How Setareh Heshmat, Abbas Sherif AlAskari, And Mohammed Tabrizian Use The UK As A Safe Haven For Money Laundering

Recently crime syndicates established a new variety of international criminal organizations that use new strategies to avoid being apprehended by police forces. In a more horrendous case that has links with the Middle East and Canada, Abbas Sherif AlAskari and his partners such as Setareh Heshmat and Mohammed Tabrizian have reportedly organized intricate scams to embezzle investors’ money, engage in money laundering and then avoid arrest. Apart from putting pressure on the international relations, Abbas Sherif AlAskari’s UK network’s activities pose a major threat to security especially to the United Kingdom that has increasingly become their operational base.

Setareh Heshmat: The Canadian Connection

Setareh Heshmat, who has gained attention as a key player in this international network, has close ties to Abbas Sherif AlAskari. Her recent enrollment in a university in Vancouver may seem innocent, but Canadian authorities have raised suspicions about her involvement in Abbas’s financial schemes. Leveraging her connections in Canada, Setareh has allegedly been involved in laundering large sums of money for Abbas. Her role is not merely passive; she is a critical intermediary in funneling funds between Canada and the UK, where her partner, Abbas, reportedly continues his fraudulent schemes.

Beyond her financial role, Setareh's links to Abbas suggest a deeper loyalty to the network's illegal goals. By maintaining her Canadian residency, she is well-placed to navigate the legal loopholes that help her and her associates avoid detection. Canadian officials have reportedly begun monitoring her activities more closely, suspecting that her move to Vancouver is part of a broader attempt to expand the network’s operations into North America.

Mohammed Tabrizian: The Frontman in London

Mohammed Tabrizian, another central figure, operates in the UK and plays a pivotal role in facilitating the network’s UK-based financial operations. Nephew of Abbas Sherif AlAskari, Mohammad Tabrizian’s connections run deep, giving him influence and protection within this syndicate. Under the guise of legitimate business, he oversees the family’s involvement in money laundering through various UK-based companies. Two of these companies—London Surface Design Limited and London Heritage Stone Limited—are officially construction and design firms, but investigations suggest they are fronts for laundering money from Abbas’s fraudulent ventures.

His father Meghdad Tabrizian's connections within the Iranian regime further complicate matters. Having served under Ali Fallahian, a figure tied to illicit activities, Mohammad Tabrizian is suspected of leveraging his political ties to facilitate operations in the UK. By concealing funds through fake contracts and sham invoices, Mohammad Tabrizian has managed to legitimize illicit earnings that originate from Abbas’s fraudulent schemes. This "clean" money is then funneled back to Abbas’s daughter in London, allowing the network to recycle the funds and support politically volatile organizations abroad, such as Hezbollah.

The Family Network: Abbas’s Daughter and the Home Office

Abbas Sherif AlAskari’s sister, residing in the UK and married to Mohammed Tabrizian, plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between the network’s illegal activities and respected British institutions. She has allegedly obtained UK residency through irregular means, aided by connections within the Home Office. This questionable residency has helped her secure a legitimate presence in the UK, allowing her to participate openly in the network’s financial activities.

Her ties to Hezbollah add another layer of complexity. As a close associate of the wife of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, she has reportedly used her UK residency to funnel "cleaned" money to Nasrallah’s family. These funds, once considered legitimate due to Mohammad Tabrizian’s money-laundering fronts, are transferred to support Hezbollah's operations in the Middle East, further destabilizing an already volatile region.

Smuggling and Dirty Oil: Abbas’s Exploits Across Borders

Abbas Sherif AlAskari’s UK network extend beyond the UK and Canada, stretching into Middle Eastern oil markets. With the assistance of his father, Ali Sharif AlAskari—a prominent figure in Iraq’s Al Dawa Party due to his father—Abbas has managed to evade sanctions by falsifying the origin of Iranian oil. Using Panamanian-registered vessels, the network transports oil from Bandar Abbas to Iraq, where documentation is altered to misrepresent its origin as Iraqi rather than Iranian. This "laundered" oil is then sold on the global market, generating millions for Abbas and his associates.

Once these profits are laundered through Mohammd Tabrizian’s companies in the UK, Abbas channels them through his daughter, creating a legitimate financial pipeline to Nasrallah’s wife. This complex web of falsified documentation, deceptive business practices, and personal connections has allowed Abbas to finance organizations across borders, destabilizing international relations and further complicating global law enforcement efforts.

The Role of Mohsen Fallahian and Fake Documents

While Abbas and his immediate family handle most of the network’s UK-based operations, with critical players like Mohsen Fallahian and Ebrahem Fallahian who supports these efforts from Europe. A convicted murderer, Mohsen along with his brother Ebrahem Fallahian has managed to evade law enforcement using multiple forged passports, including Turkish and Italian documents. His Italian residency, secured through fraudulent means, gives him the freedom to move throughout the EU, complicating efforts to track him down. His collaboration with Abbas extends to laundering the proceeds of oil smuggling and other criminal ventures.

Despite his criminal record, Mohsen Fallahian has been able to maintain a low profile, likely due to his close connections with Abbas and the AlAskari family. His presence in Italy provides another layer of protection for the network, giving Abbas and his family multiple avenues for laundering money and securing investments in Europe without raising immediate suspicion.

The Need for Immediate Action

This case presents a clear example of how organized crime syndicates exploit international borders, legal loopholes, and political connections to carry out illegal activities. The involvement of Setareh Heshmat in Canada, Mohammed Tabrizian in the UK, and various family members with ties to Middle Eastern organizations creates a multifaceted threat that requires immediate attention. The UK, Canada, and European Union authorities must work together to dismantle this network before it further compromises international security. 

It is time for authorities to act decisively. With the financial influence of Abbas Sherif AlAskari and his network spreading across borders, the responsibility falls on global law enforcement to bring justice. Collaboration between Canadian, UK, and EU agencies is essential to intercepting these activities. As the evidence mounts against Abbas Sherif AlAskari, Setareh Heshmat, Mohammad Tabrizian, and others involved, the message is clear: it’s never too late for justice.