the crime.
Over the past five years, from 2018 to 2023, the CPS has recovered over £480 million through Confiscation Orders, ensuring that convicted criminals do not profit from their offenses. This includes £105 million returned to victims as compensation.
The operation exposed the vast reach of international money laundering networks, utilizing various methods such as cash smuggling, cryptocurrencies, and banking systems to move billions of pounds of illicit funds annually. These funds are often linked to drug trafficking, fraud, illegal commodities, and even terrorism worldwide.
Read the original article on Sierra Leone Telegraph
