Malmö Resident Accused of Global Terrorism Denies Allegations

A Malmö resident, Abdul Jalil Mallah, has been designated a "specially designated global terrorist" by the United States since 2021 for allegedly smuggling oil from Iran and funneling money to militant groups such as Hezbollah and the Houthi rebels. Authorities claim his illicit activities generated hundreds of millions of Swedish kronor. In addition to the US, Saudi Arabia and Israel have also placed sanctions on Mallah. Despite these serious accusations, Mallah lives openly in Malmö, running multiple business ventures including a grocery store, a construction company, and managing his family's international shipping operations.

Mallah vehemently denies all charges, challenging the allegations by stating, "Bring a Bible and a Quran, and I will swear on both that I have never engaged in what they claim." He came to Sweden as a refugee from Syria in 2015 and has since invested in local businesses and property. Furthermore, Mallah has a criminal record from the UK, where he was convicted for contempt of court and lying to the court, resulting in an 18-month prison sentence which he has not served.

These revelations highlight tensions between international counterterrorism enforcement and Sweden's domestic handling of individuals accused abroad. While authorities scrutinize Mallah, he continues his business operations without restrictions in Malmö.