UK court finds man guilty of terrorism offences after sending $350 to his nephew.

Following an investigation by specialist officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, Farhad Mohammad, 46, of Colchester, Essex, has been sentenced for terrorism offences for:-

• Sending money over two payments [$350.00] to his nephew, Idris Usman, in Syria, knowing it was to fund his terrorist activity

The investigation uncovered that Usman was fighting in Syria at the time for the terrorist group.

• Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, which is a proscribed organisation in the UK.

Farhad Mohammad was charged on 10 July 2023 and On 26 April and was.

• Found guilty of

• Two counts of terrorist fundraising (contrary to section 17 of the Terrorism Act 2000),
• Found not guilty on
• Two other counts of terrorist fundraising – linked to alleged payments made in May and August 2017.
• The jury was unable to reach a verdict in respect of a fifth count of terrorist fundraising relating to an alleged payment made in October 2017. This count will lie on file.
• He was sentenced on 23 October to
• A three-year community order,
• 250 hours unpaid work,
• Three-month curfew between 9 pm and 8 am, and
• A 30-day Rehabilitation Supervision Order.

During the trial, counter-terrorism investigators presented evidence showing.

• Mohammad made two payments to his nephew in the space of three months between November 2017 and January 2018 with the knowledge that his nephew was fighting for an Islamist terrorist group in Syria at the time.

On 27 February 2018,

• Mohammad planned to travel from London Stansted Airport to Turkey.
• However, before he boarded the flight, officers using powers under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act, 2000, stopped him.
• Officers found him with over £4,000 of cash and three mobile phones—all seized and their contents downloaded by officers. Mohammad was subsequently arrested.
• Detectives recovered messaging app conversations and voice notes, which officers could use after carefully piecing together to produce a timeline detailing his conversations and fund transfers.

After officers from the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) carried out initial enquiries, specialist investigators within the National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit, which is based within the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, took over the investigation.

• Detectives identified that the money, which was sent between November 2017 and January 2018, was transferred via a third party to Usman.
• As a result of meticulous investigative work, Counter Terrorism officers were able to prove that Mohammad was fully aware that the money he was sending was supporting his nephew’s terrorist activities.

MESSAGE AND PHOTOS.

• May 2017 = messages found by officers on Mohammad’s phone from his nephew in May 2017 read:
• “Uncle, forgive me, God willing, I am going to participate in a fight; either I will stay alive, or I will become a martyr; it is up to God.”
• June 2017 = Another example of a message found by officers from Usman to Mohammad in June 2017, indicating he was aware of his terrorist activities, read:
• “Uncle, for the sake of God, send me six and a half waraqa ($650) to buy a weapon; it is the one which I like, and may God reward you with good”.
• August 2017 Also, among the messages sent from Usman to his Uncle
• Was an image sent in August 2017 showing Usman sitting on a motorbike with a gun over his shoulder.

Commander Dominic Murphy, who leads the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said:

• “Terrorist groups rely on financial support and funding to be able to operate. While Mohammad’s contributions may not have been vast sums, he knew his nephew wanted the money to purchase a firearm and help fund his fighting in Syria.
• “Groups like Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham cause huge misery, terror and devastation. Suppose you knowingly fund someone – a family member or not – who is in a group like that. In that case, it is helping a terrorist organisation, and it is something we take extremely seriously.”
• “The use of counter-terrorism powers by officers at the airport was crucial in discovering how Mohammad was knowingly funding his nephew’s terrorist activities in Syria.
• “And it was the specialist skills of officers within our National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit which helped pinpoint the transactions that led to this prosecution.
• “Anyone who might be considering providing financial support to terrorists or terrorist organisations should think twice, as it is a serious offence and, as we’ve shown here, we will investigate those who are involved in this kind of activity.”

Source

https://www.counterterrorism.police.uk/man-who-funded-terrorist-fighter-in-syria-sentenced-following-a-met-counter-terrorism-investigation/