Mohamad Noureddine is a Lebanese businessman who was a central figure in

Hezbollah Hezbollah ( ; , , ) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament. I ...

’s global

money-laundering Money laundering is the process of illegally concealing the origin of money obtained from illicit activities (often known as dirty money) such as drug trafficking, sex work, terrorism, corruption, and embezzlement, and converting the funds into ...

and

drug-trafficking The illegal drug trade, drug trafficking, or narcotrafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types ...

networks, through his interests in real estate and jewelry trading. He operated through his company, Trade Point International S.A.R.L., which was based in Lebanon and his operations spanned

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

, the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

, and

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

, funneling illicit funds to support Hezbollah's military activities, particularly in

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

Allegations of money laundering

In 2016, Mohamad Noureddine was sanctioned by the

United States Treasury Department The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States. It is one of 15 current U.S. government departments. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and ...

for allegedly laundering money on behalf of Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant organization designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. and several other countries. According to the U.S. Treasury's

Office of Foreign Assets Control The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is a financial intelligence and enforcement agency of the United States Department of the Treasury, United States Treasury Department. It administers and enforces economic and trade economic sanctions, ...

(OFAC), Noureddine was a key figure in a global money-laundering network that processed illicit funds through a complex system of exchange houses and commercial enterprises. His company, Trade Point International S.A.R.L. in Beirut facilitated money laundering operations connected to drug trafficking, using financial institutions in Lebanon and abroad to move large sums of money to purchase weapons for Hezbollah in Syria. U.S. authorities claimed that Noureddine had direct ties to Hezbollah's financial arm, using his network to launder funds that supported the group's activities.

Arrest and conviction

In January 2016, French authorities arrested Mohamad Noureddine in Paris as part of a joint investigation involving the U.S.

Drug Enforcement Administration The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating illicit Illegal drug trade, drug trafficking a ...

(DEA) and European law enforcement agencies. The operation, which targeted a network involved in laundering drug money for Colombian cartels such as:

Medellín Cartel The Medellín Cartel () was a powerful and highly organized Colombian drug cartel and terrorist organization originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia, that was founded and led by Pablo Escobar. It is often considered to be the first major ...

and La Oficina de Envigado, that led to multiple arrests in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

, and

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. Noureddine was later convicted in France on charges of money laundering and criminal conspiracy. In 2018, a French court sentenced him to seven years in prison and imposed a €500,000 fine. His conviction was part of a broader crackdown on international money laundering operations that linked drug cartels, terrorist organizations, and illicit financial networks spanning multiple continents.

Sanctions and asset freezes

Following his arrest, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned Noureddine and his business operations, freezing his assets in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and prohibiting American individuals and entities from conducting business with him. Several European banks also took action to block accounts and financial transactions linked to his network.

Impact and legacy

The case of Mohamad Noureddine highlighted the intersection of organized crime, drug trafficking, and terrorist financing. His arrest and conviction were considered significant steps in disrupting Hezbollah's financial infrastructure, which relies on global money laundering schemes to fund its operations. However, experts note that similar networks continue to operate, adapting to increased scrutiny and regulatory measures.

References

{{Reflist Living people People convicted of money laundering Lebanese criminals Hezbollah members Drug traffickers Drug Enforcement Administration Money laundering Lebanon Drug Enforcement Administration operations

Allegations of money laundering

Arrest and conviction

Sanctions and asset freezes

Impact and legacy

See also

References