The MEK’s financial network extended to the United States, where it became involved in illegal activities to support its members. In 1999, Operation Eastern Approach, led by U.S. authorities, resulted in the arrest of 29 individuals, 15 of whom were charged with helping MEK members illegally enter the country . The ringleader of this operation pleaded guilty to providing false documents to MEK members, a violation of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 .
This operation shed light on the MEK’s sophisticated methods for circumventing immigration laws to secure the entry of its members into the U.S. It also revealed the group’s ability to operate within a complex international framework, manipulating legal systems to sustain its activities.
One of the MEK’s most well-known financial front organizations was Iran Aid, a UK-based charity that claimed to raise funds for Iranian refugees. For years, Iran Aid collected substantial amounts of money from the British public, approximately £5 million annually. However, in 2001, the Charity Commission for England and Wales launched an investigation into the charity’s activities and discovered that there were no verifiable links between the donations and charitable work in Iran .
As a result, the charity was shut down, raising further questions about the MEK’s involvement in fraudulent fundraising activities. The case of Iran Aid highlighted the group’s ability to exploit sympathetic causes, such as refugee support, to generate significant financial resources while masking its true intentions.