A former Iranian official now living in Toronto played a “critical” role in helping the Islamic Republic generate the revenue needed to fund terrorist groups in the Middle East, according to government documents obtained by Global News.
A CBSA report released Tuesday alleges that Abbas Omidi, in his capacity as deputy director of Iran’s Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade, assisted in the state’s sponsorship of terrorism.
The 2024 report, detailing why Omidi was expelled from Canada, said the Iranian mining sector in which he served at a senior level was closely linked to the military and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“As a result of his power and influence, this matter directly benefited the Iranian economy and the government’s ability to continue funding terrorism and human rights abuses around the world,” the CBSA wrote.
“As the only person qualified to continue performing his designated role, the issue was critical to the Iranian government’s continued ability to attract mining revenues and finance the military, weapons manufacturing, and terrorism, both foreign and domestic.”
The report was among hundreds of pages of documents disclosed to the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) at Omidi’s deportation hearing earlier this year. The Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) released a revised version at Global News’ request.
The Canada Border Services Agency is trying to deport Omidi on the grounds that he was a long-time senior official in Iran’s repressive regime. The Refugee Council did not respond to an email from Global News asking whether it had ordered his deportation.
Before arriving in Canada as a visitor in 2022, Omidi was an official in the Iranian Ministry of Mining and Trade. The CBSA claimed in its report that he “exerted significant influence over the exercise of governmental authority.”
He is among 37 suspected senior members of the Iranian regime who have been found living in Canada since the government launched a crackdown against them in 2022 in response to Tehran’s crackdown on protests.
Canadian government’s plan on the structure of the Iranian regime.
Immigration and Refugee Board
Omidi’s deportation hearing began in March. Although he attempted to prevent the press from participating in the proceedings, Global News successfully resisted his request for a special hearing.
Allegations that Omidi helped the Iranian regime raise money it needed to support terrorist groups did not come up at the hearing, but the Canada Border Services Agency’s report on him repeatedly mentioned the issue.
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The Canadian Border Services Agency said in its report on the 56-year-old Iranian national that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps relies “heavily” on mining revenues to support regional terrorist groups.
“The abundant amount of wealth generated from the mining industry allows the Iranian regime, and specifically, the IRGC, to continue to be a state sponsor of terrorism,” the report said.
He added: “The IRGC has consistently provided financial and other forms of material support, including financing, training, technology transfer, advanced weapons, and guidance or direction to a wide range of terrorist organizations.”
These groups include Lebanese Hezbollah as well as Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi Shiite militia that has allegedly claimed responsibility for attacks in Europe and shootings targeting the US consulate and a synagogue in Toronto.
The report stated that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard provides up to $100 million to the groups Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Its total support for Hezbollah amounts to $700 million, while another $300 million is allocated to other terrorist factions, according to the Canada Border Services Agency.
“Given that the mining sector is responsible for approximately 40% of Iran’s GDP, the regime’s ability to fund the IRGC, the military, and foreign terrorist organizations is highly dependent on the success of the mining industry,” the CBSA said.
The report said that Omidi “directly and significantly affected the Iranian economy and the government’s ability to continue funding its military, weapons production, terrorism, and human rights violations around the world.”
She added that he did so while earning a salary “four times higher than the national average.”
Omidi’s lawyer did not respond to requests for comment.
At the hearing, Omidi admitted that he served as deputy director-general at the Ministry of Mining but downplayed his importance, insisting that his role was mostly technical.
Iranian Canadians have long complained that former and current members of the brutal regime they fled are showing up in the country and treating it as a safe haven.
The federal government banned all senior Iranian government officials from entering Canada four years ago, but has faced difficulties in deporting them.
according to numbers On August 4, immigration enforcement officers launched 182 investigations into suspected “senior Iranian regime officials” in Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) released.
Eight of them left Canada before their deportation hearings began. The Immigration and Refugee Board issued deportation orders against four others on the grounds that they were senior members of the regime.
Two were removed. The Canada Border Services Agency confirmed to Global News on August 17 that the last to leave was Seyed Salman Samani, who was Iran’s deputy interior minister.
The Canada Border Services Agency said it was expelling two more, bringing the total number who have left Canada to 12.
There are still 52 ongoing investigations, according to department numbers.
Separately, the Canada Border Services Agency launched deportation proceedings against 51 Iranian nationals on the basis of their membership of Amnesty International. Iranian Revolutionary GuardA Listed terrorist entity Under Canadian law.
“Final decisions on these claims are made by Earp After the admissibility hearing. In nine of these cases, it was alleged that Iranian Revolutionary Guard The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said the member left Canada before the admissibility hearing.
Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca
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