OFAC Designates Maldivian Individuals and Entities for Terrorist Ties

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has announced the designation of several individuals and entities in Maldives for their alleged involvement with terrorist organizations, including ISIS and al-Qa’ida.

Designated Individuals and Entities

The following individuals and entities have been designated:

• Ali Shafiu and Al Athmaar: owned or controlled by Shamil and Shafiu
• Abdulla Ali Manik, Moosa Inas, Abdulla Shareef, Hussain Shamil, Ahmed Mubeen, Ameen Ahmed, Yoosuf Shaheed, Ahmed Afraah, and Mohamed Maathiu Abdul Razzaq: being designated for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, ISIS
• Ali Shiyam: high-profile terrorist financier aligned with the al-Qa’ida cell operating in Maldives
• Ahmed Agleel (Agleel): leader of the operational arm of an al-Qa’ida cell based in Maldives that also has ties to al-Nusrah Front

Designation Pursuant to E.O. 13224

The designations are pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, ISIS or al-Qa’ida.

Restrictions Imposed by Designation

As a result of the designations:

• All property and interests in property of the designated persons that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC.
• Any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.

Further Restrictions

The designations impose a range of restrictions on the individuals and entities listed, including:

• Blocking all property and interests in property of the designated persons
• Prohibiting all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of the designated persons
• Imposing strict conditions on the opening or maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account of a foreign financial institution that knowingly conducted or facilitated any significant transaction on behalf of a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.