Farmingdalers Laundered Money For Drug Traffickers: US Attorney

The seven owners of an import-export business with locations on Long Island and in Miami, Florida were arrested today and charged with using the business as a money laundering front for international drug traffickers.

Enayatullah Khwaja, 45, Rani Rahimi, 48, and Shikeba Rhamatzada, 45, all of Farmingdale, and Abdulrahman Khwaja, 62, of Syosset, were charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business, transpiration in aid of a racketeering enterprise and more. Also arrested and charged were Roberto Saenz, 36, Maynor Melendez-Mendoza, 33, and Naseem Bokhari, 59, all of Miami.

“Money laundering is the lifeblood of international narcotics trafficking organizations and with today’s arrests the defendants’ ability to profit from illicit proceeds has been crippled,” said United States Attorney Richard Donoghue. “I commend our prosecutors and the Special Agents in this case for their relentless work following the money trail here and abroad in order to disrupt this criminal scheme.”

Enayatullah Khwaja was the owner and manager of Tronix Telecom Corp., an electronics and mobile phone import-export company with an office in Miami. Enayatullah Khwaja managed the company from his home in Farmingdale.

Donoghue said that the company took in bulk cash deliveries from drug dealers and disguised the money transfer through real and fake purchases and exports of mobile phones.

According to Donoghue, the business, which was family owned, was used to launder millions of dollars in drug proceeds between the United States and South America.

The investigation by the government included wiretaps of phones, Donoghue said, as well as undercover agents posing as drug dealers. The investigation was a joint effort between ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the IRS's Criminal Investigation unit.

“Those arrested today allegedly employed an international money laundering scheme relying on the complexities of global trade, and the use of their businesses here in New York and in Florida, to launder millions of dollars for transnational drug traffickers and other bad actors,” said HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Angel Melendez. “This investigation exemplifies HSI’s efforts in securing the integrity of our country’s trade and financial systems, and the importance of law enforcement partnerships here and abroad.”

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