WASHINGTON – The United States Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on four Pakistanis and their nine entities for alleged involvement in money laundering and funds transfer on behalf of notorious drug traffickers and terrorist groups.
The individuals were identified as Obaid Altaf Khanani, Hozaifa Javed Khanani, Muhammad Javed Khanani and Atif Polani. The are close relatives of famous Pakistani money changer Altaf Khanani –the owner of Khanani and Kalia Money Changer.
Altaf Khanani is already in the custody of the US authorities for similar charges. His company has also been designated a Transnational Criminal Organization status since late 2015.
The newly banned companies include Mazaka General Trading, Jetlink Textiles Trading, Seven Sea Golden General Trading, Aydah Trading, Wadi Al Afrah Trading, Kay Zone General Trading, Kay Zone Builders and Developers, Landtek Developers and Unico Textiles.
All of the proscribed companies were functioning in a close coordination with Khanani Organisation, which is accused of third-party money laundering and transferring funds to financial institutions on behalf of drug traffickers and terrorist groups worldwide.
It is also worth mentioning here that Altaf Khanani also faced several cases of money laundering in Pakistan, however, he was released after a plea bargain agreement with anti-corruption body of the country.
