An order signed by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant exposes a Hezbollah terror financing axis by way of gold smuggling.
The order reveals that in the course of May 2022, dozens of kilograms of gold were smuggled on a flight of the Iranian airline Mahan AIR, which is subject to U.S. sanctions, from Venezuela to Tehran.
Following a joint operation of the intelligence agencies and the National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing (NBCTF) in the Ministry of Defense, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant signed a seizure order for dozens of kilograms of gold, which is intended to expose and to thwart the smuggling axis. The order exposes, among other things, an Iran to Hezbollah terror financing axis based on profits from the sale of smuggled gold.
A key figure in the financing and gold smuggling axis is Badr Al-Din Naimi Mousavi, an Iranian businessman who owns businesses worldwide. Mousavi owns the British real estate companies - Lotus Universal U.K. Limited and Strattonview Properties Limited - as well as an international trading company in Dubai – Trading ACS. Mousavi serves as an operative of the Iranian Quds Force, running a clandestine axis in the framework of which he purchases gold in Venezuela, exploiting his business and political connections in the country, and thus providing a cover for Quds Force operations in the country. Mousavi is responsible for smuggling the gold from Venezuela via direct flights to Iran and from there to selling at a profit in order to finance operations of the Hezbollah terrorist organization.
Senior officials in the Hezbollah organization who are subject to U.S. sanctions (for their involvement in terrorist activity) are also involved in this financing axis, among them Ali Kasir – a representative of Hezbollah's Economic Affairs Ministry in Tehran and Mohammed Kasir (Sheikh Salah) – head of unit 4400 (the logistics unit of Hezbollah) who deals with transferring Quds force gold to Hezbollah to finance the organization.
It should be noted that Mousavi also took part in the Quds Force delegation to Venezuela, together with the CEO of the Iranian airline Mahan Air, Hamid Evranjad, as part of Iran's efforts to strengthen its influence in South American countries as a base for financing and promoting terrorist activities.
Publishing Badr Al-Din Naimi Mousavi's name and the names of his companies in the Israeli sanctions list impairs their ability to conduct global business operations and 'tarnishes' him and his businesses vis-à-vis international financial entities.
This counterterrorism activity constitutes another layer in the campaign and a blow against the Hezbollah organization and the terrorist activities that it promotes.
Remarks of the Defense Minister:
ASO 2/23
