South Korean police have arrested a 29-year-old Uzbek citizen on suspicion of sending money to terrorist organizations. He is accused of raising funds under the guise of a charity project and transferring them to extremist groups.
According to the police, the suspect was apprehended on October 16 in the city of Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. The operation involved personnel from South Korea's National Intelligence Service and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The investigation revealed that he raised approximately 952 million won (about 665 thousand dollars) in the cryptocurrency Tether (USDT) using the name of a charity project called "Digging a Well in Africa." It was confirmed that a portion of the funds was transferred to terrorist groups such as "Katibat Tawhid wal-Jihad" and Hamas. According to preliminary information, at least 27 million won (19 thousand dollars) was sent to the jihadists.
During the investigation, it was found that the suspect promoted jihadist ideas on social networks and called on Muslims to join extremist groups. It is also suspected that he established a football club in South Korea and used it to raise funds among his compatriots.
It is reported that he entered the country on a student visa in 2018 but dropped out of his studies and later lived as a migrant. He applied for refugee status 11 times, but all applications were rejected.
In Uzbekistan, he is wanted on charges of financing terrorism, and an international warrant for his arrest was issued in 2022. During the arrest, eight phones and one laptop were confiscated and sent for examination.
The scope of the investigation includes checking whether funds were also sent through other individuals or via cash.
