Indian citizen in London suspected of arranging funding for Lebanese terror group Hizbollah, arrested

A 66-year-old Indian citizen Sundar Nagarajan has been arrested in London on suspicion of funding the proscribed terrorist organisation Hizbollah, British police said. 

“Sundar Nagarajan, (27.08.57) of Hayes UB3, was taken into police custody before appearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court this afternoon for commencement of extradition proceedings,” study the Metropolitan Police press launch. Officers from the National Extradition Unit – acting on a world arrest warrant – detained Nagarajan from west London following a request by US authorities. 

Madurai-born Sundar Nagarajan additionally known as Kasiviswanathan Naga and Nagarajan Sundar Poongulam, now faces extradition to the US the place he faces prices of serving to to launder money to evade US sanctions and fund Hizbollah. 

Nagarajan was taken into police custody sooner than displaying at Westminster Magistrates’ Court this afternoon for the commencement of extradition proceedings. He was remanded to subsequent appear on the similar court docket docket on April 25, added the discharge. 
Officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command moreover arrested one Nazem Ahmad on suspicion of funding terrorism, as part of a wider UK and US coordinated movement concentrating on terrorism financing. 

According to the US, the Lebanese terrorist outfit Hizbollah makes use of Nazem Ahmad, and his firms, to launder substantial portions of money positive for the terrorist group and Nagarajan is the worldwide accountant for Nazem. 

Ahmad is believed to be associated to a wealthy art work collector and diamond vendor and is suspected of being a funding provide for Hizballah, said Metropolitan Police. 

Sanctions in opposition to Ahmad have been launched earlier presently by the UK Government. The US authorities moreover launched sanctions in opposition to Ahmad and quite a lot of his associates, added the discharge. 

“Today’s arrests are the result of ongoing work and cooperation with our American colleagues, and are a key milestone in what is a complex investigation into terrorist financing,” said Detective Chief Superintendent Gareth Rees, of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command. 

Hezbollah is a Lebanese militant group, backed by Iran, which the UK authorities labeled as a terrorist organisation in 2019. 
“Terrorist groups rely on financial support and funding for their activities and the NTFIU works closely with agencies in the UK and around the world to identify and take action against those people who provide and facilitate this funding. With our international partners, we will never give up on our mission to disrupt terrorist activity, both in the UK and abroad, in order to keep the public safe,” added Rees. 

The US Treasury Department had on April 18 this week unveiled sanctions on what it said was a limiteless worldwide money laundering and sanctions evasion group, concentrating on 52 of us and entities over the payment and cargo of cash, diamonds, beneficial gems, art work and opulent objects for the benefit of Nazem Ahmad. 

The group working in Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Hong Kong facilitated the payment, cargo, and provide of cash, diamonds, beneficial gems, art work, and opulent objects for the benefit of Hizballah financier and Specially Designated Global Terrorist Nazem Said Ahmad, who was designated on December 13, 2019, for providing supplies assist to Hizballah, the US Treasury Department said. 

According to a US Treasury Department launch, Sundar Nagarajan acted as Nazem Said Ahmad’s main worldwide accountant, providing supplies assist by his administration of, and accounting for, firms in Nazem Said Ahmad’s group. 

Nagarajan is the central supervisor of financial ledgers detailing the group’s operations in Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, and South Africa. Sundar Nagarajan moreover facilitated payment for and cargo of art work that Nazem Said Ahmad purchased from predominant public sale properties and galleries, it said.

(This data report is revealed from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content material materials has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)