French law enforcement authorities carried out a large-scale operation to disrupt a scheme financing Islamist extremists in Syria using cryptocurrency. This was reported by ABC News.
According to authorities, the scheme had been active since 2019. Funds were mainly transmitted through cryptocurrency vouchers purchased in France.
Such vouchers, ranging from €10 to €150, were regularly purchased by dozens of people, the French prosecutor’s office noted.
The vouchers were then transmitted via encrypted messages to terrorists in Syria, where they withdrew funds through cryptocurrency platforms.
It is believed that hundreds of thousands of euros were transferred to the terrorists through this scheme.
As part of the operation, 29 possible members of the network were detained.
Two suspects in organizing the scheme were not arrested. Authorities believe they are members of the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham group [an organisation banned in Russia] and may be hiding in Syria.
Earlier, a New York resident was sentenced to 13 years in prison for transferring funds to terrorists using cryptocurrency.
In August, the U.S. Department of Justice обнаружил more than 150 Bitcoin addresses linked to financing of terrorism.
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