Iranian Businessman ‘Mr G’ Jailed for 8 Years for Money Laundering Operation
In a significant legal development, Asghar Gheshalghian, a 48-year-old Iranian businessman, dubbed ‘Mr G’ by associates in France, has been sentenced to eight years in prison.
Operating a rug company as a front, Gheshalghian masterminded a money laundering operation, funneling millions of pounds from illegal small boat gangs involved in trafficking migrants across the Channel.
Front Business: Rug Company Concealing Criminal Operation
Gheshalghian strategically ran his money services firm under the guise of a rug company from an office block in Wood Green, north London.
Acting as a trusted middleman, he facilitated the flow of money between criminal gangs and migrants using the Hawala system, an informal fund transfer method.
Hawala System and Criminal Transactions
The Hawala system, employed by Gheshalghian, is an informal fund transfer method operated through intermediaries known as hawaladars.
Regardless of the transaction’s nature and the countries involved, this system allows for the discreet movement of funds.
Gheshalghian accepted payments from migrants or their families, later releasing the money to criminal gangs upon the migrants’ arrival, charging a substantial commission.
Arrest and Covert Recordings: Exposing the Illegal Enterprise
Gheshalghian’s activities came under scrutiny during a two-year investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Covert recordings revealed his admission that a significant portion of his business, around ’70-80 percent,’ was illegal.
The NCA arrested Gheshalghian in February 2021, seizing approximately £50,000 in cash and uncovering ledgers detailing transactions.
Legal Proceedings and Significant Role
During legal proceedings, the prosecutor highlighted Gheshalghian’s high level of culpability, emphasizing his leading role in the planned money laundering offenses.
Despite not being directly involved in providing boats or lorries, Gheshalghian played a crucial role in facilitating illegal immigration, earning him an eight-year sentence.
Judge’s Sentencing and Ongoing Harm
Sentencing Gheshalghian, Judge Martin Griffith characterized his role as significant in ensuring trust between both migrants and criminal gangs involved in illegal immigration.
The judge noted the ongoing harm caused by assisting those traveling through dangerous Channel crossings and emphasized the need for serious sentences to deter individuals involved in such criminal activities.
NCA’s Response and Disruption of Criminal Networks
The NCA Branch Commander, Mark Howes, emphasized Gheshalghian’s crucial role in handling payments for organized crime gangs, enabling their profits from dangerous Channel boat and lorry crossings.
Disrupting these financial flows remains a priority for the NCA as they aim to dismantle organized immigration crime networks.
Asghar Gheshalghian’s conviction sends a clear message about the consequences of facilitating illegal immigration and participating in money laundering operations that fund criminal activities.
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