This text is the results of a collaboration with The Sunday Instances. Yow will discover their corresponding piece right here.
On the final Friday in December, a German businessman in his mid-40s allegedly met a small plane on a dusty runway in distant Western Australia. The next night in Perth, seven hours’ drive south, he and one other man had been arrested and charged with trafficking a industrial amount of a managed drug.
Police stated a search of their lodge rooms uncovered 200kg of cocaine, packed in suitcases in single one-kilogram blocks, together with evening imaginative and prescient goggles, aviation tools and a {hardware} cryptocurrency pockets.
It was the fruits of a three-month Australian Federal Police (AFP) investigation codenamed “Operation Mirkwood”. Authorities estimated the road worth of the medication to be AUD $65 million and AFP Inspector Chris Colley stated an “organised crime syndicate” was possible chargeable for the scheme.
The German businessman was Oliver Andreas Herrmann, a 44-year-old champion marathon runner and the director of a number of firms with numerous pursuits spanning varied jurisdictions.
Herrmann and the opposite man who was charged are as a consequence of face court docket once more in Might. They haven’t but entered a plea and the presumption of innocence applies. Herrmann, who has no identified convictions, had not responded to a number of requests for remark as of publication.
The Sunday Instances reported in January that Herrmann has “shut monetary ties” to Christy Kinahan, the 67-year-old founding father of the eponymous worldwide drug cartel who is needed by authorities around the globe. Final month it reported that Herrmann “acted as Kinahan’s consultant on the bottom” in Indonesia and quoted a supply who stated Herrmann as soon as launched him to the cartel chief.
“Kinahan was Oliver’s boss,” the supply informed The Sunday Instances. “He was afraid of him. Kinahan was at all times shouting at him.”
Bellingcat and The Sunday Instances have beforehand reported on the US-sanctioned Kinahan Organised Crime Group, utilizing Kinahan’s personal Google Maps profile to plot his actions over 5 years and determine the cartel chief’s enterprise associates.
That investigation revealed that the usually elusive crime boss – often called the “Dapper Don” – posted a whole lot of opinions underneath the alias Christopher Vincent, disclosing his exact areas throughout three continents, together with in Dubai the place he lives in hiding. Bellingcat contacted Kinahan however didn’t obtain a response.
We’ve now carried out an open supply evaluation of Herrmann’s on-line footprint to construct an image of the person Australian authorities accuse of trafficking medication final Christmas. The findings paint a portrait of an avid runner and worldwide businessman who’s extra accustomed to poolside video conferences than an alleged drug drop within the Australian desert.
This investigation has traced Herrmann to areas related to the cartel. These embrace a constructing in South Africa that Kinahan reviewed on his Google Maps profile, and to the Zimbabwean capital of Harare the day earlier than a convention that the Irish drug lord stated he attended.
It additionally sheds mild on the complicated community of worldwide companies linked to Herrmann, both straight or by way of his associates. One in every of these companies shares an deal with with an organization that reportedly obtained funds finally destined for Christy Kinahan.
Racing Round The World
Oliver Herrmann is a German nationwide who has referred to Munich as his “house metropolis”. He’s additionally a South African resident, in response to the AFP, and reportedly travels on a Swiss passport. Herrmann gave his nationality as Swiss in firm paperwork filed in Singapore, whereas in registration paperwork within the UK he stated he was German. He has listed his nation of residence as Indonesia and Singapore.
Company information point out that Herrmann has been concerned at senior ranges with firms energetic within the fields of fintech, mining and consulting. Till just lately Herrmann was on the manager board of a German “worldwide uncooked supplies firm” whose father or mother firm, in response to its web site, is to be listed on the Düsseldorf Inventory Alternate. The corporate informed Bellingcat in February that Herrmann was faraway from his board place after it realized in regards to the allegations in Australia and stated he now not had any function with the organisation.
Herrmann’s Instagram account is about to non-public however he has a public profile on Strava, a health app used for recording train that always contains GPS-tracked routes (see Bellingcat’s Strava exercise map information right here).
An acclaimed runner who gained the 2016 Munich Marathon, Herrmann often logged his runs on Strava. Images posted to the account verify he is identical particular person pictured in an Australian media report about his court docket look in January over the alleged drug bust.
Herrmann’s Strava account has logged greater than 2,500 actions in 29 international locations throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, South America and the Center East between 2013 and 2023. He has additionally posted a minimum of 130 images documenting his in depth travels. They present a devoted athlete who seems to get pleasure from a jet-setting way of life, with many that includes scenic and tropical areas.
Herrmann’s Strava account exhibits that, like Kinahan, he has continuously traveled to Zimbabwe. An evaluation of Herrmann’s runs exhibits he logged nearly 500 actions in Harare between February 2018 and Might 2022. In the meantime, Kinahan posted 25 Google opinions in Harare between June 2019 and September 2021.
In one in all these opinions, the chief of the transnational organised crime syndicate stated he spent 4 nights on the Amanzi Lodge lodge for a “enterprise networking convention” that was hosted by two firms. The convention ran from October 8 to 11, 2019, in response to one of many firm’s social media accounts. In two images posted on-line, a person with comparable options to Kinahan is seen on the occasion.
On October 7, the day earlier than the convention started, Herrmann logged a run simply 5.5 km from the venue the place Kinahan stated he stayed. Herrmann’s 2019 Strava exercise in Harare suggests he frolicked near this location, close to town’s prosperous suburb of Borrowdale, with dozens of runs beginning and ending on the identical residential highway. After October 7, Herrmann’s subsequent Strava run was recorded three days later in Dublin, Eire.
Two of Herrmann’s runs from 2021 and 2022 happen in downtown Dubai, about 250 meters and 550 meters from the workplace of a sanctioned firm that the US authorities stated is owned or managed by Christy Kinahan’s son, Daniel Kinahan.
The 2021 run begins and ends exterior a five-star lodge the place Daniel Kinahan was photographed. The photograph within the since-deleted tweet, which was the topic of media protection on the time, was posted three days after Herrmann’s Strava run and geotagged to Dubai. A reverse picture search exhibits that the image of Daniel Kinahan was taken contained in the Dubai lodge.
Herrmann’s Strava profile additionally shows details about his enterprise actions. A 2018 put up, captioned “Workplace view in ZIM”, features a photograph of an open doc on a laptop computer display screen. Titled “Mining Venture Teaser”, the doc touts the attractiveness of Zimbabwe’s “open for enterprise” coverage for overseas traders.
On the header is “Gemini International Pte Ltd”, a Singapore-based firm of which Herrmann is the director and secretary, in response to company information. Herrmann reportedly filed a police grievance after Gemini lent US $500,000 for an Indonesian mining challenge that failed within the early 2010s. Greater than two dozen runs logged by Herrmann start and finish on the registered deal with for the Singapore firm.
Different areas logged on Strava look like linked to firms Herrmann is concerned in, suggesting his frequent journey could also be business-related. Some runs explicitly point out an workplace, together with one in Singapore in 2015 and three in Dublin in 2016.
Herrmann is listed on Crunchbase because the chief monetary officer of defunct Irish fintech, Leveris Restricted, which reportedly collapsed in 2021 with money owed of €38 million. Data from Eire’s Corporations Registration Workplace present he was additionally a director of the corporate. Herrmann has logged Strava runs in Minsk and Prague, different cities the place Leveris had enterprise connections.
Working Mate
A collection of firms concerned in commerce, actual property and company finance look like linked to Herrmann’s home associate. This girl was recognized by way of an evaluation of social media posts. Within the feedback of an Instagram put up about his Munich Marathon win, a number of customers tagged the girl’s account. Herrmann’s Strava profile additionally follows a person by the identical title, and features a photograph of him with an identical-looking girl throughout a run in France.
An evaluation of the girl’s Strava account exhibits that a number of runs logged in numerous international locations over six years match the place Herrmann’s GPS-tracked routes begin and end. She is tagged as a companion in a minimum of one run recorded on Herrmann’s profile.
Three movies posted to the girl’s now-deleted Instagram account present a person strongly resembling Herrmann throughout a hike at Cape City’s Desk Mountain, visiting Mapungubwe Nationwide Park, and on a recreation drive with two boys close to Lake Kariba. Images additionally present a ship journey and a seaside outing with a number of kids by which a person with comparable options to Herrmann is seen together with his again to the digicam. A photograph posted to the girl’s Twitter account a decade in the past additionally exhibits a person who resembles Herrmann.
The lady can also be tagged in an Instagram put up by a Thai mining magnate whose firm is listed as a shareholder of the German firm that just lately eliminated Herrmann from its board. The Thai girl’s Instagram contains images of Herrmann and his associate going again years, together with throughout a 2022 “enterprise journey” in Dubai.
The Company Net
An open supply search recognized an individual with the identical first and final title as Herrmann’s associate concerned in three firms. Company information present she was listed because the proprietor of defunct Indonesian agency PT. Gemini Nusa Land, which was concerned in actual property, and beforehand the director of one other firm, additionally headquartered in Indonesia.
The third firm is South Africa-registered 247 Capital Group, the place enterprise information supplier b2bhint.com lists her as a director. These particulars had been verified by way of South Africa’s official registry. A generic-looking web site for the agency says it’s a main “company finance group” staffed by “specialist capital elevating managers”. The web site’s contact part lists two addresses: one is a small home on Lengthy Island, New York; the opposite is a high-rise constructing in Johannesburg referred to as The Leonardo.
Herrmann’s Strava profile exhibits he has logged two morning runs ending straight exterior The Leonardo, in April and Might 2022. Kinahan has additionally been to The Leonardo: he wrote about visiting the constructing and posted images of the inside in Google opinions from September 2021.
An evaluation of 247 Capital’s web site utilizing ViewDNS, a device that examines web sites, decided that it shares an IP deal with with three different websites. There are a number of the reason why web sites can share IP addresses and it doesn’t essentially imply they’re associated. On this case, nevertheless, there’s proof that 247 Capital could also be linked to the opposite websites.
The primary is for a US-based firm referred to as Ryba LLC; the second is for an Indonesia firm referred to as PT. Sukses Dagang Bersama (abbreviated to “SDB Buying and selling” on-line); and the third is a placeholder for an internet developer that designed the websites for 247 Capital, Ryba LLC, and PT. Sukses Dagang Bersama.
Herrmann’s associate had not responded to requests for remark as of publication. There isn’t any suggestion that she is concerned in criminal activity.
Ryba LLC
Final yr, The Sunday Instances reported that an organization with a mailing deal with on the Trump Constructing was the recipient of two funds totalling US $850,000. It stated the funds had been lodged to an organization account in South Dakota and the beneficiary was listed as Adam Wooden, a identified affiliate of Kinahan who attended a 2019 aviation convention in Egypt with the cartel chief. The newspaper stated these funds had been a part of a collection of worldwide wire transfers totalling US $1.25 million of which Kinahan was the last word beneficiary.
As we speak, The Sunday Instances reveals that the funds of US $850,000 had been made to Ryba LLC.
Ryba LLC’s web site lists its deal with because the Trump Constructing on Wall Avenue in New York. Corporations with this title are registered within the US, however company information present that none are positioned in New York.
The telephone quantity on Ryba LLC’s web site was linked to a New York regulation agency by way of the crowd-sourced contact guide app, TrueCaller. A web-based seek for the agency exhibits it has an workplace within the Trump Constructing, and searches for the Lengthy Island deal with listed on 247 Capital’s web site returned a success for a lawyer who works at this agency.
The Lengthy Island deal with additionally appeared in a small-claims court docket document, which named the house proprietor because the lawyer who works within the Trump Constructing. A digital copy of the deed from the Nassau County Clerk exhibits the lawyer purchased the home 25 years in the past. Bellingcat referred to as the Clerk’s workplace to verify the deed was nonetheless present.
In keeping with the lawyer’s bio, they’re an “Anti Cash Laundering Specialist” who works in wealth and tax planning, belief and property administration, and asset safety. The lawyer and the agency had not responded to requests for remark as of publication. There isn’t any suggestion that the lawyer or agency are concerned in criminal activity.
Searches on LinkedIn for employees who work for Ryba LLC returned a consequence for an worker who lists their present function as a senior challenge finance supervisor on the firm. Their earlier place, in response to the profile, was head of accounting at Leveris, the Irish firm the place Herrmann beforehand served as chief monetary officer.
Within the photograph on Herrmann’s Strava account displaying the mining proposal doc, a gathering notification for the worker is seen within the prime proper of the laptop computer display screen. The worker’s LinkedIn account is now not on-line, however their particulars have been saved on RocketReach, a web site that aggregates skilled information from on-line platforms.
The worker had not responded to requests for remark as of publication. There isn’t any suggestion that they’re concerned in criminal activity.
PT. Sukses Dagang Bersama
Bellingcat bought the Indonesian company document for PT. Sukses Dagang Bersama. Its “commissioner” is listed as Conor Fennelly, Herrmann’s former enterprise associate and one-time chief government of Leveris.
Nonetheless, Fennelly informed Bellingcat that he had “by no means heard of” the Indonesian firm and had “no information” of its operations. He additionally stated he had no enterprise connection to Herrmann exterior of Leveris and had not been involved with him for the reason that Irish tech agency collapsed in 2021.
After offering a replica of the Indonesian enterprise paperwork displaying his itemizing as commissioner, Fennelly stated he “didn’t authorise this” or signal paperwork taking over any function on the firm. He confirmed that his title, deal with and passport data on the doc was correct.
“Oliver and a number of other others at Leveris would have had that,” he stated. “The corporate was based [in] 2021 and curiously that is months after Leveris went underneath and months after my final contact with Oliver, assuming he’s the explanation my title seems right here.”
Fennelly stated he met Herrmann by way of an affiliate at Leveris in 2016, and that Herrmann subsequently invested within the firm and have become its chief monetary officer. Fennelly discovered Herrmann to be “dependable, calm, competent and reliable”, he stated, including that information of his arrest in Australia got here as a “full shock”. Fennelly stated he believed Herrmann had been dwelling in Zimbabwe and coaching as a runner.
Company information additionally present that PT. Sukses Dagang Bersama was initially established in 2013 underneath a distinct title, Maksimum Jaya Segar. An individual with the identical first and final names to Herrmann’s associate is listed as a director of the corporate from December 2017 to November 2021. Her listed deal with is in a residential neighbourhood west of Jakarta, the place Herrmann and his associate have logged dozens of runs.
Plane and Worldwide Commerce
PT. Sukses Dagang Bersama was concerned within the sale of an plane that was exported from the US to Africa final yr, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) information present. The FAA paperwork say the corporate purchased the aircraft – a Beechcraft King Air 350 – in early 2024.
Flight monitoring web site ADS-B Alternate exhibits that the twin-turboprop plane arrived in Harare after the final leg of its journey on February 23, 2024. The ferry pilot who transported the plane posted pictures of the journey to Fb, which had been tagged in Harare on the identical date. The aircraft has been energetic since its supply, travelling to airports in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana. Pictures from aircraft spotters in South Africa in April and Might 2024 present the plane with Malawi registration quantity 7Q-YAO on its facet.
Two days after the aircraft was delivered to Harare the pilot posted a photograph of himself with three different males in entrance of the plane, captioned “Acceptance demo flight”. The pilot and one in all these males have beforehand flown a distinct plane, a Pilatus PC-12, that has been related to a Kinahan-linked firm.
The US $850,000 fee to Ryba was linked to a dispute over the acquisition of this plane, in response to The Sunday Instances.
The pilot posted a photograph to Fb earlier than transporting the Pilatus PC-12 from South Africa to the US in 2022 after it was offered to an unrelated purchaser. However three years earlier, the Pilatus PC-12 was pictured in a Twitter put up by CVK Investments LLC, an organization that Irish police stated was related to Kinahan.
The July 2019 put up stated CVK was investing within the plane for an “air ambulance joint-venture enterprise in Africa”. The plane pictured within the put up exhibits its serial quantity “342”, matching the aircraft within the pilot’s Fb put up. Whereas an plane’s registration quantity can change, the serial quantity is assigned by the producer and stays the identical (see Bellingcat’s flight-tracking information right here).
The second man is an worker at Malawi’s aviation authority who’s referenced in a Fb photograph as being one of many pilots throughout an August 2021 flight within the Kinahan-linked Pilatus PC-12.
The id of the Malawi-registered aircraft was confirmed by its registration quantity on the time, “7Q-XRP”, seen on the management panel within the photograph. The cockpit is an identical to 1 pictured in a Google overview posted by Kinahan a month later in September 2021.
The pilots had not responded to requests for remark as of publication. There isn’t any suggestion that they’re concerned in criminal activity or that both of the planes has traveled to Australia.
PT. Sukses Dagang Bersama can also be listed in publicly accessible import/export information for mining-related and narcotic merchandise between international locations together with India, Nigeria, Peru, Turkey and Russia.
Data from import/export information supplier 52wmb present that in a single 2023 cargo from India to Nigeria, PT. Sukses Dagang Bersama is listed within the product description for a supply of the narcotic “Pentazocine Injection”, an opioid utilized in medication that can also be reportedly misused and offered on the underground market in Nigeria.
Additionally listed within the product description area is one other firm, Turkoca Import Export Transit Co Ltd. This Korean-based firm was sanctioned by the US in Might 2022 for being a part of an Iran-linked oil smuggling and cash laundering community.
The product description normally comprises details about the objects being exported. A possible rationalization for firm names showing on this part is that they’re “notify events”, that are entities equivalent to patrons, suppliers and brokers who ought to be knowledgeable when the cargo arrives. PT. Sukses Dagang Bersama seems as a “notify social gathering” within the product description for one more cargo to Nigeria from a distinct Indian pharmaceutical firm.
PT. Sukses Dagang Bersama can also be listed in 2024 import information for shipments of equipment for heavy equipment to Turkey from a Peruvian firm that makes mining tools. In information from Dataontrade.com it additionally seems as an exporter of “spare components” for comparable equipment, this time from Turkey to Russia.
Oliver Herrmann had not responded to requests for remark as of publication. Herrmann’s lawyer stated: “I’m not instructed to touch upon these issues.”
Emails to 247 Capital Group, Ryba LLC and PT. Sukses Dagang Bersama weren’t returned.
Australian Cocaine Costs
Oliver Herrmann and his co-accused, Australian man Hamish Scott Falconer, 48, appeared in Perth Magistrates Courtroom in January. Each males have been charged with one rely of trafficking a industrial amount of cocaine.
Herrmann additionally faces 4 counts of failing to adjust to an order, in response to a report in The West Australian, whereas Falconer can also be going through one rely of possessing a managed drug and one rely of failing to adjust to an order.
Native media reported that neither of the boys utilized for bail and no pleas had been entered.
The Australian Federal Police stated the boys had been arrested in Perth’s central enterprise district on December 28 as a part of an operation that started in October.
The AFP alleges that the boys met at Perth Airport in November and drove to Kojonup Airport, about 250km south of Perth. Investigators stated the pair departed Western Australia within the following days however later returned individually.
Falconer returned to Perth on December 26, in response to police, the place he employed a automobile and transported a number of suitcases and jerry cans. Herrmann allegedly met a small plane on the Overlander Airstrip on December 27, returning to Perth and assembly Falconer the next day. Police stated that the boys purchased extra suitcases, earlier than discarding them together with jerry cans in a procuring centre garbage bin.
Police stated a search of Falconer’s lodge room uncovered about 200kg of cocaine, in six suitcases, in addition to digital gadgets, evening imaginative and prescient goggles and an airband VHF radio. They stated they searched Herrmann’s lodge room and seized 4 empty suitcases, aviation navigational tools, a {hardware} cryptocurrency pockets and different digital gadgets.
Each males had been charged with trafficking a industrial amount of a managed drug, which carries a most penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment.
Native media reported that Herrmann and Falconer are as a consequence of seem in court docket once more in Might.
Connor Plunkett, Peter Barth and Beau Donelly contributed to this text.
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