Syrian national accused of funneling over $9 million in US-funded humanitarian aid to terrorist organization

A Syrian national, Mahmoud Al Hafyan, has been charged with diverting more than $9 million in U.S.-funded humanitarian aid to terrorist organizations, including al Qaeda. The 53-year-old was indicted on 12 counts for allegedly funneling aid meant for Syrian civilians to armed combatant groups, specifically the Al-Nusrah Front (ANF), an affiliate of al Qaeda in Iraq.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia, Al Hafyan positioned himself as the head of a non-governmental organization (NGO) to gain access to the humanitarian aid. He managed 160 NGO employees at a humanitarian station in Syria and was awarded $122 million between January 2015 and November 2018 to provide food and medical supplies in the war-torn country.

Working with at least two co-conspirators, Al Hafyan directed food kits valued at millions of dollars to ANF commanders. The terrorist organization’s objective was to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, and they were known for mass executions, suicide bombings, and kidnappings.

To cover up their scheme, Al Hafyan and his associates falsified beneficiary logs and inflated the number of food kits received by war-affected families in Syrian villages. They sold the humanitarian kits on the black market to ANF commanders for personal gain.

In addition to defrauding the U.S. government, Al Hafyan also forced NGO employees to donate portions of their salaries to support the terrorist organization. Anyone who refused to comply with his orders was threatened, creating a toxic work environment within the organization.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani of the Washington Field Office Counterterrorism Division emphasized the severity of Al Hafyan’s actions, noting that he not only supported violent terrorists but also stole money intended for humanitarian efforts. The indictment of Al Hafyan is the result of years of investigative work to uncover the fraudulent activities.

The case serves as a reminder of the importance of monitoring and ensuring the proper distribution of humanitarian aid to prevent it from falling into the hands of terrorist organizations. The U.S. government is committed to holding individuals like Al Hafyan accountable for their crimes and safeguarding aid meant for vulnerable populations in conflict zones.