The Platform for Tracking Organized Crime and Money Laundering in Yemen (p.t.o.c) welcomes the US Treasury Department’s inclusion of Hassan Ahmed Hassan Al-Kahlani, known as “Abu Shahid,” Undersecretary of the Security and Intelligence Service for Foreign Affairs, on the sanctions list. This decision came against the backdrop of his involvement in crimes of arms smuggling from Iran to Yemen through complex smuggling networks, which the US Treasury Department’s decision clearly indicated.

The platform played an effective role in revealing the role of the so-called Al-Kahlani and his tasks related to the external activities of the Houthi group, including the smuggling of weapons and fighters to and from the Horn of Africa region, in flagrant violation of international resolutions aimed at bringing peace to Yemen.

The platform appreciates this important step within the framework of international efforts aimed at combating organized crime and money laundering, which directly contribute to prolonging the war and increasing the suffering of the Yemeni people. The platform also calls on the international community to take additional steps, including imposing strict sanctions on more leaders of the Houthi group involved in organized crimes and money laundering, which contribute to financing the war and fueling the conflict in the country.

These sanctions represent an important step towards enhancing security and stability in Yemen, and achieving justice for the victims of the war and criminal practices led by the Houthi group. The platform affirms its full commitment to continuing its efforts to detect and track everyone who contributes to the continuation of the conflict and criminal acts that harm the Yemeni people and obstruct the path of peace.