About Semaphore Intelligence
Aviation is a high-value global industry. This means that it attracts bad actors including fraudsters, cyber criminals, sanction evaders, and organised crime. All of these are significant threats to your time, business and reputation.
Semaphore Intel uses Open-Source Intelligence (OSINTEL) to help protect your time, business, and reputation. It lets you quickly background check customers, suppliers, and counterparties for possible flags and highlights the risks you face.
Check for sanctions
Semaphore Intel allows you to quickly search multiple sanctions lists from the US, UN, EU, Canada, Switzerland, the UK and the UAE in one search.
“Both US and non-US persons operating in the civil aviation industry face potential civil and criminal consequences for violating OFAC’s sanctions programs.”
US Office of Foreign Assets Control, June 2019
Semaphore Intel updates the following sanctions lists every 15 minutes
Consolidated United Nations Security Council Sanctions List (UN):
US Department of Commerce – Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS): Denied Persons List (DPL), Unverified List (UL), Entity List (EL)
US Department of State – Bureau of International Security and Non-proliferation: Nonproliferation Sanctions (ISN); Directorate of Defense Trade Controls: International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) Debarred
US Department of the Treasury – Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC): Specially Designated Nationals List (SDN); Foreign Sanctions Evaders List (FSE); Sectoral Sanctions Identifications List (SSI); Non-SDN Palestinian Legislative Council List (PLC); Foreign Financial Institutions Subject to Part 561 Non-SDN Iranian Sanctions Act List (NS-ISA)
European Union – External Action (EU) list
Consolidated Canadian Autonomous Sanctions List (Special Economic Measures Act and Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act)
Switzerland State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO)
UK HM Treasury Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation
UAE Legal Sanctions Framework
Check the sanctions lists here
Check for political exposure
A politically exposed person (PEP) is someone who has been entrusted with a prominent public function – such as politicians, judges, military personnel and their families and close associates. There is no reason why should not deal with a PEP, but the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) warns that many PEPs are in positions that potentially can be abused for money laundering, corruption and bribery, and even terrorist financing. A quick Semaphore Intel PEP search tells you whether you may have issues with transactions.
Launching August 2023
Search the Semaphore Intel Database
High-value assets attract fraudsters, criminals and organised crime. Once they have gained knowledge they also tend to stay in the industry.
These bad actors can cause your company real harm. They can waste your time and damage your reputation.
Semaphore Intel wants to help you avoid them by using our unique negative/adverse news database. You can quickly check people and companies before starting to work with them or use it to monitor existing customers.
Our analysts use automated artificial intelligence screening to monitor conventional print and online news all year round.
“The threat posed by transnational crime cannot be overstated. The use of US-registered aircraft by these criminal organizations and their networks of associates poses a clear and present danger to the security of our nation.”
Nicholas Ganjei, Acting U.S. Attorney, 2021
We also search public records, research Semaphore Intel member enquiries and use industry relationships to identify possible additions to the Semaphore Intel Database.
Once an individual is identified they are researched carefully using Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) techniques. To be included in the database they must typically be subject to an indictment, conviction or court ruling – before being added.
If you are on the database you can contact us to see your entry. You can also use our complaints process if you disagree with something we have written.
You can also search the INTERPOL Red Notice list as part of the Sanctions Search.
Case study – Mr CN – 30 years in aviation
- CN has been involved in business aircraft transactions since the early 1990s. Despite being convicted twice he has stayed involved in the industry and worked with a range of banks, brokers, insurers and others in this time.
- Early 1990s
Pleaded guilty to concealing money from the IRS in a case involving more than 480 kilograms of cocaine smuggled into Florida. - Early 2000s
Convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud by falsifying log books for aircraft he bought in Mexico and sold in the United States, according to the complaint. He had successfully raised $6m from a US bank to inventory aircraft. - Mid 2000s
Take over management of a US aircraft operator – despite being ineligible as non-US citizen. Insurers later argued that policies were not valid because of this. - Early 2010s
Fatal – and high profile – crash of an aircraft owned and operated by him. He said the aircraft was being operated on a sales flight and not for charter. - Mid 2010s
Registers two aircraft in the US – despite not being a US citizen. These were later impounded by the DEA. - Early 2020s
Admits to involvement in the Aircraft Guaranty Trust investigation.
Search the Semaphore Intel database here
