Isleworth Crown Court Imposes £3.5 Million Money Laundering Confiscation Order on Abdullah Alfalasi

Sierra Leone Telegraph: 21 March 2024

Abdullah Alfalasi Convicted of Money Laundering Operation

Abdullah Alfalasi, a 48-year-old Emirati national and money laundering kingpin, was sentenced to a confiscation order of £3,496,778.68 on March 19, 2024, at Isleworth Crown Court. Alfalasi was convicted in July 2022 for orchestrating a money laundering operation that moved tens of millions of pounds from the United Kingdom (UK) to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) between November 2019 and October 2020.

Network of Cash Couriers

The National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation into this case led to the arrest of Alfalasi in December 2021. During the investigation, it was discovered that Alfalasi coordinated a network of couriers who removed £104 million from the UK. The cash was concealed in vacuum-sealed bundles and disguised business class travel to augment their luggage allowance. sixteen couriers involved in this operation have been convicted.

Covering Cash Declarations

The money, believed to be profits from drug dealing, was smuggled out of the UK through various cash trips made by Alfalasi himself between Dubai and the UK. Letters bearing the name Omnivest Gold Trading LLC and Alfalasi’s phone number were used by the couriers to cover their cash declarations.

Penalties and Assets

Following his conviction and trial, Alfalasi now faces an additional ten years in jail if he fails to pay the confiscation order within three months. The order covers assets including savings and investments in Emirati banks, properties in the UAE, funds in a Binance account, three Rolex watches, a Patek Philippe watch, a Mercedes G63, a Ford pickup truck, and a Toyota Yaris.

NCA and CPS Statements

NCA Senior Investigating Officer Ian Truby stated, “This is a fantastic result that shows the extent of the tools at our disposal to pursue serious and organised criminals, denying them the profit of their crimes. Alfalasi oversaw a criminal network of cash couriers who moved dirty money, the lifeblood of organised crime groups, out of the UK at an unprecedented scale.”

CPS Chief Crown Prosecutor Adrian Foster added, “This Confiscation Order covers all of Alfalasi’s current available assets to ensure that he does not financially benefit from this crime, part of one of the largest money laundering operations ever run from the UK. We will continue to pursue any new assets discovered.”

Recovered Funds from CPS-obtained Confiscation Orders

Since 2018, over £480 million has been recovered from CPS-obtained Confiscation Orders, preventing thousands of convicted criminals from profiting from their criminal activities. £105 million of that amount has been returned to victims of crime as compensation.

International Money Laundering Tactics

International money laundering networks employ various tactics, such as cash smuggling, cryptocurrencies, and banking systems, to move billions of pounds of dirty money every year. These activities are often tied to illicit activities, including drugs trafficking, fraud, illegal commodities, terrorism, and conflicts worldwide.