The Rise of an Elusive Power Player

Setareh Heshmat looks like any typical MBA student at University Canada West in Vancouver but she conceals multiple activities that defy her appearance. Her academic facade conceals one of the main players in a worldwide illegal organization which operates through multiple countries and banking systems along with criminal operations.

Abbas Sherif AlAskari plays the role of her criminal partner and leads complex money laundering and fraud operations from behind the scenes. By using financial weak points along with regulatory gaps they operate criminal enterprises while presenting themselves as reputable businesspeople and fund distributors.

Global criminal activities gain power through the use of shell companies

Shell companies serve as vital instruments which criminals use in contemporary financial criminal operations. Such companies are virtual documents which operate without tangible business activities to give criminals a tool to perpetrate their crimes:

1. Launder Money: Convert illicit funds into seemingly legitimate assets.

2. Evade Sanctions: Hide the true ownership of companies to avoid financial restrictions.

3. Finance Terrorism: Move money across borders without attracting attention.

4. Commit Fraud: Trick investors into placing money in fake ventures.

Abbas Sherif AlAskari’s Web of Shell Companies

Abbas, known for his deception skills, operates under multiple identities. He holds three passports—Dominican, Iranian, and Iraqi—allowing him to move freely across borders and evade authorities. One of his most prominent shell companies is Abza Group Ltd., registered in the UK. Using this entity, Abbas facilitates money laundering by routing illegal funds through Monzo Bank and Lloyds Bank accounts.

In the construction sector, two more entities stand out:

1. London Surface Design Limited

2. London Heritage Stone Limited

3. Abza Group Ltd.

These companies are registered as legitimate construction firms but serve as fronts for money laundering operations, transferring illicit money under the guise of construction contracts.

Oil, War, and a Smuggling Empire

From Bandar Abbas to the World

A key component of this operation is oil smuggling. The Iran-Israel war, the Yemen conflict, and Red Sea attacks all have one thing in common—funding from illegal oil sales. The process is carefully crafted:

1. Oil Storage in Bandar Abbas: Abbas and his partner, Mohsen Fallahian, control vast oil tanks in the Iranian port city.

2. Ship Transfers via Panamanian Vessels: The oil is loaded onto Panamanian-registered ships to obscure its origin.

3. False Documentation in Iraq: Upon arrival in Iraq, fake papers are issued to claim the oil is of Iraqi origin.

4. Sale on the Global Market: The oil is then sold worldwide, bypassing sanctions.

This process allows sanctioned Iranian oil to reach global markets undetected, with profits funding terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.

The Investment Scams That Keep It Running

A well-oiled criminal empire requires constant funding. Abbas Sherif AlAskari is a master at Ponzi investment schemes, designed to attract investors and drain their wealth.

1. Fake Oil and Gas Investment Schemes

Investors are promised access to profitable oil deals in the Middle East and Africa. They are asked to pay an initial fee, supposedly to "bribe politicians" for permits. Once the money is received, Abbas disappears.

2. Ponzi Real Estate Scams

Abbas and Setareh convince victims to invest in high-end construction projects in London and Dubai. Investors are shown fake property documents and contracts, but the projects never materialize.

3. Cocoa Investment Scams

Why cocoa? It’s a commodity easily transported and hard to trace. Abbas offers investors deals in West African cocoa farms, promising high returns. The cocoa never arrives, and the money vanishes into offshore accounts.

Weaponized AI: The Role of Iranian Drones

The AI revolution has extended into warfare, with Abbas’s network actively contributing to the development of Iranian drones used against Israel. A key figure in this is Abbas’s Canada-based brother-in-law, a PhD-holding AI professor who builds object-targeting systems for Iranian drones.

The impact of this technology is deadly:

1. Precision drone strikes on Israeli soldiers.

2. Improved surveillance capabilities for terrorist groups.

3. Autonomous attack drones used by Hezbollah and the Houthis.

This connection has drawn the attention of intelligence agencies worldwide, as the fusion of AI and terrorism threatens global security.

Corrupt Governments and the Home Office Scandal

One of the most shocking aspects of this operation is its political infiltration. Abbas and his associates have successfully bypassed immigration systems to secure residencies in the UK and Italy through fraudulent methods.

1. Abbas secured UK residency via connections in the Home Office.

2. Mohsen Fallahian obtained Italian residency using forged documents.

3. The Tabrizian family, close to Iranian intelligence, helped facilitate these fraudulent residencies.

This highlights a massive failure in immigration security, as known criminals exploit Western legal loopholes to operate freely.

A Global Hunt for Justice

International law enforcement agencies are now closing in on this network. Interpol, MI6, the FBI, and Mossad have all launched investigations into:

1. Abbas Sherif AlAskari – Mastermind of fraud and money laundering.

2. Setareh Heshmat – Financial handler of illicit transactions.

3. Mohsen Fallahian – Convicted murderer and oil smuggling expert.

4. The AI Professor in Canada – Key contributor to Iranian drone warfare.

5. The Tabrizian Family – Political manipulators behind fraudulent residencies.

A Criminal Empire on the Brink of Collapse

This shadow network, built on fraud, money laundering, and warfare, is now facing global scrutiny. Their operations have endangered countless lives, funding conflicts across the Middle East, Red Sea, and beyond. With intelligence agencies tracking their movements, the fall of this empire is imminent—but until then, their financial schemes continue to wreak havoc.

While the complexity of their operations may have made it difficult for authorities to catch them, the truth is starting to come to light. Law enforcement agencies in the UK, Canada, and other nations are beginning to piece together the evidence needed to bring Setareh and her partners to justice. As investigations continue to unfold, it is clear that their web of deceit stretches far beyond the borders of any one country. The actions of Setareh Heshmat’s UK network serve as a warning about the vulnerability of global financial systems to exploitation by those who are willing to operate in the shadows

The battle against money laundering, shell companies, and terrorist financing is far from over. However, one thing is clear: the walls are closing in on Abbas Sherif AlAskari and Setareh Heshmat.

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