Uzbekistani suspected of financing terrorists detained in South Korea

South Korean police detained a 29-year-old Uzbekistani citizen who, according to the investigation, collected and sent money to terrorist organizations allegedly intended for a charitable foundation, The Chosun Daily reports.

According to law enforcement, the foreigner was detained on October 16 at an Ansan hotel. Representatives of the Korean National Intelligence Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (USA) assisted the police in carrying out this operation. It is reported that the transfer amount was the largest in the country among the funds directed to extremists.

The Uzbek citizen was involved in collecting Tether (USDT) cryptocurrency for the needs of a charitable organization that allegedly carried out well drilling projects in Africa. At the time of his arrest, the suspect had collected 952 million Korean won ($665 thousand).

However, in reality, the man had been sending funds to terrorist groups, specifically the “Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad” and Hamas brigades. According to security forces, the Uzbek citizen managed to transfer approximately $19,000 to the militants. At the same time, it is reported that the scale of transactions may be more serious.

The detainee was charged with violating laws on combating terrorism and prohibiting the financing of terrorism. It was also revealed that the citizen had been spreading jihad ideas on social networks, calling Muslims to join radical extremist groups.

The suspect entered South Korea in 2018 on a student visa, later dropped out of university, and has been living as a refugee since 2023. Moreover, it is known that before his arrest, he applied for refugee status 11 times, but was refused.

In Uzbekistan, this citizen was prosecuted under the article of financing terrorism. In 2022, the authorities of a Central Asian country issued an arrest warrant. Moreover, after leaving for abroad, the men revoked his passport and appealed to the Korean police requesting the migrant’s arrest.

Law enforcement officers, using surveillance cameras, located the Uzbek citizen and detained him, seizing eight mobile phones and a laptop. A forensic examination of the devices is currently underway. The investigation is investigating whether the suspect used cryptocurrency along with cash to send money to terrorists and whether he has accomplices in Korea.