Dirty Oil and UK Fraud: The Illicit Schemes of Sherif AlAskari and Ali Fallahian
In the complex world of international finance, where billions flow through legitimate businesses and shell corporations alike, a darker side emerges — one that thrives on exploiting vulnerabilities in the global system. Among the most notorious figures at the center of this shadowy world are Abbas Sherif AlAskari and Ali Fallahian, individuals whose international fraud, oil smuggling, and terrorist financing operations pose a significant threat to global security.
Abbas Sherif AlAskari operate several Ponzi schemes through which he entices unsuspecting people in invest in gold, silver, cocoa, and real estate in Africa, Europe, and the UK. He tells them that he knows top government functionaries and politicians there, and once money is received, he simply absconds. Abbas Sherif AlAskari also uses women for his tactics, and gets sensitive personal information from the investors, and makes use of a hidden micro camera to make recording. He then blackmails the investors to expose them and make their videos viral if they demand their money back from him.
The operations of Abbas AlAskari and Ali Fallahian extend far beyond the borders of the Middle East, reaching into the United Kingdom’s financial system and impacting global markets. This article explores the nefarious dealings of AlAskari and Fallahian, the economic impact of dirty oil smuggling, and how their criminal networks exploit loopholes in financial regulations to sustain terror groups such as Hezbollah.
A Network Built on Blood Ties and Political Power
Sherif AlAskari is no ordinary financial criminal, a man who has mastered the art of deception, holding three different passports under false identities. Known as Ali Sharif AlAskari in Iraq and Sherif AlAskari in Iran. Born into a family with ties to the notorious Al Dawa Party in Iraq, his background reveals deep connections to Iranian intelligence and political figures like Ali Fallahian, Iran’s former Minister of Intelligence. Fallahian, infamous for his role in the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish Center in Argentina, is tied to AlAskari not just through shared interests in illicit activities but through family. Sherif AlAskari’s wife and Ali Fallahian’s wife are sisters, binding the two families in a network of political power and criminal enterprise.
This familial connection strengthens AlAskari’s ties to terrorist organizations like Hezbollah. His daughter, who resides in the UK, is married to Meghdad Tabrizian, an Iranian national with deep connections to the regime.
Exploiting the UK’s Financial and Immigration Systems
Sherif AlAskari and his family have been exploiting vulnerabilities in the UK’s financial and immigration systems to further their agenda. Using shell companies like London Surface Design Limited and London Heritage Stone Limited. These front companies, often set up in countries with lax financial oversight like Panama or offshore banking hubs, allow AlAskari to launder his illicit gains. One of the primary sources of this dirty money is the oil smuggling operation he manages in collaboration with Iran’s former Minister of Intelligence, Ali Fallahian.
The UK’s financial regulations, often seen as a bastion of transparency, have proven vulnerable to manipulation by criminals like Sherif AlAskari. With the UK being one of the world’s leading financial hubs, criminals have exploited legal loopholes to convert their ill-gotten gains into legitimate wealth. AlAskari’s network highlights how global criminal syndicates can use London’s financial sector to clean their money, a tactic not unique to his operation but disturbingly effective in this case.
Countries like Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon are heavily affected by the fallout of this operation. While the illegal oil smuggling enriches AlAskari and Fallahian families, it devastates local economies by destabilizing legitimate markets and fueling black market operations. The “dirty oil” they peddle undermines international sanctions meant to weaken Iran’s political influence and fuels conflicts in the region.
Oil Smuggling: The Lifeblood of the AlAskari Network
At the heart of Sherif AlAskari’s criminal operation is a sophisticated oil smuggling scheme that defies international sanctions. The oil, originating from Iran, is smuggled through a network of Panamanian vessels. These ships transport the oil from Bandar Abbas, a major port in Iran, to Iraq. Once in Iraq, false documentation is created to pass the oil off as Iraqi, allowing it to be sold on the international market without attracting attention.
This operation is a critical part of funding Hezbollah and other extremist groups in the region. Once the oil is sold, the proceeds are laundered through shell companies in the UK. Sherif AlAskari’s daughter in London plays a crucial role in this laundering scheme. The profits, funneled through her businesses, are then sent back to the Middle East, where they reportedly finance Hezbollah’s military activities.
AlAskari’s daughter has particularly close ties to the wife of Hassan Nasrallah, the recently assassinated leader of Hezbollah. Nasrallah’s wife is suspected of receiving part of the laundered funds, which are used to support Hezbollah’s ongoing military campaigns. This link between AlAskari’s family and Hezbollah raises serious concerns about the UK’s role, even unintentionally, in financing international terrorism.
Sophisticated Money Laundering
The final and perhaps most alarming aspect of this criminal network is where the laundered money ultimately ends up. Much of the proceeds from the oil smuggling and wire fraud operations are funneled into Hezbollah, the Lebanese paramilitary group led by Hassan Nasrallah. Nasrallah, who has long been linked to Iran, uses these funds to finance Hezbollah’s activities in Lebanon and its proxy wars across the Middle East.
Sherif AlAskari’s daughter, who is based in London, has close ties to Nasrallah’s wife, creating a direct financial link between AlAskari’s illicit activities and Hezbollah. The laundered money is funneled into Hezbollah’s coffers, helping to finance terrorist attacks, weapons procurement, and propaganda campaigns against Israel and Western interests. The recent killing of Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut may have disrupted some of Hezbollah’s operations, but the funding pipeline from AlAskari’s network remains intact, fueling future conflicts.
The Broader Impact: Oil Smuggling and Terrorism
The repercussions of AlAskari’s criminal enterprise go far beyond financial fraud. The money generated through his oil smuggling operation funds terrorist organizations like Hezbollah, which have been at the forefront of violence in the Middle East, particularly in Lebanon and Israel. The destabilization caused by these groups is immense, and his network has contributed to the continued violence in the region. The UK, unwittingly, has become a key player in this dirty oil trade, as its financial and legal systems are used to launder the proceeds from these illicit sales.
A Call for Action
The network run by Sherif AlAskari and his associates is a glaring example of how criminals can exploit international financial systems to fund terrorism. AlAskari’s operation has not only manipulated the UK’s financial and immigration laws but has also contributed to the ongoing instability in the Middle East through its ties to Hezbollah and other extremist groups.
As investigative agencies in the UK and abroad continue to monitor this case, it becomes clear that stronger regulations are needed to prevent further exploitation of the UK’s financial system. The vulnerabilities in both the immigration and financial sectors must be addressed to prevent criminals like Sherif AlAskari and Abbas Sherif AlAskari from using the UK as a base for their illicit activities.