
UK dealer jailed for secret art sales to suspected Hezbollah financier
Oghenochuko Ojiri, 53, who appeared on the BBC show Bargain Hunters and operated a London gallery, admitted to selling nearly 140,000 pounds (USD 190,000) worth of artwork to Nazem Ahmad between October 2020 and December 2021. Ahmad, a high-profile collector based in Lebanon, has been under US sanctions since 2019 over allegations of funding Hezbollah.
'You knew about Ahmad's suspected involvement in financing terrorism and the way the art market can be exploited by people like him,' Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb told Ojiri during sentencing at London's Old Bailey court.
Ojiri pleaded guilty to eight counts of failing to disclose information under the Terrorism Act—making him the first person in the UK convicted under this specific charge.
Prosecutors said the dealer was fully aware of UK sanctions against Ahmad and deliberately hid his identity by altering invoice records and saving his contact under a false name. 'His motivation appears to be financial along with a broader desire to boost his gallery's reputation within the art market by dealing with such a well-known collector,' said Bethan David of the Crown Prosecution Service's Counter Terrorism Division.
Ojiri's arrest came in April 2023, coinciding with a UK government announcement of new sanctions against Ahmad. His lawyer described the defendant as 'naive,' noting he was arrested while filming a BBC program.
Authorities also seized several valuable artworks, including pieces by Picasso and Andy Warhol, from UK storage facilities linked to Ahmad, in a coordinated operation with US Homeland Security.
'This case should act as a warning to all art dealers that we can, and will, prosecute those who knowingly do business with people identified as funders of terrorist groups,' said Dominic Murphy, who heads the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Roya News
a day ago
- Roya News
Iran hides nuclear scientists after 'Israeli' assassinations: report
A senior Iranian official has confirmed to the British newspaper The Telegraph that Iran has moved its remaining nuclear scientists and their families into secure locations. The measure came in the wake of a large-scale 'Israeli' assassination campaign that killed dozens of researchers during a 12-day war in June 2025. Most of the surviving scientists have been relocated from their homes and universities to safe houses in Tehran or villas in northern coastal cities along with their families. University positions once held by these scientists have been filled by individuals with no connection to the nuclear program. The security overhaul was deemed necessary after some scientists expressed a lack of trust in their original bodyguards. Despite these new precautions, 'Israeli' experts cited by The Telegraph described the remaining researchers as 'dead men walking'. A major 'Israeli' attack dubbed 'Rising Lion' in June 2025 targeted Iran's nuclear and military leadership. The attacks resulted in a "partial decapitation" of Iran's military and nuclear organizations, killing top commanders and a large number of scientists. The 'Israeli' military released a list of 11 nuclear scientists killed, while other reports cited figures as high as "almost 20 scientists". The casualties included prominent figures like Fereydoon Abbasi-Davani, who had previously survived an assassination attempt, and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi. Mohammad Reza Sedighi Saber, another scientist, was killed after a prior strike had already claimed the life of his 17-year-old son. The assassination campaign has created a climate of fear and distrust within Iran. The country's leadership recently executed nuclear scientist Roozbeh Vadi for spying for 'Israel' and "facilitating the assassinations of colleagues". This execution is part of a broader sweeping internal crackdown aimed at rooting out spies and dissidents. The attacks have also fueled a domestic debate, with some public figures calling for Iran to abandon its "peaceful path" and withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. 'Israeli' officials believe the campaign will make it "almost impossible" for Iran to build a nuclear bomb, setting the program back for a "number of years" by eliminating the specific "know-how" of key individuals.


Roya News
a day ago
- Roya News
UK police arrest 466 at protest challenging Palestine Action ban
At least 466 people were arrested on Saturday during a large "Lift the Ban" protest outside the UK Parliament opposing the government's recent ban on Palestine Action, a direct action group proscribed as a terrorist organisation last month, according to the Metropolitan Police. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Parliament Square, many holding placards stating 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.' Police began making arrests shortly after 12:35 pm, with officers from across the country supporting the operation throughout the day. The scale of arrests exceeded those during the 1990 poll tax riots, which saw 339 detentions. Metropolitan Police chief Mark Rowley had earlier pledged to arrest all participants in the demonstration, though some protesters holding placards were not detained due to police capacity limits. The group was banned under anti-terror laws on July 4 following an incident where members entered the Royal Air Force Brize Norton base and spray-painted two planes alleged to be involved in military operations in Gaza and the Middle East. This marked the first time a direct action group has been officially designated as a terrorist organisation in the UK, with membership or support punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Since the ban, hundreds have been arrested at weekly protests organized by campaign group Defend Our Juries (DOJ), which says arrests under the Terrorism Act have become a 'badge of honour' within their movement. DOJ warned that the mass detentions place a severe strain on the UK's prison system, which is already operating near full capacity. Saturday's mass arrests have intensified calls for the government to reconsider the ban, amid fears it could suppress legitimate criticism of 'Israel' and restrict the right to protest. UN human rights chief Volker Turk described the proscription as 'disproportionate and unnecessary' and urged its reversal. Amnesty International also condemned the arrests, with UK Chief Executive Sacha Deshmukh stating, 'Arresting people on terrorism offences for peacefully holding a placard flies in the face of international human rights law.' 'During a time when people are rightfully outraged by the genocide they see in Gaza, it is more crucial than ever to protect peaceful protest,' Deshmukh added. Leading academics, including Judith Butler, Tariq Ali, Angela Davis, Naomi Klein, Rashid Khalidi, Avi Shlaim, and Ilan Pappe, signed an open letter denouncing the ban as an 'attack on fundamental freedoms.' On July 30, the UK High Court ruled in favour of Palestine Action by granting the group a judicial review to challenge the ban.


Roya News
a day ago
- Roya News
New photo surfaces of Jeffrey Epstein wearing 'Israeli' forces shirt
A newly revealed photograph of Jeffrey Epstein has sparked renewed interest and speculation regarding the disgraced financier's connections. The image shows Epstein and his butler, Valdson Vieira Cotrin, aboard his private jet wearing a sweatshirt bearing the logo of the Israel Occupation Forces (IOF). The photo was supplied exclusively to the UK's Telegraph by Epstein's former butler. The release of this image raises questions about Epstein's associations and the possible symbolism behind his choice of attire, especially fueling speculations about his link to 'Israel's' intelligence agency, Mossad, which has been a subject of speculation and conspiracy theories for years. Jeffrey Epstein (left), and his butler, Valdson Vieira Cotrin (right) (Credit: The Telegraph) Former 'Israeli' Prime Minister Ehud Barak's documented meetings with Epstein, approximately 36 between 2013 and 2017, and a USD 1 million investment in a Barak-linked venture in 2015, have raised questions. Also, Epstein's association with Ghislaine Maxwell, whose father Robert Maxwell was rumored to have Mossad ties, has amplified conspiracy theories, notably from former spy Ari Ben-Menashe, who claimed Epstein ran a blackmail operation for 'Israel'. Additionally, Epstein traveled to 'Israel' in 2008, before his sentencing for sex crimes in the US. Some speculate this trip was an attempt to evade justice, though he returned to the US and served a 13-month sentence.