Alleged Hezbollah financier charged with evading sanctions and shipping fine art and diamonds.
The US has charged diamond and art dealer Nazem Ahmad, who allegedly funded Hezbollah, with evading sanctions and using a complex web of businesses to obtain artwork and diamond-grading services while hiding his involvement. The US government says that approximately $160 million of artwork and diamond services were transacted through the US system. The Treasury also announced additional sanctions against a network of 52 individuals and entities across the globe it says were involved in funneling money to Hezbollah. The UK has frozen Ahmad's assets in the UK because he financed Hezbollah, which is designated as an international terror group.