During the night of October 31-November 1, 2024, IDF forces arrested Imad Amhaz in the town of Batroun, north of Beirut.
Amhaz, 38, was born in the village of Kouakh in northern Lebanon, near the Syrian border, and in recent years has lived in the town of Kmatiyeh, southeast of Beirut. The Lebanese media portrayed Amhaz as a shipping citizen. Several reports claimed that he was in Batron to conduct a course in shipping at Marsati College, which is about 250 meters from the apartment where he was arrested.
The Lebanese Ministry of Transport website reveals that Amhaz has completed numerous maritime trainings and received his certificates and permits in 2022 and 2023. However, the IDF Spokesperson announced that Amhaz was a senior operative in Hezbollah’s naval unit, despite reports in Lebanon to the contrary.
In the days following the arrest operation, more details about him began to emerge, and photos appeared showing some of the items left in the apartment, allegedly belonging to Amhaz:
-Lebanese passport (number LR2528333) – bearing Amhaz’s name, photo and details.
– Two marine passports (known as Seaman Book and Seafarer Passport of the State of Panama with close serial numbers (PA-0043493, PA-0043480). These also bear Amhaz’s name, photo and details.
-Lebanese shipping license – bearing Amhaz’s name, photo and details.
– A crew member’s certificate (third officer/captain) stating that Amhaz worked on the ship “Silver Soul”. The card bears the logo and company name MMS DMCC and Amhaz’s name and picture and his Lebanese passport number.
10 SIM cards that appear to have already been used – so far, Claro and Tigo types, which operate mainly in South America have been identified, and Telkom, which operates in South Africa, have been identified. In addition, there is a SIM card from Vodafone, which operates in most of the world, and another 4 unidentified SIM cards.
-5 portable drives.
-Nokia 105 cell phone.
A closer examination of DMCC MMS and the vessel associated with Amhaz, (the Silver Soul), reveals several noteworthy aspects that merit further discussion:
MMS DMCC – The company’s website states that it is based in Dubai and has been providing shipping services since 2008. Among other things, this includes managing ship crews, supervising and managing shipbuilding, purchase brokerage, registration services, insurance and consulting, etc.
However, the company’s office address listed on the website is listed in Beirut – Ein El Mreisseh – Phoenicia Str. Mina 365 Blgd. Beirut and the phone number indicated is Lebanese (+961 21 360 369).
Maritime Management Services SaRL (MMS SaRL), a Lebanese company, shares the same address and phone number. Although we couldn’t find any information about this company’s officials or other details, we do know that it has managed ships for MMS DMCC in the past and seems to be a part of the Sallaum family’s network of companies, as evidenced by the similarity of its address and phone number with the charitable foundation they run.
Another issue concerns the website’s email addresses and URLs. The company’s website is registered under the name sallaummms.com and the email address – [email protected] – is linked to Sallaum Lines. In other words, there seems to be a connection between the two companies, and it is likely that MMS DMCC operates under Sallaum Lines and provides it with various logistics services. Another possibility is that it is an artificial separation and it is, in fact, the same company. It is likely that Sallaum Lines’ office address in Dubai (001-C Swiss Tower, Cluster Y, Jumeirah Lakes Towers) is used by both companies.
Another point worth noting in connection with the company’s website is the fact that the site itself is very scant, has no external or internal links, has no pictures or information about company officials, and the information presented on it is generic and general only. These raise the possibility/suspicion that this is actually a shell company used to create a cover.
Sallaum Lines is a shipping company engaged mainly in the transportation of vehicles (RoRo Vessels). The company’s chairman is a Lebanese named Sami Sallaum, and several family members serve alongside him in other key positions. The company operates loading and unloading terminals at various seaports in Europe, North Africa, the United States and West Africa, and the company’s website also states that it handles 8 ships.
The company is headquartered in Switzerland but also has offices in Belgium, Lebanon, South Africa, and Dubai. The office address in Lebanon is the same as MMS DMCC and MMS SaRL. In other words, there is a clear connection between the three companies.
Sallaum Lines also has ties to the Beirut-based Sallaum Group. It is a parent company operating in a number of fields, operating under it a number of subsidiaries and business ventures. These operate in a number of countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The company also operates a charitable foundation operating in Lebanon. The company, as well as other companies connected to the group, are headed by members of the Sallaum family, who are originally from Lebanon. Other ties were also found to the shipping company Sasco Group GmbH, headed by Mahmoud and Ibrahim Sallaum. This company previously owned a ship called Silver Soul (IMO 8718706) operated by MMS SaRL out of Beirut.
The ship Silver Soul– Amhaz’s crew member certificate states that the ship he was working on is a ship named “Silver Soul”. There are several ships bearing the same name, and two of them are associated with the Sallaum Lines.
The first option is a vehicle transport ship whose registration number (IMO) is 8718706. It was owned by Sasco Lines and operated by MMS SaRL, but the last available information regarding it is from 2018. In addition, Sallaum Lines’ website states that the vessel is not operational (which is another indication of the connection between the companies).
The second, and more likely, option is a ship with the IMO number 9153783. It is a 180-meter-long vehicle transport vessel that sails under the Panamanian flag and is registered as owned by Sallaum Lines.
The available information indicates that the ship has docked in recent months mainly in ports in the United States, England, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Benin, Nigeria, and South Africa.
Allegedly, each of the details listed above is not suspicious in itself and makes sense in the context of the shipping world. This is true both with regard to the various companies, the structure of operations, and the relationships between them, as well as with regard to information regarding the ship. We have no knowledge of sanctions imposed on Sallaum family and/or there affiliated companies.
However, the accumulation of these details, along with the fact that the IDF exposed Amhaz as a senior member of the naval unit, apparently indicates that this was not innocent conduct. Amhaz’s arrest, which joins a number of other indications and information that have come to light in recent years, reinforce this suspicion.
In recent years, there have been a number of indications and unverified reports of various civilian vessels allegedly purchased by Hezbollah through collaborators and under the cover of shell companies. An example of this is the suspicions raised regarding two yachts that were renovated/built in Italy and Greece. Over the years, it has been claimed that these yachts were owned by shell companies controlled by a Lebanese (allegedly) named Nidal Karameh, who is affiliated with Hezbollah.
The first is a 420-foot yacht currently registered as Privilege One (the shipyard’s name is Privilege Yard and may be renamed after completion). The yacht, whose construction began in a shipyard in Italy several years ago, is registered under the Cayman Islands flag and its IMO number is 9676175. As of now, it seems that its construction has stopped.
The second yacht is the Grand Ocean (IMO 1001881). This 260-foot yacht underwent renovations at a shipyard in Greece in 2016-2019 and then was sold in 2021. It appears that Karameh no longer owns the Grand Ocean.
Karameh, 59, is a multimillionaire of Syrian origin (Sweida area) who lives in Nigeria and apparently also holds Lebanese citizenship. He is the founder and owner of Nigeria-based Mikano International Limited. His fortune is estimated at $500 million.
Mikano has six business divisions operating in a variety of fields such as energy, real estate, mechanical-engineering equipment, food, automotive and more. One of these divisions – Mikano Marine – deals with boats and products related to the maritime world.
According to various reports, Karamah has ties to the Syrian intelligence and Hezbollah and assists the organization with supplies and logistics. In addition, there are indications that Karamah is linked to money laundering networks operating out of Nigeria and his name has also been linked to the names of several shell companies, including Carisio LTD and Northshield Marine CO, registered in the Marshall Islands. Among other things, these companies are registered as owners of some of the yachts that Karameh owns and may use them for other activities.
Another indication of Karameh’s ties to Hezbollah came after one of his yachts was seized in Greece due to debts. Local media reports claimed that a number of people who identified themselves as affiliated with Hezbollah threatened various officials to release Karameh’s yacht.
We have no knowledge of sanctions imposed on Karma and/or his affiliated companies.
Given the aforementioned details, our assessment indicates that Hezbollah has been actively developing a naval infrastructure in recent years. This infrastructure is intended to support its global criminal business and terrorist activities, such as arms smuggling and the operation of a floating base. Additionally, it could be used to operate crew members on innocent civilian ships on its behalf. In addition, it is highly likely that both Unit 4400 and Hezbollah’s naval unit are involved in this activity. Amhaz could have played a crucial role in this infrastructure, either by operating a ship for Hezbollah or serving as a functionary on a civilian ship.
Furthermore, it is impossible to dismiss the possibility that Amhaz has already acted on behalf of Hezbollah during his activities on civilian ships, which were part of his professional training. These activities may be related to the transfer of sums of money, the establishment of an infrastructure of activity in various arenas, the smuggling of weapons and various components related to Hezbollah’s buildup, and the like. We can also assume that Hezbollah has designated other individuals for this purpose.
While there is currently no direct evidence of ties between the Sallaum family-controlled companies and Hezbollah, it is undeniable that their international connections as a Lebanese company could potentially aid Hezbollah in various sectors. These can include arms smuggling, money laundering, mobilization of operatives and assets, and more.
Hezbollah is well known for its modus operandi, which involves exploiting and using global business platforms for its criminal activities around the world, generating significant financial gains and serving as a platform for its terrorist activities. An excellent example of a similar pattern of activity can be seen in the activity of the Yamin brothers in the field of fuels. See our article on the subject, which we published in the past, in the context of Hezbollah’s activity.
Sources
https://israel-alma.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Sources.pdf
