Mohamed Ben Ali

Mohamed Ben Ali was born in Tunis, Tunisia, on April 3, 1963, and lived in Milan, Italy. He served as the chairman of the board for General Service Soc. Coop., headquartered in Milan. Among the society’s members were Ben Mabrouk Adel, who was detained in Guantanamo after being captured during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and Aouadi Mohamed, who was imprisoned for criminal association related to identity document forgery and facilitating illegal immigration.
Ben Ali used the General Service to facilitate the entry and stay of illegal non-EU immigrants in Italy. He charged fees ranging from €2,500 to €3,000, varying based on whether the undocumented individuals were practicing Muslims. He was also approached by the imam of the Islamic Cultural Centre on Viale Jenner in Milan, to help regularize the status of illegal residents at the centre, which was known as a gathering place for Islamic fundamentalists.
In addition to fees for fictitious regularization, illegal immigrants were required to pay additional contributions. Ben Ali’s illicit activities were facilitated by collusion with certain individuals within the Italian administrative and police offices responsible for issuing documents and conducting checks.
He maintained contacts with individuals linked to jihadist groups under investigation for terrorism. Problems arose when the Milan Prefecture reported that some residence permits requested by supposed employees of the General Service were denied. In response, Ben Ali engaged in numerous conversations with individuals who had sent him money from both Italy and abroad, seeking updates and protesting the non-fulfilment of agreements.
To expedite the bureaucratic process, he contacted Emiliano Antonioli, who had been arrested in January 2003 for possessing counterfeit documentation and materials. Although Antonioli indicated he would intervene on Ben Ali’s behalf, he was subsequently placed under house arrest, rendering him unable to assist.
Ben Ali provided fictitious job descriptions to 70 individuals in exchange for cash or bank transfers. Many of those seeking regularization were residents of Viale Bligny 42 in Milan, an address frequently associated with individuals connected to Islamic extremism. To evade potential future legal issues with Italian authorities, Ben Ali expressed his intention to transfer his business operations to a non-EU national residing in Switzerland. Ultimately, he faced a precautionary measure of custody in prison for his actions.