Kassim Tajideen is a U.S.-designated financier for Hezbollah.“Treasury Targets Hizballah Network in Africa,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, May 27, 2009 http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg149.aspx. According to the U.S. Treasury, Tajideen operates multiple alleged Hezbollah front companies across Africa and the Caribbean alongside his brothers Hussain and Ali Tajideen.“Treasury Targets Hizballah Network in Africa,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, May 27, 2009 http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg149.aspx; Dino Mahtani, “Exclusive: Congo under Scrutiny over Hezbollah Business Links,” Reuters, March 16, 2012, http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/16/us-congo-democratic-hezbollah-idUSBRE82F0TT20120316. The U.S. designated Kassim Tajideen as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in May 2009.“Treasury Targets Hizballah Network in Africa,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, May 27, 2009, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg149.aspx. It is unclear where he currently resides.David Lewis, “Insight: U.S. and allies target Hezbollah financing, ties in Africa,” Reuters, September 20, 2013, http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/20/us-syria-crisis-hezbollah-africa-insight-idUSBRE98J04L20130920.
The Tajideen’s African business network extends across multiple industries including real estate, food processing, and the diamond industry.Pascal Fletcher and Mark John, “An African supermarket with a sinister side,” Reuters, July 13, 2012, http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/16/us-congo-democratic-hezbollah-idUSBRE82F0TT20120316. With the funds procured from one of their businesses, “Tajco Company LLC,” the Tajideen brothers have reportedly purchased and developed properties in Lebanon for use by Hezbollah.“Treasury Targets Hezbollah Financial Network,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 9, 2010, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg997.aspx.
In 2003, Belgium police arrested Tajideen and his wife in a raid on Soafrimex, one of Kassim’s Hezbollah businesses in Antwerp. Belgium authorities accused Kassim and his wife of transferring “tens of millions of Euros” to Hezbollah through his brother Ali, then a Hezbollah commander.Matthew, Levitt, Hezbollah: The Global Footprint of Lebanon's Party of God, 258, (Georgetown University Press: Washington D.C.), September 2013, accessed March 30, 2015, https://books.google.com/books?id=6WarAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA257&dq=kassim+tajideen+arrested+2003&hl=en&sa=X&ei=PLcZVcGxLsXIsQTK34CACA&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=kassim%20tajideen%20arrested%202003&f=false. Kassim was released on €125,000 bail.Chaim Even-Zohar, “Hezbollah Diamond Smugglers Put on U.S. Terrorists List,” Idex Online, May 28, 2009, http://www.idexonline.com/FullArticle?id=32413.
Companies owned or operated by the Tajideen brothers include Tajco, Kairaba Supermarket, Congo Futur, Ovlas Trading, Golfrate Holdings, and Grupo Arosfran.“Treasury Targets Hizballah Financial Network,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 9, 2010, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg997.aspx. His brother Hussain was expelled from Gambia in early June 2015 for his alleged ties to Hezbollah.“Gambia expels Lebanese businessman accused of Hezbollah ties,” Reuters Africa, June 2, 2015, http://af.reuters.com/article/drcNews/idAFL5N0YO49P20150602.
Also Known As
- Kasim Taji Al-Din
- Kasim Tajmudin
- Kassim Mohammad Tajiddine
- Qasim Taji Al-Din“Treasury Targets Hizballah Network in Africa”, Department of Treasury, May 27, 2009, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg149.aspx.
