Farage backer Aaron Banks faces allegations of "diamond smuggling"

Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA) is reportedly examining fresh allegations concerning Arron Banks and his South African mines, amid allegations of diamond smuggling.
Banks, who owns diamond mines in South Africa, has faced claims by a former business partner that he tried to get hold of black-market diamonds originating from Zimbabwe in order to supplement his South African diamond exports with the illegal supply, pretending they were all from his mines. 
The diamond trade in Zimbabwe is strictly controlled because of corruption and human rights abuses. Russia also exerts a significant influence over the country’s illegal diamond industry, according to western intelligence sources.
The allegations by Mr Banks's former business partner also included the claim that he had been 'dealing with Russians' in the diamond scheme.
Banks has been suspected of using Russian contacts to further his interests in the past. In August of last year, The Guardian reported that he had been offered the chance of making potentially enormous profits in a deal featuring a Russian gold company.

Arron Banks 'spent £450,000 on Nigel Farage in year after Brexit vote - providing him with £4.4m Chelsea home, £32,000 Land Rover Discovery, close protection driver, furniture and even utility bills'

• Channel 4 News says it has seen invoices, emails and other documents which show the extent of Nigel Farage's financial reliance on Arron Banks since 2016
• Farage quit as UKIP leader after the referendum and now fronts the Brexit Party
• For the year after the vote Mr Banks, through his companies, reportedly organised and funded multiple visits to the United States for Mr Farage 

https://eutoday.net/news/business-economy/2019/farage-banks