Man Accused Of Exporting PS2s To Fund Hezbollah

Federal authorities say a Florida man exported PS2s to a Paraguayan shopping centre believed to be a front for the terrorist organisation Hezbollah. He’s been indicted on 11 counts tied to the funding of terrorism.

The suspect is Khaled Safadi of Doral, a Miami suburb. He’s a Paraguayan citizen with US residency. The indictment alleges that Safadi sold $US720,000 worth of PS2s and cameras to this store, using false addresses on shipping documents to conceal their origin. Two other men were charged in connection with the shipments.

Safadi’s out on bail of $US1.55 million for the time being. At a hearing his lawyer held up a PS2 and declared, “It’s a children’s toy. He is being accused of shipping a children’s toy to Paraguay.”

Perhaps, but Safadi’s larger problem is the fact recipient has been singled out by the US Treasury Department as a funding source for Hezbollah, designated by the government as a terrorist organisation. It’s on a list of entities banned from transacting business in the US So the feds take a dim view of shipments going to them, especially if they have falsified originating addresses.

Doral Man Charged in Terror-Related Case Obtains Bail [The Miami Herald via Game Politics]