A Nigerian-British art dealer has been charged with a terror offence after a police probe into terrorist financing.
Oghenochuko ‘Ochuko’ Ojiri, 53, was arrested two years ago by officers from the National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit (NTFIU), part of the Met Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, and will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today. The Met said previously that the arrest related to an investigation into wealthy art collector and diamond dealer Nazem Ahmad, who is suspected of being a funding source for Hezbollah.
Mr Ahmad, 60, a dual Belgian-Lebanese citizen, is sanctioned by Britain and the US. He has been accused of using the UK’s fine art market to run an international financing operation for Hezbollah, which is proscribed in the UK as a terrorist organisation.
Mr Ojiri is known for his appearances on the BBC’s Bargain Hunt and has also appeared on the BBC’s Antiques Road Trip. Mr Ojiri has described himself as being “absolutely obsessed” with collecting contemporary art, paintings, prints, sculptures, and drawings.
He has been charged with eight counts of failing to make a disclosure during the course of business within the regulated arts sector, contrary to section 21A of the Terrorism Act 2000. The charges relate to the period from October 2020 to December 2021. The Met Police say he is the first person charged with the specific offense.
Mr Ahmad was first accused by the US Treasury in 2019 of laundering substantial amounts of money and being involved in the smuggling of “blood diamonds” for Hezbollah. He was sanctioned, then in April 2024 charged by the US along with eight associates with offences relating to breaching sanctions regulations.
Police swooped on the high-security depot near London’s Heathrow Airport in 2024, taking away nearly two dozen works of art belonging to Mr Ahmad, which they believe would probably have funded Hezbollah. At the same time, at an auction house in central London they seized art that Mr Ahmad had hoped to sell. The nearly two dozen works included paintings by Picasso and Andy Warhol and had a total value of almost £1 million.
Among the charges Mr Ahmad is facing are defrauding the US and foreign governments, evading sanctions, and money laundering. The UK government also sanctioned Mr Ahmad, saying he had an extensive art collection in Britain and conducted business with several UK-based artists, art galleries, and auction houses.
The US authorities want to bring Mr Ahmad to trial and has offered a $10 million reward for information on his whereabouts. They believe he is currently in Beirut.
