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October 10, 2025
Hello John,
This week’s investigation into Turkmenistan ([link removed]) reveals how a standard passenger jet belonging to the state airline was transformed into a gleaming sky palace featuring gold-plated fixtures, a private shower, and traditional Turkmen carpeting — all for the use of the ruling Berdimuhamedov family.

A surprising aspect of the story — one that points to a larger conversation about the enablers of crime and corruption — is that the Turkmen jet was refurbished by a luxury American aircraft outfitter.

Based in a small city in southwest Louisiana, Citadel Completions boasts a client base ([link removed]) that includes “private entities, government officials, heads of state, and corporate protocol operators.”
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“The owners of such aircraft are very protective, very private,” a Citadel executive told Forbes in a 2023 interview. “There’s a lot you can’t say about them publicly.”

Turkmenistan, of course, is known for its absolute autocracy and its vast corruption (a previous investigation ([link removed]) showed how even a state-built beauty clinic ended up in the hands of the president’s family).

But there’s no indication that Citadel, which did not reply to requests for comment, did anything illegal. In the United States, most luxury goods providers have no obligation to perform due diligence on their clients or conduct anti-money-laundering (AML) checks.

In the European Union, on the other hand, the situation is changing. New regulations adopted last year — including the creation of a new AML authority ([link removed]) in Frankfurt — will put such transactions under greater scrutiny.

For the first time, traders of luxury cars, yachts, and airplanes will be required to conduct due diligence checks, report suspicious transactions, and implement other AML policies.

The good news for the world’s dictators is that the new rules don’t take effect until 2027. Meanwhile, non-EU member Switzerland will remain outside their reach. So it’s perhaps no surprise that, as reported by Die Wochenzeitung ([link removed]) , nearly a third of all aircraft tracked by the Dictator Alert ([link removed]) project visited aircraft outfitters near Basel over a three-year period.

This highlights a persistent global challenge: As one loophole begins to close, questionable money quickly finds another.

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** New Investigation
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** Mansions, Horses, and Designer Bags: How the Ruling Family of Iraqi Kurdistan Splurged in the U.S.
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In Iraqi Kurdistan, the name Barzani is synonymous with power: Masoud Barzani was the first president of the region, his father led a years-long rebellion against Iraqi authorities, and one of his sons is prime minister.
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The family has also cultivated ties in Washington, with former U.S. President Joe Biden reportedly saying that he knew the names of Masoud Barzani’s “every grandchild.”

In a new investigation, leaked documents obtained by OCCRP reveal how Barzani’s five sons went on luxury shopping sprees and spent millions on real estate across the United States, with at least some of the funds appearing to come from Kurdish conglomerates secretly controlled by two of the brothers.

The documents show holding companies ultimately owned by four of the brothers acquired 31 properties — worth a total of over $100 million — between 2005 and 2019.

Golden Eagle Global, a Kurdish conglomerate which leaked documents suggest was controlled by youngest brother Mustafa Barzani, provided more than $10 million used for property purchases. It was also used to facilitate the purchase of purebred Arabian horses.

Another $18 million came from Ster Group, a conglomerate leaked documents described as being under the control of another of the brothers: Kurdistan’s now-prime minister Masrour Barzani.

Credit card statements show that the brothers made high-end purchases around the world, including luxury cars and watches.

Iraqi legislation requires public officials to disclose their assets and any conflicts of interest. Specialists who reviewed OCCRP’s findings said they raised a number of concerns, with the transactions from Kurdistan seeming to “imply confusion between [the Barzanis’] roles as public servants and their private wealth.”

Lawyers for Masrour Barzani said he “vehemently rejects” any wrongdoing, citing his “fervent commitment to anti-corruption” and pointing to an anti-corruption and transparency initiative he had announced in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Read the full story → ([link removed])
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** More OCCRP Reporting
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** All That Glitters: Turkmenistan’s Luxury-Appointed Air Fleet
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When the political elite of authoritarian Turkmenistan travel, they often do so anonymously — and aboard VIP aircraft.

There are already four Boeing jets that appear to be reserved for the use of the ruling Berdimuhamedov family — now, a fifth has joined the group. And OCCRP, Turkmen.News, and Gundogar pieced together how the 118-seat Boeing passenger jet was given a glamorous makeover at a luxury aircraft refitter in the United States, underscoring how Turkmenistan’s state resources are channeled into ostentatious displays of wealth.

Reporters noticed the jet in photographs of the Berdimuhamedov family’s travels, and reconstructed its flight history, leading them to discover that it had undergone work at Louisiana-based Citadel Completions — which boasts of producing “bespoke interiors for the most discerning clientele.”

Citadel’s lead interior designer posted images on his website that appear to show designs for the Turkmen plane. In addition to gold-plated Turkmenistan presidential seals, the design renderings featured luxury carpets with Central Asian motifs, golden bathroom fixtures, and sculptures of traditional Turkmen horses.

Read the full story → ([link removed])


** Defendant in Record Crypto Case Bought Dubai Properties
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Leaked real estate data obtained by OCCRP shows that a U.K.-based Malaysian national, who last month pleaded guilty to transferring scam profits via cryptocurrency, bought two luxury properties in Dubai.

Property records from the emirate show Ling Seng Hok bought two luxury properties in November 2021 and September 2022, for a combined total of about $725,000. He sold the latter just five days after he acquired it, at a profit of $63,000.

Ling Seng Hok was accused of helping Chinese national Qian Zhimin move the proceeds of a fraudulent investment scheme, which targeted 128,000 victims inside China. The pair were detained in a raid in April 2024, in which police seized encrypted devices, cash, gold, and cryptocurrency.

According to the London Metropolitan Police, Qian had fled from China to the U.K., where “she attempted to launder the proceeds via purchasing property.” Qian pleaded guilty to playing a leading role in the scam.

The long-running, ongoing investigation led to the seizure of Bitcoin assets now worth about $7.3 billion — a global record. Police declined to comment directly on any property purchases.

The pair are due to be sentenced in November.

Read the full story → ([link removed])


** Cyprus Court Case Kicks Off Involving Superyacht Firm That Was Ultimately Owned by Abramovich
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The first hearing in the landmark Blue Ocean criminal tax evasion case got underway in Cyprus this week, as the authorities seek to recoup more than 26 million euros in unpaid taxes and interest.

Blue Ocean Management Limited was established more than two decades ago to manage a fleet of superyachts linked to EU-sanctioned Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.

When the company was dissolved in July 2024 it left behind an enormous unpaid tax bill. Its reinstatement was ordered by a court in June, which enabled officials to file criminal tax evasion charges against the firm. Three former directors of the company are also facing charges.

The court’s application to reinstate the company followed revelations by OCCRP, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism ([link removed]) , and the BBC ([link removed]) earlier this year that between 2005 and 2010 Blue Ocean set up a fake superyacht-leasing business in an apparent attempt to evade tax, according to leaked files and correspondence.

Abramovich is not charged in the Cyprus case.

Lawyers for Abramovich did not respond to a request for comment, but have previously denied “any allegation that [Abramovich] had or ought to have any knowledge of, is personally responsible for and/or is personally liable for any alleged deception of any government authority in order to evade payment of taxes which were lawfully due or for any other purpose.”

Read the full story → ([link removed])


** Son of Alleged Smuggler Spent $3 Million on London Mosque
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The owner of a mosque and Uyghur cultural center in north London is the son of a powerful trade and logistics magnate who allegedly ran a vast smuggling and money laundering network in Central Asia.

Corporate and property registry documents obtained by OCCRP show that Nur Muhammed Palvan spent more than $3 million to acquire a former church in London’s Palmers Green area, which he then refurbished for an unknown amount.

Palvan is the son of Chinese-born Uyghur businessman Khabibula Abdukadyr, who was the subject of a 2019 investigation ([link removed]) by OCCRP, Kloop and RFE/RL. Abdukadyr was never charged.

Documents show that while living in the U.K. under another name, Palvan received over $1.8 million through the financial network allegedly used to launder the family’s proceeds. It is unclear where the money to buy the mosque came from, and Palvan did not respond to requests for comment.

Read the full story → ([link removed])

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** News Briefs
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* U.S. sanctions on Serbian energy firm Naftna Industrija Srbije, in which Kremlin-linked Gazprom Neft and a Gazprom Kapital subsidiary hold a controlling stake, took effect yesterday ([link removed]) after months of delays.
* A Tunisian man sentenced to death over Facebook posts criticizing President Kais Saied has been released ([link removed]) , after the case sparked domestic outrage and drew international condemnation.
* Anti-corruption officials in Croatia this week carried out several raids ([link removed]) as part of a probe into suspected corruption, bribery, and misuse of EU funds in public health tenders.
* The former head of a Georgian prison, where a onetime aide to the country’s ruling-party founder was allegedly beaten, was found dead in a Tbilisi garage ([link removed]) this week. Police have opened an investigation under Article 115 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to suicide.


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