Turkish police detain six suspects in cross-border Daesh financing scheme
Six individuals were arrested in Turkey after prosecutors uncovered a multi-million-lira network funneling money to Daesh members in Syria.
Prosecutors in Istanbul, in coordination with the National Intelligence Organization, arrested six people suspected of operating a Daesh financing network that moved millions of Turkish liras between Turkey and Syria. The investigation began after a USB flash drive was recovered in Kilis province, revealing Daesh correspondence, financial ledgers and digital transfer receipts. Financial analyses by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board showed the suspects' accounts received about TL 38.6 million and sent out TL 33.7 million, with one individual, Mohmad Al Nhass, handling TL 14.9 million inbound and TL 13.6 million outbound.
Links were found to international money-transfer services Al Barakat and AFAK, as well as cryptocurrency exchanges and charitable-donation fronts. Authorities also tied Ahmad Alkhlil’s food-company accounts to large, unexplained cash flows intended to aid Daesh fighters' escape from the al-Hol detention camp, which was under YPG/PKK control until Syrian forces retook the area on Jan. 20. All six detainees remain in custody pending trial.
Why it matters
Disrupting the funding stream hampers Daesh's ability to operate and supports regional security efforts.
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