Sentenced to 10 years in prison and 160 million dirhams fines

Abu Dhabi Criminal Court indicts 6 Pakistanis and two companies for money laundering

The court ruled to deport the defendants from the state after the implementation of the punishment.

From the source

The Abu Dhabi Criminal Court, which is specialized in examining the crimes of money laundering and tax evasion, has convicted six Pakistani accused, and two companies owned by the first accused, of committing the crime of money laundering by conducting suspicious banking transactions, in order to try to conceal the truth of the sums of money obtained from drug trafficking.

The court ruled to punish the six defendants with 10 years imprisonment and a fine of 10 million dirhams each, and to be deported from the state after the execution of the punishment. The court also ruled on two companies: one for advertising and the second for electronics trading, to fine each of them 50 million dirhams, and confiscation of the funds subject to the crime of money laundering Whether liquid or any of the tangible or intangible assets.

In detail, the Federal Public Prosecution of the United Arab Emirates referred a copy of the drug trafficking case file that was seized in Abu Dhabi to the Total Funds Prosecution in Abu Dhabi, for a parallel financial investigation into the case within the framework of its state jurisdiction, as the investigations showed that the four defendants who were convicted of the original crime Namely, drug trafficking;

They work within a gang formation that includes people inside and outside the state, during which members of the formation abroad deal with the buyer (the user), and give him data on the whereabouts of the drug, after he deposits its price in one of the bank accounts of the accused residing inside the country or the account of one of the companies, so that they transfer it later through Exchange companies to people in Pakistan.

Nearly two million dirhams were found in the place of residence of the defendants, and investigations by the Money Prosecution Office showed the involvement of two persons of the same nationality in the money laundering case, without proving their involvement in the original crime related to drug trafficking.

The Money Prosecution revealed the secrecy of the defendants ’accounts in accordance with the law, as it was found that all of the defendants’ bank accounts include a large turnover that is not commensurate with the defendants ’financial activities. Between 500 and 1000 dirhams, and by investigation, it was found that eight of the depositors have previous history of drug abuse, noting that the accused has accounts in six banks within the country, while the second accused has accounts in three banks.

The investigations resulted in the first accused owning accounts in two other banks in the name of two companies he owns, and the turnover of the two accounts amounted to about eight million dirhams within six months, in a manner inconsistent with the activities of the two companies, and within the framework of suspicious deposit operations, no documents were submitted to confirm the legality of their source, which confirms that These two companies were used as a cover for laundering money obtained from the crime of drug trafficking, with the aim of concealing its source.

Investigations showed that the method used to receive and withdraw money is similar to that of drug trafficking, and all the money that is deposited in these accounts is taken by the defendants in installments to transfer them to people in Pakistan through exchange companies.

An integrated legislative system

The Judicial Department in Abu Dhabi confirmed that the United Arab Emirates enjoys an integrated and flexible financial legislative system, and a specialized judicial structure in the field of combating money crimes, which contributed to limiting money laundering operations and helped to control those involved in it.

She pointed out that the recent amendment in the Money Laundering and Combating Terrorism Law has contributed to enhancing the ability of the various stakeholders to confront these crimes with more effectiveness, as the legislator has tightened penalties for those found guilty of any of these crimes, and has expanded the scope of criminalization to include everyone who was aware that the money The proceeds of a felony or misdemeanor, and the crime of money laundering is considered an independent crime, and the conviction of committing the predicate offense is not required to prove the illicit source of the proceeds.

Confiscation of the funds subject of the crime, whether liquid or assets.

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