Terror organization: Hezbollah;

Status: Hezbollah financier and Weapon smuggler;

Role: Imad Abdul Reda Bakri is a Hezbollah financier and Weapon smuggler. He is a major shareholder in vast number of businesses worldwide. Through some of those businesses he used to launder and transfer money to Hezbollah.

His involvement in arms trafficking, blood diamonds and the services he provides to Hezbollah, have all allowed Imad Bakri to, not only become a wealthy man, but also to gain vast influence in the Shi’ite community especially in Belgium, Lebanon and Western Africa. Due to his status, Bakri was invited in 2015 to the house of the Belgian Ambassador in Babdaa, Lebanon to receive the honorary title of officer of the Crown. That honor was given to him for the role he played in promoting good relations between the two countries.

Location: Lebanon;

Born: November 1961;

Place of Birth: Lebanon;

Gender: Male;

Nationality: Lebanon;

Known also as: Imad Bakri;

Activities:
Imad Abdul Reda Bakri is a Businessman from London. This person was born in November 1961, which was over 61 years ago. IMAD ABDUL REDA BAKRI is Lebanese and resident in Lebanon.

Imad Abdul Reda Bakri is a Hezbollah financier and Weapon smuggler. He is a major shareholder in vast number of businesses worldwide. Through some of those businesses he used to launder and transfer money to Hezbollah. Since this structure was never touched, we believe he is still doing it today. Part of the weapon shipments he used to smuggle into Africa, were delivered by Bakri to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Imad Abdul Reda Bakri, a businessman, that holds a dual Lebanese and Congolese citizenships, belongs to a family that is known for its support of Hezbollah. He made his fortune since the mid-1990s and soon became a key figure in Hezbollah’s financial apparatus.

Despite his involvement in trafficking blood diamonds in Angola, he is still involved in this trade. He owns a diamond trading company located in Antwerp, Belgium, called RIM DIAMONDS BVBA. We assume that the company is named after his son Rim (AKA Reem). Given his business contacts in Angola and his familiarity with the local market, we assume that Bakri continues to trade in diamonds from Angola as well. Thus, strangely enough, despite having his name linked to conflict diamonds trafficking and to financing terror organization, Imad Bakri still owns and manages a diamond company and trades in them.

It also didn’t harm is other business ventures. Bakri’s business dealings span several countries including Lebanon, Belgium, France, Romania, Brazil, and Algeria. His most prominent field of business is in the food industries.

Bakri’s businesses in Angola are concentrated mainly in supplying flour, he also owns several bakeries in the country. Until 2019, Bakri was a major shareholder in a French mill, Grands Moulins de Strasburg (GMS). This mill exports flour to many countries around the world, but Angola is one of its main destinations.

Bakri had the monopoly of managing GMS’ deals in Angola and Lebanon, including collect the money, and after taking his share to transfer the major part to GMS. Apparently, he did not transfer the money, that accumulate to amount of 58 million Euros. In 2013, GMS sent Bakri a letter informs that he is not part of the company anymore and they demand him to return the money. Both sides went to trial, it is unclear what is the court ruling but the French law is compromising with Bakri because of the way he was expelled from GMS. It is unclear if he gave any money back at all.

Although this saga, Bakri is still a shareholder in other company in France, SMD Participations, that deals with fund management. SMD’s accountancy is done by Grant Thornton. LES MOULINS ADVENS purchased GMS and it is also the president of SMD Participations.

One of Bakri’s main holdings is the BGH Holding Group (BGH – Bakri Group Holding) of companies with several branches based in Lebanon and Brazil (see Annex). The group deals in real estate, import – export, trading, franchising, licensing, and food supply. The holding group’s attorney is Ali Hussein Al Achi, an attorney that manages many of Hezbollah’s financial assets (see report Lebanon’s Consiglieres Achi Law Firm).

Through BGH holding and other companies, Bakri also provided Hezbollah with money laundering services. One such company is METRO TRADING COMPANY SA, located in Belgium. The company deals in food products and supplies (such as flour, meat, and fish) and exports to other countries such as Angola, Romania, France, and Algeria. Between the years 2006-2007, METRO TRADING COMPANY SA laundered 15 million USD from its LCB bank (Lebanese Canadian Bank) account on behalf of Hezbollah. Bakri himself laundered some 3 million USD from his personal account at LCB. Metro Trading owns two subsidiaries in Lebanon – METRO TRADING SARL and METRO TRADING COMPANY OFFSHORE SAL. METRO TRADING COMPANY OFFSHORE SAL had a bank account in SGBL bank (Société générale de banque au Liban) and BLF bank (BANQUE LIBANO-FRANÇAISE) in Lebanon through which it laundered large amounts of money for Hezbollah as well. We believe that Bakri continues to finance Hezbollah through his companies.