Three Texas men have been charged with engaging in organized criminal activity, aggregate theft and money laundering in connection with an investigation into an alleged $65 million international crime scheme, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency announced recently.
Hardin Ameena, 28, and Akber Jesani, 39, both of Sugarland, Tex., and Shamshuddin Dosani, 52, of Richmond, Tex., were arrested May 17, ICE announced May 18. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston and the Houston Police Department (HPD) also seized approximately 1,900 stolen electronic devices worth around $1.8 million, the announcement reports.
The arrests and property seizure are party of an ongoing joint investigation by the agencies into a suspected transnational organized retail-crime scheme to smuggle stolen electronic devices from the U.S. to overseas black markets, then launder the illegal proceeds, according to the announcement.
“This is a perfect example of the collaboration between our local, state and federal partners to take violent offenders off the streets that continue to prey on innocent citizens in our city,” Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said in the statement. “I want to thank our partners for their efforts in helping our Major Offenders Division locate and arrest these individuals and continue to make this ‘One Safe Houston’.”
Robert Kurtz, HSI Houston deputy special agent in charge, said in the statement that organized retail crime causes $30 billion to $69 billion worth of stolen goods each year, ultimately resulting in higher prices for consumers.
He said HPD and HSI Houston are intent on breaking "this vicious cycle" by forcefully going after criminal organizations' networks and money-laundering ploys used to "rake in millions on the back of hardworking consumers."
"Today’s operation was a good example of that grit and determination," Kurtz said in the statement, "but we have much more work to do to root out this complex problem.”
