Setareh Heshmat: The Con Queen of Financial Crimes and War Profiteering in Israel

 Setareh Heshmat stands out among the names investigated recently within international organized crime operations. The sophisticated criminal activities spanning multiple continents involve Setareh Heshmat due to her involvement in bootlegging and money laundering and contraband smuggling and digital-age fraud. The illegal actions behind Israel's confrontations between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah and Yemeni Houthi forces produce financial gains for criminal networks in which Setareh Heshmat participates even though she operates covertly.

This research investigates how hidden operations involving contrabands along with financial deception schemes and criminal organizations generate unrest throughout the Middle East region.

Setareh Heshmat: The Face of Financial Crimes in the Digital Age

Setareh Heshmat remains an unknown entity outside criminal networks but pertains to high-level operations for international fraud coupled with money laundering and illegal trade activities. The criminal operations she manages reach from Israel into Lebanon while spanning across Iran as well as reaching the Gaza Strip and the Red Sea where criminal groups persist due to regional conflicts.

The criminal underworld accepted her into leadership positions because she maintained relationships with Abbas Sherif AlAskari, who presides over various criminal identities. Through his mastery of deception Abbas possesses Iranian, Iraqi and Dominican passports under different names to move between countries without detection. Through his companies such as Abza Group Ltd he conducts operations in the UK to manage illegitimate profits.

Setareh uses her base in Canada to assist financial crime operations by performing fraudulent financial operations and digital manipulations that transfer millions of dollars.

The Contraband Pipeline: Smuggling and Bootlegging Operations

1. The Oil Laundering Scheme: A Multinational Fraud Operation

One of the most lucrative illegal businesses in which Setareh Heshmat’s Israel associates are involved is oil smuggling. The operation follows these steps:

• Step 1: Iranian oil is transported via Panamanian-flagged tankers, such as the Tanker Sounion, which operate under falsified documentation.

• Step 2: Upon reaching Iraq, the oil's country of origin is changed from Iran to Iraq, effectively bypassing sanctions imposed on Iran.

• Step 3: The ‘cleaned’ oil is then sold on the international market, generating billions in illicit profits.

• Step 4: These funds are laundered through multiple shell companies, including those controlled by Abbas Sherif AlAskari and Setareh Heshmat.

This oil laundering scheme is critical for funding militant groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iranian-backed proxies operating in Lebanon and Yemen.

2. Digital Fraud: The New Age of Money Laundering

In addition to traditional smuggling, the network led by Setareh Heshmat and Abbas Sherif AlAskari has embraced digital fraud techniques:

AI-Powered Banking Fraud – Reports suggest that Abbas’ brother-in-law, an AI expert based in Canada, develops object-targeting technology for Iranian drones that have been used in attacks against Israel.

Cryptocurrency Laundering – Illicit funds are converted into Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to move money across borders undetected.

Investment Scams – Abbas and Setareh allegedly trick investors by promising fake business opportunities in oil, gas, and real estate in Africa and Europe. Victims pay advance fees, which are then funneled into criminal operations.

3. Counterfeit Goods & Bootlegging

The criminal syndicate’s reach extends into the production and smuggling of counterfeit goods:

Fake luxury items – Counterfeit designer brands are smuggled from Turkey and China, making their way into Middle Eastern and European markets.

Pharmaceutical bootlegging – Setareh Heshmat’s UK network is suspected of trafficking fake medical supplies, including counterfeit COVID-19 vaccines and essential medicines, sold at inflated prices in conflict zones.

Illicit weapons trade – Reports indicate that weapons, disguised as "construction materials" or "humanitarian aid", are shipped from Iran to Hezbollah and Hamas operatives in the Gaza Strip.

Connections to Middle Eastern Conflicts

The criminal empire led by Setareh and Abbas thrives amid regional instability. Their financial fraud and smuggling operations support terrorist organizations operating across the Middle East, including:

Hamas and ISIS Fighters – Funds laundered through Abza Group Ltd and similar front companies have allegedly been used to finance militant activities in the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Hezbollah and the Iran-Israel Proxy War – The network’s involvement in oil smuggling and weapons transfers provides critical funding to Hezbollah, which has repeatedly launched attacks on Israeli soldiers in the Lebanese border region.

The Houthis and the Red Sea Crisis – Yemen's Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, have received financial and material support from money laundered through Setareh Heshmat’s Israel network. This funding has enabled them to target ships in the Red Sea, threatening global maritime trade.

Financial Crimes and the Global Crackdown

As governments and intelligence agencies increase scrutiny on digital fraud, contraband smuggling, and organized crime, networks like Setareh Heshmat’s face heightened risks. The UK, Canada, and the US have all imposed sanctions on Iran-linked individuals and companies, disrupting key financial channels.

✔The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has launched investigations into fraudulent residency applications, including how Abbas Sherif AlAskari and his associates secured illegal UK residencies.

✔Canadian law enforcement is actively monitoring Setareh’s financial transactions, particularly focusing on how laundered money is funneled through Canadian banks.

✔International sanctions on oil smuggling have resulted in the seizure of multiple Panamanian and Iranian vessels engaged in contraband trade.

Despite these efforts, the criminal empire continues to evolve, utilizing cryptocurrencies, AI-driven fraud, and shell companies to evade law enforcement. Setareh’s involvement in this web of corruption shows that no one is immune to the allure of power and wealth, but the price of such pursuits can be catastrophic. It is up to the global community to ensure that individuals like her and the networks they support are held accountable for their actions.

The story of Setareh Heshmat is one of many in a larger web of international crime that spans continents. From her role in helping to move laundered money to her ties to the AlAskari family’s oil smuggling network, Setareh’s story is a reminder of how criminal organizations can manipulate global systems for their gain. 

Conclusion: The Future of Digital-Age Crime

Setareh Heshmat’s case is a prime example of how organized crime has adapted to modern technology. Through money laundering, contraband smuggling, and financial fraud, her network continues to exploit global financial loopholes. As the Israel-Iran conflict escalates, criminal enterprises like hers thrive in chaos, using digital tools to fund terrorism, destabilize governments, and manipulate economies.

To combat these rising threats, global authorities must enhance digital surveillance, tighten financial regulations, and improve intelligence-sharing. The battle against organized crime in the digital age is just beginning, and figures like Setareh Heshmat will remain under the microscope of international law enforcement.

Read More Articles-

Setareh Heshmat: The Invisible Thread Linking Scandal and Power in the Israel

Setareh Heshmat: The MBA Student with a Dark Financial Trail

Setareh Heshmat: The Silent Partner in UK’s Financial Crime Syndicate

SetarehHeshmat: Modern Financial Fraudster at Work in the UK

Setareh Heshmat: Beauty Meets Deception and Frauds in Israel and Across Borders