Treasury Targets Africa-Based Hizballah Support Network

2/26/2015 

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Action Sanctions Three Hizballah Members and Entities They Own and Control in West Africa

 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today targeted a key Hizballah support network based in Africa. Mustapha Fawaz, Fouzi Fawaz, and Abdallah Tahini have been designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224 for acting for or on behalf of Hizballah.  Amigo Supermarket Limited, Wonderland Amusement Park and Resort Ltd, and Kafak Enterprises Limited have also been designated pursuant to E.O. 13224 for being owned or controlled by Mustapha Fawaz and Fouzi Fawaz.  Any property or interests in property these individuals or entities may have within U.S. jurisdiction are frozen and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing with them.

 

Hizballah is a Lebanon-based terrorist group, which is known or suspected to have been involved in numerous terrorist attacks throughout the world.  The Annex to Executive Order 12947 of January 1995 listed Hizballah as a Specially Designated Terrorist (SDT).  The Department of State designated Hizballah as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in 1997 and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under E.O. 13224 in October 2001.

 

"As these designations make clear, we will track Hizballah's illicit activities to all corners of the earth," said Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Adam J. Szubin.  "Together with our international partners, we are tirelessly working to dismantle Hizballah's financial apparatus.  Wherever this terrorist group may seek to raise funds, we will target and expose its activity."

 

Mustapha Fawaz

 

Mustapha Fawaz has been a significant donor to Hizballah and is also a member of Hizballah's Islamic Jihad Organization (IJO).  In mid-May 2013, the Nigerian State Security Service detained Mustapha Fawaz for his affiliation with Hizballah.  Mustapha Fawaz reportedly confessed the details of Hizballah activities in Nigeria and identified additional names of other Hizballah IJO cell members in Nigeria, as well as a specific property in Kano, Nigeria that was used to support terrorism.   As of mid-September 2003, Mustapha Fawaz solicited donations in Abuja, Nigeria, and helped arrange the transmission of these funds to Hizballah in Lebanon. 

 

Since the 1990s, Mustapha Fawaz has been involved in activities related to communications, surveillance, and reporting for Hizballah.  He communicated with Hizballah in Lebanon by e-mail and reportedly received updates and newsletters regarding Hizballah activities and distributed this information to other Hizballah supporters in Abuja.  He used special surveillance cameras based at Amigo Supermarket to monitor the movements of expatriates, especially Israelis.  He also provided Hizballah with a report of his visit to the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria. 

 

Fouzi Fawaz

 

Fouzi Fawaz is a member of the Hizballah terrorist cell in Nigeria.  Individuals who were arrested in Nigeria for their involvement with Hizballah claimed Fouzi Fawaz was in possession of heavy weapons and involved in other terrorism-related activities.  Fouzi Fawaz was a Hizballah Foreign Relations Department (FRD) official in Abuja, Nigeria.  The FRD claims to be in charge of "community relations;" but the primary goal of the FRD in Nigeria is to scout recruits for Hizballah's military units, as well as to create and support Hizballah's terrorist infrastructure for its operational units in Africa and globally.  In 2008 Fouzi Fawaz coordinated travel for a Hizballah associate.  In 2007, he coordinated travel arrangements and itineraries with other Hizballah Foreign Relations officials in Lagos and Kano, Nigeria.

 

As of 2013, Nigerian authorities issued an arrest warrant for Fouzi Fawaz following the discovery of a Hizballah weapons cache in the Kano, Nigeria.  Fouzi Fawaz was a resident of Abuja, Nigeria and the brother and business partner of Mustapha Fawaz.

 

Abdallah Tahini

 

In May 2013, Abdallah Tahini was also arrested for being a member of the Hizballah terrorist cell in Nigeria and was found to be a Hizballah veteran and long-term fundraiser of the organization.  Tahini underwent Hizballah military training in Lebanon in his youth, and he is now a permanent representative of Hizballah's FRD in Abuja, Nigeria.  Tahini has also served as the Hizballah representative from Kano, Nigeria to Hizballah Martyrs Foundation annual conference.

 

As of November 2013, Tahini was an operative in Hizballah's FRD.  Tahini's duties in Hizballah's FRD included organizing Hizballah delegations visiting Nigeria, as well as directing others to collect information for Hizballah on Western targets in Nigeria.

 

Amigo Supermarket Limited

 

Amigo Supermarket Limited is a supermarket based in Abuja, Nigeria.  Mustapha Fawaz and Fouzi Fawaz are co-owners of Amigo Supermarket Limited, holding a combined 70% ownership share, and are both listed as a Director. 

 

Wonderland Amusement Park and Resort Ltd

 

Wonderland Amusement Park and Resort Ltd is an amusement park based in Abuja, Nigeria.  Mustapha Fawaz and Fouzi Fawaz hold a combined interest of 100% of the business shares of this entity, and Mustapha Fawaz is its Managing Director.

 

Kafak Enterprises Limited

 

Kafak Enterprises Limited is a holding company operating in Nigeria and Sierra Leone.  Mustapha and Fouzi Fawaz are the Managing Directors of this entity. 

 

 

Identifier Information

 

Name:                                                 Mustapha Reda Darwish Fawaz

AKA:                                                  Moustafa Reda Darwish-Fawaz

AKA:                                                  Mustafa Fawwaz

AKA:                                                  Mustapha Fawaz

AKA:                                                  Mustapha Rida Darwich Fawaz

AKA:                                                  Mostafa Reda Darwich Fawaz

AKA:                                                  Mustapha Rhoda Darwich Fawaz

AKA:                                                  Moustapha Fawaz

AKA:                                                  Mustafa Fawaz

AKA:                                                  Mustafa Darwish Fawaz

Citizenship 1:                                      Lebanese

Citizenship 2:                                      Nigerian

Citizenship 3:                                      Sierra Leonean

Location:                                             Abuja, Nigeria

DOB 1:                                               June 25, 1964

DOB 2:                                               September 10, 1964

POB 1:                                                Jwaya, Lebanon

POB 2:                                                Koidu Town, Sierra Leone

SSN:                                                    418-15-2837

Passport No. 1:                                    RL 2101602 (Lebanon)

Passport No. 2:                                    0168459 (Sierra Leone)

Passport No. 3:                                    RL0148105 (Lebanon)

Passport No. 4:                                    0257909 (Sierra Leone)

Address 1:                                           Flat 4, Blantyre Street, Behind Amigo, Supermarket,

                                                            Wuse II, Abuja, Nigeria

Address 2:                                           3 Gaya Road in Kano, Nigeria

 

Name:                                                 Fouzi Reda Darwish-Fawaz

AKA:                                                  Fawzi Reda Fawaz

AKA:                                                  Fawzy Fawaz

AKA:                                                  Fawzi Fawwaz

AKA:                                                  Fowzy Fawaz

AKA:                                                  Fawzy Reda Darwish-Fawaz

DOB 1:                                               February 12, 1968

DOB 2:                                               March 24, 1973

POB 1:                                                Sierra Leone

POB 2:                                                Jwaya, Lebanon

Passport No. 1:                                    0258649 (Unknown)

Passport No. 2:                                    0107516 (Lebanese)

Citizenship 1:                                      Lebanese

Citizenship 2:                                      Nigerian

Citizenship 3:                                      Sierra Leonean

 

Name:                                                 Abdallah Asad Tahini

AKA:                                                  Abdallah Thahini

AKA:                                                  Ahmad Tahini

AKA:                                                  Abdallah As'ad Thini

DOB:                                                  June 20, 1965

POB:                                                   Lebanon

 

Name:                                                 Amigo Supermarket Limited

D.B.A.:                                               Amigo Supermarket

Address:                                              1023, Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse II,

                                                            Abuja, Nigeria

 

Name:                                                 Wonderland Amusement Park and Resort Ltd

AKA:                                                  Wonderland Amusement Park

Address:                                              B1 Kukbawa, Opposite National Stadium, Abuja

                                                            FCT, Nigeria

 

Name:                                                 Kafak Enterprises Limited

Address 1:                                           88B, T/Balewa Road, Kano State, Nigeria

Address 2:                                           Sierra Leone

 

 

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