Washington, Apr. 18 (EFE).- The United States government imposed sanctions on Tuesday against 52 individuals and international organizations linked to the money laundering and financing network of the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah.

The US Department of the Treasury reported in a statement that it had taken this action in coordination with the authorities of several countries, as among those subject to sanctions were individuals and companies from Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), South Africa, Angola, Ivory Coast, Republic of Democratic Congo, Belgium, United Kingdom and Hong Kong.

According to Washington, the network allegedly facilitated the payment, transfer and transfer of funds, diamonds, precious stones, art and luxury goods destined for what the US describes as Hezbollah banker Nazem Said Ahmad, who is subject to sanctions for the North American country. in 2019.

According to the Treasury Department, the network allegedly helped Ahmad circumvent US sanctions, thereby enabling him to maintain his lavish lifestyle and ability to finance Hezbollah during this time.

“Individuals involved in this network used cover companies and fraudulent schemes to cover up Nazem Said Ahmad’s role in financial transactions,” Undersecretary of Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said in the note.

Among those sanctioned were Ahmad’s relatives and business partners who allowed him to continue to operate in places such as Beirut, Dubai (UAE) and Johannesburg (South Africa) by exploiting the trading nature of diamonds, precious stones and art.

Treasury said the network uses “legal and illegal arrangements” to force voluntary and involuntary participants in its business to obtain fake engineering certificates, which are required when managing diamond prices and taxes, to give their company the appearance of being legal.

He also forged documents and used cover companies to allow Ahmad to buy and distribute luxury goods and art from auctions and galleries around the world.

To do this, the network lowers the amount billed for the goods and sends the wholesale amount through the port, under the influence of Hezbollah, to transfer assets to Lebanon without paying taxes or customs duties.

Ahmad has circumvented US sanctions by using a network acting on his behalf to surreptitiously transact and collect large amounts of currency, away from the scrutiny of Lebanese authorities and financial regulators, US authorities say.

Under the sanctions, assets that Washington-designated entities and individuals may have under US jurisdiction are frozen and they are prohibited from conducting financial transactions with US citizens.

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