Canadians 'should be alarmed' Hezbollah financing activity is operating in this country, says CIJA official
Canadians should be alarmed Iran‑backed terrorist entities are operating in this country and continue to fund and facilitate terror activities, says the Nico Slobinsky, vice president-Pacific Region of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.
A B.C. company was sanctioned by the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on March 20 for its alleged ties to a $100-million international network accused of financing Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Seven Seas for International Trading and Logistics, in Vancouver, was named by OFAC as one of the companies in the network. Seven Seas co-founder and CEO is Lebanese‑Canadian financier, Raoof Fadel.
“Governments must do more to ensure that Canada is not used as a safe haven for Iran’s Islamic Regime and its proxies that threaten global security and target civilians,” says Slobinsky.
The CIJA is calling for strengthened enforcement measures, enhanced scrutiny and removal of regime‑linked actors operating in Canada. “This includes implementing B.C. Premier David Eby’s recent commitment that the province will not be a refuge for war criminals and will ensure their prosecution and seizure of their funds,” says Slobinsky.
OFAC says the international terrorist financing network uses companies in Lebanon, as well as Canada, Poland, Slovenia, Syria and Qatar.
The network is alleged to be overseen by Hezbollah financier Alaa Hassan Hamieh, who has Lebanese and Canadian passports. OFAC designated a total of 16 individuals and entities in its move against the network and has levelled accusations of laundering money, arms and telecommunications equipment through six companies using “sanction-evading schemes” since 2020.
Included is Seven Seas and Raoof Fadel, who OFAC describes as part of the “Hezbollah finance team.” Canadian corporate records indicate the company’s directors, including Fadel as well as Mohamad and Ahmed Wehbe, are residents of Qatar, though the company’s registered address is with a Vancouver law office.
National Post reached out to the company for comment but has not received a response.
The U.S. Treasury Department announced the sanctions in a March 20 press release . It states that the network represents a critical source of funding for Hezbollah, which continues to embrace violence despite calls to disarm. As a result of the sanctions “all property and interests in property of the designated or blocked persons” in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are frozen.
“Iran is the head of the snake when it comes to global terrorism, and its proxies, such as (Hezbollah), carry out Tehran’s mission to sow chaos and destruction beyond its borders,” says U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent in the release. “(Hezbollah) continues to divert funds that rightfully belong to the Lebanese people to finance its terrorist operations. This action targets key actors within its global financial network that sustain its militant activities.”
OFAC says Alaa Hassan Hamieh allegedly oversees a network of companies, controlled through family members and close associates, that launder and raise funds for Hezbollah’s finance team.
Among Hamieh’s proxy business network, says OFAC, is a Syrian gray-arms and a Hezbollah member involved in a weapons systems company. The Canadian connection, Qatar-based Raoof Fadel, “is involved in numerous projects with Alaa Hamieh and the Hezbollah finance team … Fadel is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Hezbollah-associated Seven Seas for International Trading and Logistics, which is the Canadian branch of Alaa Hamieh’s similarly named Lebanese companies.”
A spokesperson from the B.C. finance ministry told National Post in an email that it was not alerted to this situation by federal authorities responsible for dealing with terrorist financing prior to the US Department of the Treasury’s Office announcement. “In light of this development, we are reaching out to our federal counterparts. Any next steps from the Province would be informed by that engagement with our federal partners.”
Lori Blair, a senior communications advisor with Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) told the Post in an email that while FINTRAC deals with business subject to the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act, the agency “is prohibited from speaking” about financial intelligence shared with law enforcement, national security agencies and foreign financial intelligence units.
National Post also reached out to and the federal department of Global Affairs for comment about shutting down Seven Seas and its participation in Hezbollah’s international network, but has not yet received a response.
Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.