Sawt al-Asima has learned from private sources that Al-Fadel Company for Money Transfers has closed its Mezzeh branch, one of the largest in Syria, despite the company’s official management being located in the governorate square.
The closure, confirmed by Sawt al-Asima’s correspondent in Damascus, included the removal of Al-Fadel’s signage at the Mezzeh location, with all customers now redirected to the governorate branch.
This move follows threats reportedly received by the Mezzeh branch, which were made through calls from unknown numbers with broken Arabic. The callers accused Al-Fadel’s management of financially supporting Hezbollah, a claim the company quickly denied in an official statement published on social media.
Sources close to Sawt al-Asima indicated that the threats came after large sums of money were allegedly transferred from the Mezzeh branch in Hezbollah vehicles to an unknown destination.
The closure also follows the Israeli assassination of the head of Hezbollah’s money transfer unit, who was killed in a targeted strike on his car in the Mezzeh neighborhood of Damascus. Sources had previously reported that he was at the Mezzeh branch the day before his death.
Al-Balawi Family Leaves Syria After Targeting of Hezbollah Funding Sources
Sources further revealed that Fadel and Mouti’ al-Balawi, the brothers who own Al-Fadel Company, have left Syria with their families. The third brother, Mohammed al-Balawi, is reportedly still in Syria to handle outstanding matters. Mohammed was seen in early November meeting with individuals believed to be linked to Hezbollah in a Damascus restaurant.
According to Sawt al-Asima’s sources, Mohammed has been moving between Kafarsouseh, where he owns several properties, and a villa in the Yafour area. He also reportedly visited Beirut for two days in the first week of November.
The sources added that Fadel and Mouti’ al-Balawi, who hold foreign as well as Syrian nationalities, were seen in Istanbul in late October. During their visit, they met with key figures from other money transfer companies to discuss plans for Al-Fadel Company’s exit from the Syrian market, potentially replacing it with a new platform and company.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
