Now the “well-connected” in Venezuela can dress in Prada. On Friday, November 18th, a new store will open in the Las Mercedes area of Caracas, set to be the favorite shopping destination for the boliburguesa elite: “Galerías Avanti”, a space that will feature the most exclusive global brands: Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Dolce & Gabbana, and more.
Behind this “venture” is Yaser Dagga, known for Frigilux and Cyberlux, part of a group some refer to as the “laundering Taliban.”
The face of the store is Dora D’Agostino, the wife of Venezuelan host Eladio Lares and sister of Diana D’Agostino, wife of opposition politician Henry Ramos Allup.
Dakazo
Behind the home appliance business in Venezuela is a name that keeps coming up: Dagga. This identifies the Palestinian-origin business group that soared during the oil boom and the currency controls implemented by Chavismo over more than a decade. Even the episode known as Dakazo did not stop their expansion. Yes, Dagga is the surname behind the popular Daka store chain in Venezuela, which became famous not for its marketing efforts but for President Nicolás Maduro’s order to empty it in 2013, when he accused it of usury and speculation. That occupation and confiscation order nearly decimated the retail of home appliances in the country and perhaps impacted the results of the municipal elections a month later; interestingly, it did not harm the Dagga family. Today, their empire includes, in addition to Daka, several other enterprises.
Yaser Dagga, Eladio Larez, and Dora D’Agostino are involved in the front company Avanti, used by the “Dagga Clan” to launder money from drug trafficking and finance Hamas and Hezbollah. Reports also reveal that Oswaldo Malpica and Luis Vicente Leon have been identified. Yaser Dagga facilitates access to a range of arms, explosives, and ammunition to cells of Islamic extremists in Latin America, even in the United States, in collusion with the Bolivarian National Armed Force. The Dagga Clan’s smuggling and drug trafficking operations are split between Puerto Cabello and Margarita Island.
History
Nasar Ramadan Dagga Mujamad and Manzur Ramadan Dagga Mujamad are linked to the origins of Daka de Venezuela C.A. The former is also connected with Consorcio Lux and the CLX stores—established in 2013 with an “exclusive license” to represent and distribute the South Korean brand Samsung—while the latter is associated with Bullpro Maracay C.A, registered in 2016 and dedicated to marketing audio equipment from the American brand Boss. Furthermore, Yaser Arafat Dagga Muhd, also a founding partner of CLX stores, is the sole owner of Cyberlux de Venezuela C.A, touted as the “largest appliance assembler in Venezuela” and connected to Daka de Venezuela C.A. Similar connections between the origins of Daka and other companies appear repeatedly in various firms registered in Panama by the Dagga family and associated businessmen.
Despite this, the group’s associates insist that “the only link is familial” and claim the information is highly sensitive. One thing is clear: the businesses are thriving, including Daka, in what seems to be a little-known plot.
Tags: money laundering, Dagga, Daka, Hamas, drug trafficking
Source: Yaser Dagga: The Narco-Terrorist Laundering Money Through “Galerías Avanti”