Sophisticated, globe-spanning network funneled drug profits through storefronts in South Carolina…
by Jenn Wood0
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Federal authorities have unsealed charges in what they are calling one of the largest professional money laundering operations ever uncovered in South Carolina — a sophisticated, globe-spanning network that funneled drug profits through storefronts in Sumter County and disguised them as international electronics shipments.
Acting U.S. attorney Brook B. Andrews revealed a sweeping indictment (.pdf) this week against three men accused of laundering more than $30 million in drug proceeds on behalf of cartel-linked drug traffickers. The men — Nasir Ullah, 28, and Fnu Naimullah, 32, of Sumter, South Carolina, and Puquan Huang, 49, of Buford, Georgia — are now facing federal charges including conspiracy to commit money laundering.
“Money laundering is the backbone of criminal enterprise,” Andrews said. “It enables drug trafficking organizations to purchase and distribute fentanyl and other drugs to devastating effect. When we target those who launder drug money, we strike at the very heart of these operations.”
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According to the indictment, the defendants operated what appeared to be legitimate businesses in Sumter County – businesses which served as fronts for a complex international laundering scheme. These companies allegedly collected large sums of cash from drug dealers across York, Richland, Charleston and Sumter counties and then used those funds to purchase electronics and other goods, which were repackaged and shipped overseas to China, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates.
The transactions were designed to obscure the illegal origins of the money as part of a “trade-based” money laundering scheme. “Trade-based” money laundering schemes are a tactic increasingly used by transnational criminal organizations to convert narcotics profits into usable assets.
Federal investigators say the operation was closely tied to two of Mexico’s most powerful drug cartels — the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the Sinaloa Cartel — both of which have been designated by the administration of Donald Trump as foreign terrorist organizations.
“This wasn’t a side hustle,” Andrews noted. “This was a full-fledged business enterprise whose sole purpose was to launder drug money. Their reach was both local and international.”
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The federal investigation was spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) Charleston office, which began tracing cartel-linked transactions in September 2020. In just one instance, authorities seized $177,000 in alleged drug proceeds — money which, if reinvested, had the potential to purchase seven kilograms of powdered fentanyl, enough to kill 3.5 million people, according to DEA assistant special agent in charge Michael Tooley.
“One kilogram of powdered fentanyl can kill 500,000 individuals,” Tooley warned. “We’re talking about poison with the capacity to wipe out more than half the population of this state.”
Tooley emphasized the evolving nature of drug trafficking and laundering methods, noting that illicit fentanyl is frequently pressed into counterfeit pills that resemble prescription medication—and that 5 out of 10 pills tested by the DEA now contain potentially fatal doses.
Each of the indicted men faces a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Federal prosecutors are also pursuing asset forfeiture, seeking to recover properties and proceeds tied to the alleged scheme.
Authorities say this takedown represents a critical victory in their battle against cartel-driven fentanyl trafficking and international financial crime.
“We are evolving as fast as the criminals are,” Andrews said. “And we’re determined to stay one step ahead.”
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THE INDICTMENT
(USAO-SC)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Jenn Woodis FITSNews’ incomparable research director. She’s also the producer of the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts and leading expert on all things Murdaugh/ South Carolina justice. A former private investigator with a criminal justice degree, evildoers beware, Jenn Wood is far from your average journalist! A deep dive researcher with a passion for truth and a heart for victims, this mom of two is pretty much a superhero in FITSNews country. Did we mention she’s married to a rocket scientist? (Lucky guy!) Got a story idea or a tip for Jenn? Email her at jenn@fitsnews.com.
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