Accountant linked to Hezbollah extradited by Britain to US

An accountant alleged to have acted as the right-hand man to accused Hezbollah financier Nazem Ahmad has been extradited to the US.

Sundar Nagarajan was arrested in London this year at the behest of the American authorities on suspicion of fraud and money laundering offences.

The 56-year-old Indian citizen was detained in April by the Met Police’s National Extradition Unit, acting on an international arrest warrant.

“I can confirm the requested person was extradited to the USA on December 8,” a representative for the Crown Prosecution Service told The National.

Mr Ahmad, who has an extensive art collection in Britain and business links with several galleries and auction houses, is one of Hezbollah’s “top donors”, generating funds through his ties to the blood diamond trade, the US alleges.

The US Treasury department said Mr Nagarajan acted as the primary international accountant for Mr Ahmad, a Lebanese and Belgian dual citizen who has been under US sanctions since 2019. The sanctions were extended last year.

On the day Mr Nagarajan was arrested, Britain announced additional sanctions against Mr Ahmad.

In the US, authorities announced nine charges against Mr Ahmad and eight co-accused, including Mr Nagarajan.

Among the charges Mr Ahmad is facing are defrauding the US and foreign governments, evading sanctions, and money laundering.

About $160 million was siphoned through the American financial system, the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York has said.

The US Treasury further alleges Mr Nagarajan was the central manager of financial ledgers detailing the Iranbacked militia’s operations.

He also arranged payment for shipment of art that Mr Ahmad, described as an associate of high-level members of Hezbollah, purchased from major auction houses and galleries, the Treasury claims.

“The United States implemented terrorism sanctions so that terrorist organisations like Hezbollah would be cut off from the goods and services needed to fund violent acts of terrorism,” said US lawyer Breon Peace when the charges were announced.

“As alleged, Nazem Ahmad and his co-defendants benefitted from the multimillion-dollar trade in diamonds and artwork, even after Ahmad was sanctioned for his involvement with a terrorist organisation.”

The US Department of Justice said Mr Ahmad is not in custody and is believed to be in Lebanon.