Canada Is Investigating Money Laundering By Iran Networks: Al Arabiya

Money Laundering

The Canadian government has set up an investigative team to probe a network said to be affiliated with Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah that is involved in money laundering, gambling and narcotics smuggling through casinos in Vancouver.

The Al Arabiya news network reported that it gained access to some of the evidence collected by the investigative team since March and one official involved in the probe confirmed the accusations against the Islamic Republic and Hezbollah. The official who is a former police officer spoke of ties between the Iran-affiliated network and a Chinese network in the illegal activities.

He alleged that certain Chinese networks benefit from protection by Iranian networks.

The official told Al Arabiya that eavesdropping by investigators has revealed the involvement of a Hezbollah operative, who is also in touch with Iran.

Former Canadian minister of immigration Chris Alexander also said that this is a “complex and dangerous” investigation and confirmed that Canadian officials are trying to unearth the truth. He added that investigating the activities of Iran and its networks is a complex matter.

Canada has listed the Lebanese Hezbollah as a terrorist organization since 2002.

Photo by: David Ryder (Reuters)

Ottawa must crack down on Toronto underground banks, community leaders say

Money Laundering

Iranian-Canadian community leaders and anti-money laundering experts say Canada is failing to police the explosive growth of Toronto-based underground currency exchanges that are laundering drug money, financing foreign terrorist groups, and supporting the Iranian regime.

Kaveh Shahrooz, a lawyer and human rights activist, and Reza Banai, a Toronto businessman and former president of the Iranian Canadian Congress, said details of a Global News investigation into money laundering in the Toronto currency exchanges highlight a crisis that was already recognized in the Iranian community.

The investigation revealed that alleged RCMP mole Cameron Ortis is accused of selling RCMP operations plans to the transnational criminal network of Altaf Khanani, a money-laundering kingpin with links to foreign terrorist organizations and the Iranian regime.

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FINTRAC guidance related to the Ministerial Directive on Financial Transactions Associated with the Islamic Republic of Iran issued on July 25, 2020

Money Laundering

September 2021

This guidance is related to the Ministerial Directive (MD) issued by the Minister of Finance that was published in the Canada Gazette and came into force on July 25, 2020.

CSIS alleges Iran used Toronto company to wire millions to Canada despite sanctions

Money Laundering

A Toronto currency exchange business helped Iran secretly wire millions of dollars into Canada in violation of sanctions, according to a classified intelligence report that calls the financial transfers a threat to national security.

A Canadian Security Intelligence Service report obtained by Global News accuses Alireza Onghaei, the investor immigrant behind the company, of “assisting the government of Iran in the clandestine wiring of monies into Canada.”

The money was routed through Dubai in order to “circumvent sanctions,” CSIS wrote in its Dec. 20, 2019, report on Onghaei, the owner of ONG Currency Exchange Inc., on Toronto’s Yonge Street.

The total amount allegedly funnelled into Canada from Iran was not known, but CSIS wrote that “we assess it to be in the millions.” One transfer alone was for $600,000, according to CSIS.

CSIS did not specify when the alleged transfers took place or what the money was used for, but wrote that its investigation was related to “foreign-influenced activities … that are detrimental to the interests of Canada and are clandestine or deceptive.”

The report shows how Canadian intelligence officials suspect the Iranian regime has dodged international sanctions by passing money through the United Arab Emirates and using small currency exchange companies to move it to Canada.

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