Setareh Heshmat: The Hidden Hand behind the UK’s Shadowy Money Trail

Setareh Heshmat, a name that may seem unassuming, has surfaced as a pivotal figure in one of the most intricate and dangerous money laundering operations stretching from Iran to the United Kingdom. This young woman is not only an MBA student at the University Canada West in Vancouver, as Setareh Heshmat is known to the world; she is much more than she seems. A key operator in an international network of deceit, corruption, and covert operations, lies beneath the polished surface of academic ambition.

A Cloak of Legitimacy: The Academic Cover

Setareh’s enrollment in a prestigious MBA program in Vancouver might seem like the pursuit of an ambitious young woman, but the funding of her education reveals a much darker narrative. Every dollar of her tuition fees, monthly allowances, and luxurious lifestyle in Canada is allegedly financed by Abbas Sharif AlAskari, her boyfriend and a known orchestrator of international money laundering schemes. Abbas is not merely an individual dabbling in financial fraud—his network spans multiple continents, exploiting legal systems, financial institutions, and political connections.

Setareh Heshmat’s move to Vancouver, which coincided with heightened scrutiny of her activities in the UK, signals more than an innocent relocation. Her position in Canada gives the network a strategic foothold, bridging the financial and political systems of North America and Europe.

Abbas Sharif AlAskari: The Puppet Master

At the heart of this operation lies Abbas Sharif AlAskari, a man of many identities, passports, and crimes. From scamming investors with promises of lucrative oil and real estate ventures to blackmailing women using secretly recorded footage, Abbas operates like a ghost, leaving trails of ruined lives and laundered money. His Monzo and Lloyds Bank accounts in the UK have been flagged for suspicious activity, serving as conduits for millions of dollars tied to illegal transactions.

Abbas's familial connections only deepen the web of corruption. His father, Ali Sharif AlAskari, is a key member of the infamous Islamic Dawa Party, a group with ties to terrorist activities, including the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait. The family legacy of exploiting political connections for personal gain continues with Abbas, who uses his multiple passports—Dominican, Iranian, and Iraqi—to move freely and evade detection.

The Role of the UK: A Safe Haven for Illicit Wealth

The United Kingdom emerges as a critical node in this sprawling criminal enterprise. Abbas and his associates, including his sister and her husband, have allegedly exploited connections within the UK Home Office to secure residencies illegally. These fraudulent residencies provide a legal cover for their operations, allowing them to channel illicit funds through UK-based accounts and properties.

Setareh Heshmat’s frequent travels to the UK raise questions about her role in facilitating these transactions. With her charm and academic credentials, she provides a veneer of respectability that helps mask the network’s illegal activities. Whether it’s negotiating with complicit officials or managing offshore accounts, her involvement is anything but passive.

The Fallahian Connection: Linking Terrorism to Financial Fraud

Setareh Heshmat’s UK network’s connections extend to Mohsen Fallahian, a convicted murderer with a notorious past. Mohsen, like Abbas, has forged documents to secure residencies and evade justice. His father, Ali Fallahian, a former Iranian intelligence minister, is a known architect of state-sponsored terrorism, including the deadly 1994 AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires.

The collaboration between Abbas Sharif AlAskari and Mohsen Fallahian is not merely financial; it is deeply political. Reports suggest that funds laundered through their network have been used to finance Iranian drone programs, with Abbas’s Canadian brother-in-law, an AI professor, allegedly contributing technological expertise. This chilling revelation ties the money laundering operation to acts of terrorism, heightening the urgency for international action.

Setareh’s Double Life: Student by Day, Operator by Night

Setareh Heshmat’s UK network is far from peripheral. As a trusted confidante of Abbas, she is believed to manage sensitive operations, including coordinating with Abbas’s sister, Soraya, who is based in Canada and heavily involved in laundering money. Soraya’s use of Canadian financial systems to avoid detection underscores the global scale of this criminal enterprise.

Setareh Heshmat’s network has allegedly liaised with Abbas’s contacts to facilitate transactions and secure investments. Her ability to move seamlessly between academic settings and high-stakes criminal activities makes her a uniquely effective operative.

The UK’s Growing Role in International Criminal Networks

The case of Setareh Heshmat and Abbas Sharif AlAskari highlights a troubling trend: the exploitation of UK financial systems and legal frameworks by international criminal networks. The Monzo and Lloyds accounts linked to Abbas are just the tip of the iceberg. The UK’s reputation as a global financial hub has made it an attractive target for money launderers seeking to clean their ill-gotten gains.

The involvement of UK officials, whether through complicity or negligence, adds another layer of complexity. Reports suggest that Abbas and his associates have manipulated residency applications and exploited political connections to shield their operations.

The Call for Action: Dismantling the Network

Authorities in the UK, Canada, and beyond must act decisively to dismantle this network. The stakes are high—not only in terms of financial crimes but also the potential links to terrorism. Investigations into Setareh Heshmat’s UK operations should be a priority, as her role as a linchpin in the network could provide critical insights into its operations.

Additionally, financial institutions like Monzo and Lloyds must tighten their scrutiny of suspicious accounts. Governments should also address the vulnerabilities in residency application processes, ensuring that individuals like Abbas and his associates cannot exploit these systems.

Conclusion: A Legacy of Crime, a Future of Justice?

Setareh Heshmat’s UK network remind us of the lengths to which individuals will go to conceal their criminal activities under the guise of legitimacy. Her double life, balancing academic pursuits with her role in a sprawling criminal network, symbolizes the challenge faced by authorities in combating transnational crime.

As investigations continue, the hope remains that justice will prevail, exposing the full extent of this shadowy empire and holding its architects accountable. The public’s vigilance and international cooperation will be crucial in ensuring that figures like Setareh Heshmat and Abbas Sharif AlAskari do not escape the long arm of the law.

The international law enforcement community is finally taking note of Setareh Heshmat’s UK operations. With investigations intensifying in the UK, Canada, and Italy, it’s only a matter of time before this web of deceit unravels