Hello Insight Monitor subscribers, and welcome to another edition of the global terrorism financing report, our monthly roundup of all the terrorist financing news from around the world. I appreciate all of you who have reached out to tell me that you read this each month. It’s a bit of a slog to pull together all these articles, but one we’re happy to continue with as long as you keep reading! So keep reading and sharing this report when it comes out, and we’ll keep producing it.
North America
In September 2024, Muhammad Shabez Khan (aka Shabez Jadoon), was arrested in Ormstown Quebec by the RCMP. The criminal complaint had significant details about funding arrangements and plans. Khan expressed his support for ISIS and his desire to join ISIS-West Africa (ISWAP) and send money to ISIL Khorasan (ISIS-K). Khan actively sought to establish an "offline cell" to carry out an attack. Kahn suggested using cryptocurrency to purchase firearms and discussed the need for financial resources to cover expenses related to the attack. He also obtained a credit card.
In the US, Dallas Erin Humber and Matthew Robert Allison of the Terrorgram Collective were charged with incitement to violence, creating a kill list for federal officials, and providing material support or resources to several successful far right terrorist attacks.
Still in the US Mohammad Ibrahim Bazzi pled guilty to evading U.S. sanctions. Bazzi funneled millions to Hezbollah, a designated terrorist organization. To circumvent financial controls Bazzi received money from Michigan restaurants where he secretly held ownership. He admitted to transferring funds despite knowing it was prohibited. The scheme involved a co-defendant, Talal Khalil Chahine, who previously skimmed $20 million from a Michigan restaurant chain. The money was then sent to Lebanon.
The US also imposed sanctions on one individual and four businesses involved in illicit trade benefiting Hezbollah and Iran's Revolutionary Guard. The sanctions target networks facilitating the illegal movement of goods to Syria and East Asia. Four ships associated with US-designated Syrian national Abdul Jalil Mallah and his newly sanctioned brother Luay al-Mallah were blocked.
South America
Mahdy Akil Helbawi, a key figure in a family suspected of financing Hezbollah, was arrested in Colombia. Colombian authorities have charged Helbawi with financing terrorism, accusing him of using a network of businesses to funnel money to Hezbollah. The investigation alleges that Helbawi used his businesses to generate funds that were then transferred to Hezbollah, potentially through a complex network of financial transactions.
Central and Southeast Asia
In the Philippines, Brince Gegodas, a supporter of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) or the communist New People's Army (NPA), has been convicted of financing terrorism. The court found that Gegodas provided financial support to the CTG's Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay, directly contributing to their terrorist activities. Evidence recovered during his arrest included demand money, coupon bands, a fragmentation grenade, cellphones, cash, a SIM card, and a receipt from a remittance firm.
India and Pakistan
A chargesheet filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in India alleges that Mussavir Hussain Shazib, Abdul Mateen Ahmed Taaha, Maaz Muneer Ahmed, and Muzammil Shareef. used Bangladeshi identities and cryptocurrency to fund a cafe blast in Bengaluru. The accused used cryptocurrency to transfer funds and Telegram payments to convert to cash. The investigation also revealed the use of fake Bangladeshi identities to facilitate the transfer of funds, obtain Indian SIM cards, open bank accounts, and evade detection.
Middle East
The United States has filed criminal charges against Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, for their roles in planning and executing the deadly 7 October attacks on Israel. The charges accuse Hamas of receiving financial support and weapons from Iran and Hezbollah.
The Houthi militia in Yemen has implemented new measures to increase customs duties on certain imported goods, including ready-made clothes, embroidered fabrics, shoes, and women's handbags as a means of raising funds. The Houthi government claims that these customs hikes are part of a broader effort to support domestic industries and strengthen financial resources in response to a "sharp decline in revenue and worsening budget deficit."
The US Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on Muhammad Ibrahim Habib al-Sayyid (al-Sayyid), Ali Nayef Zgheib (Zgheib) and Boutros Georges Obeid (Obeid) and entities involved in an oil and LPG smuggling network that generates revenue for Hezbollah. The network has facilitated dozens of LPG shipments to the Syrian government and the smuggling operations generate hundreds of millions of dollars for Hezbollah. The sanctions target companies including Heavy Oil Distribution Company, European Lebanese International Trade, and two vessels, Alpha Gas and Marina.
A man in east Jerusalem suspected of laundering money for Hamas has been arrested. The individual is believed to have funneled funds through his personal businesses, including a chain of supermarkets in Shu'afat and Anata, to support Hamas's activities. Israeli police, Border Police, and Tax Authority personnel seized over 200,000 shekels in cash, checks worth one million shekels, and various financial records. The suspect allegedly used these businesses as fronts to move money into Hamas's financial network.
Africa
A Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria has ordered the freezing of 13 bank accounts linked to a suspected terrorist, Henry Okocha. The Department of State Services (DSS) filed an ex-parte application alleging that Okocha received millions of naira in the accounts, suspected to be proceeds of terrorism. The DSS claimed that the funds were used to finance terrorism and sought a 90-day freeze on the accounts to conduct forensic investigations.
A federal high court in Abuja, Nigeria, has issued an arrest warrant for Andrew Wynne, a British citizen, for alleged involvement in terrorism and treason. Wynne is accused of financing and coordinating violent protests and attacks in Nigeria, including the burning of government buildings and the storming of police facilities during the #EndBadGovernance protests.
The Nigerian Police Force has accused Bristol Tamunobifiri, known as PIDOM on X, of leaking classified documents and raising funds to sponsor cyber terrorism. The police spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, claimed that PIDOM raised funds to sponsor cyber terrorism. The police claim that evidence of PIDOM's fundraising for cyberterrorism was derived from critical forensic analysis of his crypto wallet transactions.
A Federal High Court in Abuja Nigeria granted the DSS permission to freeze 20 bank accounts belonging to Aisha Abdulkarim, a suspected female terrorist. The accounts, spread across eight different banks, will be frozen for 60 days to allow DSS to conduct forensic investigations.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of Nigeria, Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja stated that Nigeria has one of the highest terrorism threat levels globally, citing data from Statista, 2023. He attributes this to the presence of numerous terrorist and militant groups operating in the country, including Boko Haram, ISWAP, and Indigenous People of Biafra. He further stated that the informal nature of Nigeria's economy makes it difficult to track the movement of illicit funds used to finance terrorism. Terrorists in Nigeria have become increasingly localized, generating funds through activities like smuggling, kidnapping, extortion, and drug trafficking.
In Somalia, the Hassan Clan is facing charges in court for allegedly wiring $13 million to Al-Shabaab militants. The family is accused of using a complex network of traditional Somali money transfer systems (hawala) and modern banking channels to move the money. The funds were allegedly used to finance Al-Shabaab's operations, including recruitment, training, and attacks.
The Islamic State in Somalia (IS-Somalia), despite being smaller than its rival al-Shabaab, has become a crucial part of the Islamic State's global network. This is largely due to its ability to generate significant revenue through extortion and gold mining, which it then distributes to other IS branches across Africa and even as far away as Afghanistan. IS-Somalia's financial success has allowed it to maintain its presence in Somalia despite efforts by both al-Shabaab and Puntland authorities to limit its influence. The group's financial strength has become even more important as the Islamic State's fortunes in Syria and Iraq have declined.
Europe
Türkiye deported a French national, Denis Daniel Korkmaz, who was working for the PKK in France. Korkmaz played a significant role in the PKK's French branch, assisting with fundraising, recruitment, and the transportation of supplies and personnel, including high-ranking members.
Türkiye has frozen the assets of 58 individuals and organizations within the country, citing their involvement in financing terrorism. The asset freezes impact people and organizations linked to the Kurdish PKK/YPG, Gulenists, and the Maoist Communist Party (MKP).
The Kurdish journalist Nurcan Yalçın has been charged with terrorism financing for transferring commissary funds totalling under $20 US to a friend in Diyarbakır prison
An FBI investigation revealed Türkiye’s role as a conduit for ISIS cryptocurrency funding. Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa, a US citizen, transferred over $188,000 to ISIS via cryptocurrency through Turkish intermediaries. These intermediaries converted the cryptocurrency to cash, which was then smuggled into Syria. The funds were used to secure the release of ISIS fighters and their families. Over $18,000 was directly linked to ISIS women in Syria, while $61,000 went to Turkish wallets. A significant portion of the funds remains unaccounted for.
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Two members of the neo-Nazi group AAST were arrested in Rome. The 21-year-old Romanian citizen was found to be a leader of the AAST network on Telegram, actively promoting the group through propaganda content. The 18-year-old Italian resident was found to be enrolled in AAST and connected to a supremacist terrorist association called The Base. He was engaged in distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and cyber extortion for fundraising.
The French cement giant, Lafarge paid millions of dollars to the Islamic State (IS) for protection, and is being investigated by the French Government for crimes against humanity. This included paying IS to suppress competition and even supplying them with cement. Lafarge executives in Paris were aware of these payments and actively participated in the scheme. The company was subsequently fined $778 million by the US Justice Department for providing material support to terrorists. The company is now facing lawsuits from victims of IS violence, including Yazidis, who allege that Lafarge's payments to IS contributed to their suffering.
JPMorgan Chase and HSBC unknowingly processed payments for Wagner Group operations in Africa. These payments facilitated the purchase of industrial equipment and diesel generators by Meroe Gold, a Sudanese mining company controlled by the late Yevgeny Prigozhin. Invoices from 2017 show Meroe Gold used JPMorgan Chase for one transaction and Hang Seng Bank (part of HSBC) for another, to pay a Chinese supplier. The transactions occurred before Meroe Gold faced US sanctions in 2018,
Longer Reads
Inside Hamas’ Pocketbook: Financing Terrorism Through Online Financial Platforms - Global Network on Extremism and Technology
A comprehensive look at Hamas financing, especially the use of online financial platforms, online gaming providers, and social media
Alternatives for Germany - The Baffler
Book review of Look Away: A True Story of Murders, Bombings, and a Far-Right Campaign to Rid Germany of Immigrants by Jacob Kushner with details on far-right terrorist fundraising in Germany in the early 2000s
Q & A: Lessons Learned from Investigating the Wagner Group in Africa - Global Investigative Journalism Network
Contains details of human trafficking in Central Africa by Wagner mercenaries through an online marketplace.
The Nordic Resistance Movement: A Violent History of Fists, Steel And Fire - Militant Wire
Overview of violent neo-nazi extremism in Europe and details of training and funding of the NRM by the Russian Imperial Movement (RIM).
Mapping The Far Right - Global Project Against Hate and Extremism
Major special report covering the trans-national links between far-right groups, including fundraising and conferences.
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