SYRIAN AND LEBANESE NATIONALS LINKED TO AL QAEDA

FROM THE - JOURNALS of Monte Friesner – Criminal & Intelligence Analyst and Consulaire for WANTED SA

~Contributed & Written by Kenneth Rijock ~

ARRESTS SPOTLIGHT LEBANON'S LINKS TO AL-QAEDA

This week, Lebanese authorities reported that they had arrest four Syrian and Lebanese nationals, with an affiliation to Al-Qaeda. Apparently there are other individuals not yet in custody, that are being sought, in connection with this terrorist cell.

They had also confiscated a quantity of explosives and detonators. The ties to Al-Qaeda are extremely disturbing, and should serve to elevate awareness to the risks of terrorist financing, in Lebanon, not connected to Hezbollah, but to cells affiliated with other Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) groups. Do not ignore suspicious transactions into Lebanese banks merely because they are not specifically connected to Hezbollah; the payments may be in providing material support to another terrorist organisation. 

READ MORE ON : www.wantedsa.com

WEALTHY SYRIANS ARE RUNNING AWAY WITH FAKE NATIONALITY

FROM THE - JOURNALS of Monte Friesner – Criminal & Intelligence Analyst and Consulaire for WANTED S.A ~Contributed & Written by Kenneth Rijock ~

ARE YOUR NEW "LEBANESE" BANK CLIENTS REALLY SYRIANS ?

With an increasing number of wealthy Syrians exiting the country, due to the expanding nature of the civil war, compliance officers at international banks that serve a Middle Eastern clientele might want to look a bit more closely at any new high net-worth Arab clients, because they may not be exactly whom they profess to be. As Gilbert & Sullivan so aptly put it, "skin milk masquerades as cream."

 In short, rather than be rejected by your bank, a sharp Syrian PEP will obtain proof of nationality from some country other than Syria, such as Lebanon, or take out a EU passport he may have acquired earlier, to avoid any questions about whether he is unsuitable due to Syrian sanctions. Ask your Arabic-speaking staff to interview him, and ask them to give you the answers to these questions:

(1) What about his language, does he use the vernacular, slang and accents from the country that he claims to be from ? Could he be a Syrian concealing his nationality, or claim to be an expat when he is not ?

(2) What was his former occupation/profession ? Could he be a military man, or the former president of a government-controlled (and sanctioned) company in Syria ? Bodyguards, perhaps ?

(3) Source of Funds and banking references ?

Please ensure that your new affluent client is not a sanctions risk.