Former Iranian official living in Toronto was ‘critical’ to terror finance, CBSA alleges

A former Iranian official now living in Toronto had a “critical” role in helping the Islamic Republic generate revenue needed to fund Middle East terror groups, according to government documents obtained by Global News.

A Canada Border Services Agency report released on Tuesday alleges that as a deputy director in Iran’s Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade, Abbas Omidi , assisted with the regime’s state sponsorship of terrorism.

The 2024 report, which details why Omidi should be expelled from Canada, said the Iranian mining sector in which he served at a senior level was closely linked to the military and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

“As a result of his power and influence, the subject directly benefited the Iranian economy and the government’s ability to continue to fund terrorism and human rights abuses throughout the world,” the CBSA wrote.

“As the only individual qualified to continue to perform his specific role, the subject was critical in the Iranian government’s continued ability to draw in mining revenue and fund 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 deportaton hearing earlier this year. The IRB released a redacted version at the request of Global News.

The CBSA is trying to deport Omidi on the grounds he was a longtime senior official in Iran’s repressive regime. The refugee board 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 Iran’s mining and trade ministry. The CBSA alleged in its report that he “exerted significant influence on the exercise of government power.”

He is among 37 suspected senior Iranian regime members found living in Canada since the government launched a crackdown against them in 2022 in response to Tehran’s suppression of protests.

Omidi’s deportation hearing began in March. Although he tried to ban the press from the proceedings, Global News successfully fought his application for a private hearing.

The allegations that Omidi helped Iran’s regime make the money it needed to support terrorist groups did not come up at his hearing, but the CBSA report on him repeatedly mentions the issue.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) relies “heavily” on mining revenues to support regional terror groups, the CBSA said in its report on the 56-year-old Iranian citizen.

“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.

“The IRGC has consistently provided financial and other material support including financing, training, technology transfer, advanced weapons, guidance, or direction to a broad range of terrorist organizations.”