French Authorities Charge Eight in Cryptocurrency Terror Financing Network

In total, 30 people have been arrested since Tuesday in this operation to dismantle a network using cryptocurrencies that financed members of Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group in Syria.

Three of them were presented to investigating judges as part of two judicial investigations opened for "terrorism financing" and "criminal terrorist conspiracy", the Pnat press release states.

The five other people are summoned before the criminal court to be tried "before the end of the year" for "terrorism financing", the same source adds.

In addition to ten people on the "S" list for Islamic radicalization, the crackdown also targeted six relatives of women and children of jihadists detained in camps in Syria, suspected of having used this network to send them money. They have all since been released without prosecution, according to a source close to the case.

According to the investigators, dozens of people residing in France have "repeatedly" gone to tobacco shops since 2019 to anonymously buy coupons (of cryptocurrency) worth between 10 and 150 euros and credit them to accounts opened abroad by jihadists.

Already, "two French jihadists" at the origin of this network have been identified: Mesut S. and Walid F, both aged 25, who joined Syria in 2013. The investigations continue.