Info:
Hokoul S.A.L. Offshore (Hokoul) and Talaqi Group are front companies run by Hizballah official al-Bazzal. Al-Bazzal has sought to continue operating his network since being designated by OFAC by purporting to transfer ownership of his companies, including Nagham al Hayat and Tawafuk;
Ali Qasir also is the managing director of Talaqi Group, which finances oil shipments for the IRGC-QF;
Since late 2018, al-Bazzal has leveraged his companies, including Talaqi Group, to finance and coordinate various IRGC-QF-linked oil shipments. In his role as chairman of the board of directors at Talaqi Group, al-Bazzal is responsible for the company’s finances, procedures, administration, and contracts;
Al-Bazzal and his wife are co-founders of Talaqi Group. Al-Bazzal oversaw Talaqi Group’s partnership with ALUMIX for shipments of aluminum to Iran, while his wife, as ALUMIX’s general manager, supplies Talaqi Group with payment information. ALUMIX was known as “Dogmoch” until late 2018;
The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on September 4, 2019 took action against a large shipping network that is directed by and financially supports the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) and its terrorist proxy Hizballah. Over the past year, the IRGC-QF has moved oil worth hundreds of millions of dollars or more through this network for the benefit of the brutal Assad regime, Hizballah, and other illicit actors. Senior IRGC-QF official and former Iranian Minister of Petroleum Rostam Qasemi oversees this sprawling network, which features dozens of ship managers, vessels, and facilitators. This complex network of intermediaries enables the IRGC-QF to obfuscate its involvement in selling Iranian oil. The IRGC-QF also relies heavily on Hizballah officials and front companies to broker associated contracts. OFAC also is issuing a new shipping advisory to the maritime community warning of these types of schemes and the sanctions risks associated with blocked persons;
Also Known As:
Talaqi Group for Trade LLC
Talaqi Group LLC
Country:
Syria
Address:
Sheraton Building, Damascus, Syria
Dummar Project, al-Jazirah 7, real estate property 18/234, Western Dummar, Damascus, Syria
Dummar Project, al Jazirah 11, building 23 section number 1 of real estate property 2259, Damascus, Syria
Dummar Project, al-Jazirah 7, building 2340/33 and 4, Western Dummar, Damascus, Syria
Dummar Project, al-Jazirah 11, building 23, section 2 and 3, building 2259, Damascus, Syria
Reason for the color:
» Added to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list maintained by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on September 4, 2019 pursuant to Executive Order 13224 today for being owned or controlled by Muhammad Qasim al-Bazzal;
» Map of designated network;