Premier Bank Somalia Official Caught in Fake Govt Delegation Used for Human Smuggling, Possible Terror Links

by: David Joseph | 03 June 2025 14:31

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Premier Bank Somalia Official Caught in Fake Govt Delegation Used for Human Smuggling, Possible Terror Links

NAIROBI, Kenya (HORN OBSERVER) - A Swiss visa officer has disrupted a human trafficking attempt involving a group of Somali individuals who posed as members of an official government delegation to gain access to Europe.

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Mahad Ahmed Mohamed, Head of Operations at Premier Bank Ltd (pictured).

NAIROBI, Kenya (HORN OBSERVER) - A Swiss visa officer has disrupted a human trafficking attempt involving a group of Somali individuals who posed as members of an official government delegation to gain access to Europe.

The group planned to travel to Geneva for the 113th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) from 2–13 June 2025, using fraudulent documentation allegedly facilitated by corrupt Somali government officials (See our previous publication here).

Following an investigation by this publication, it has now been confirmed that individuals listed in the Somali delegation had no legitimate connection to labor unions or the conference itself.

Among them were Mahad Ahmed Mohamed, Head of Operations at Premier Bank Ltd., and his sister, Maryan Ahmed Mohamed. According to an official letter (see below) from the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs dated May 13, 2025, both were included in the delegation list.

Despite having no affiliation with Somali trade unions, Mahad was falsely listed as a labor unionist. His profile on Premier Bank Ltd.’s website describes him as the bank’s head of operations and a certified Islamic banker. He holds a Master’s in Banking and Finance and a Bachelor’s in Accounting from SIMAD University.

A source close to the matter told this reporter that Mahad used bribes to government officials to include himself and his sister on the list.

The goal, the source said, was to obtain visas and then disappear upon arrival in Europe to claim asylum—a tactic commonly used by traffickers after smuggling victims out of Somalia.

Intervention After Embassy Alert

Following a tip-off, the Somali Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that the fraudulent list was invalidated after communication with the Swiss Embassy in Nairobi.

However, neither Mahad Ahmed Mohamed nor Premier Bank Ltd. responded to multiple email inquiries seeking comment.

SIMAD University, which Mahad attended, is co-owned by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

The president’s family and close political allies, including the head of the national intelligence and security agency (NISA) Mahad Mohamed Salad, are also co-shareholders of Premier Bank Ltd., raising further questions about institutional links to the trafficking scheme.

Mr. Salad is also a cousin of Mahad Abdirahman Warsame, commonly known as Mahad Karate, the head of Amniyat and the military wing of the Somali terror group Al-Shabaab, which carries out terror attacks. Karate is listed on the U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice Program with a $10 million bounty on his head.

Premier Bank, Government Officials Implicated in Smuggling

Mohamed Abdi, a Mogadishu-based activist told Horn Observer that Premier Bank and some Somali government officials have long been suspected of involvement in human trafficking. He cited previous cases in which young Somalis were smuggled out of the country, only to be held for ransom in Libya.

"We are glad that this smuggling network has been exposed thanks to persistent media investigations,” Abdi said. "However, reporting alone is not enough—there must be accountability. Every day, Somali youth, including women, are trafficked out of the country.”

This exposé comes just days after the tragic deaths of at least 20 Somali migrants who drowned while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea en route to Palma, a Spanish island.

The vessel, which carried more than two dozen people, drifted for several days before only two survivors were rescued.

According to the survivors, the victims—mainly young people from Puntland—paid traffickers several thousand dollars each in pursuit of a better life in Europe.

A relative of one victim said payments were made through Jubba Money Transfer, a service based inside Premier Bank Ltd. in Garowe.

The relative, speaking anonymously for safety reasons, said the transaction was facilitated through the hawala system, often with the help of bank insiders.

Mohamed Abdi confirmed this pattern: "Traffickers and travel agents work hand-in-hand with local banks such as Premier Bank Ltd., which enjoy political protection from the president’s inner circle. This impunity makes it extremely difficult to dismantle these networks.”

Premier Bank Ltd. has also recently been named in reports of money laundering and potential terror financing, particularly in connection with real estate transactions in Nairobi, Kenya, according to local Kenyan media.

In a related international development, the U.S. Treasury Department in January 2025 sanctioned the Yemen Kuwait Bank—a financial institution linked to the Houthi movement—for suspected terrorist financing.

This bank has had financial dealings with Premier Bank Ltd., raising concerns about Somalia’s banking sector being used to fund militant activities in the region.