Awni Mutee
Awni Mutee or Awni Issa,, is a businessman and criminal mastermind in the international counterfeit cigarette industry. Since the 1990s, he has been known to produce international cigarette brands. Mutee built his business empire through strategic partnerships with influential political figures, which provided him with government protection. He partnered with the third richest man in Libya, they established a factory to produce Cleopatra cigarettes, which were later smuggled into Egypt.
Legal issues and extradition
In 2005, Mutee became a fugitive after being wanted by Interpol for crimes in the Netherlands, including organized crime, tax evasion, and money laundering, following a raid on a cigarette factory in Hengelo. He was later acquitted due to insufficient evidence.In 2018, Awni Mutee became embroiled in a prominent corruption scandal in Jordan, commonly known as the 'tobacco case'. This case implicated numerous high-ranking government officials and over twenty accomplices. Mutee, a businessman with significant connections, faced serious allegations, including actions that could disrupt the country's economic framework and threaten the fundamental conditions of its economic society. He was also charged with jeopardizing public safety and security, as well as offenses such as tax evasion, bribery, trademark infringement, smuggling, and money laundering. Prosecutors claimed that Mutee exploited Jordan's low-tax, free trade zones to manufacture counterfeit cigarettes for export, which he subsequently smuggled into the local market. It was alleged that he and his associates evaded approximately 539 million dinars in taxes and customs duties.
Before authorities could arrest him, Mutee fled Jordan just one day before raids on his four factories. His son, Bashar, also escaped minutes before an arrest warrant was issued. Awni Mutee was later extradited from Turkey to Jordan following a phone call between King Abdullah II and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.