U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designates key leaders and financial facilitators of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and al-Qa’ida in the Maldives, including 20 ISIS, ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K), and al-Qa’ida operatives.
The US Treasury said that OFAC also designated 29 companies associated with the individuals sanctioned, who include leaders of Maldives-based terrorist-affiliated criminal gangs and associates of key ISIS-K recruiter Mohamad Ameen who was designated by OFAC in 2019.
It said several of the individuals being designated today have also planned or carried out attacks that targeted journalists and local authorities.
The US Treasury gave details of a key terrorist cell in Addu City and identified the leaders within the cell. This includes Jinaau Naseem, Mohamed Thasleem, Faris Mohamed Didi, Ali Nihadh, and Mohamed Naushad Shareef. The US went on to identify the companies owned and controlled by these individuals.
The Department also identified ISIS-Affilated Criminal gand and Leaders including Ahmed Alif Rauf, Mohamed Inthif Rauf, and Ibrahim Aleef Rauf who it said led the ISIS-aligned, Maldives-based criminal gang Kuda Henveyru.
Other individuals identified with terrorist affiliations include Abdullah Ali Manik, Moosa Inas, Abdullah Shareef, Hussain Shamil, Ahmed Mubeen, Ameen Ahmed, Yoosuf Shaheed, Ahmed Afraah, Mohamed Maathiu Abdul Razzaq, Ali Shafiu, Ahmed Aqleel, and Ali Shiyam.
Maldives-based companies Golden Warriors Investment Pvt Ltd, Vaaly Brothers Pvt Ltd, Syskon Pvt Ltd, Shine. X Investments Pvt Ltd, Eriyadhu Investments Pvt Ltd, Jazeera Properties Pvt Ltd, and Visions Maldives Pvt Ltd are all included in the list.
The US Treasury Department further announced heavy sanctions against the individuals and companies with the terrorist affliations.
