TRM Labs Reveals ISIS Allies Raised Millions Through Crypto Fundraising

A recent report from blockchain analytics firm TRM Labs has shed light on the use of cryptocurrency by terrorist groups, particularly those associated with ISIS, for fundraising purposes. The report reveals that multiple pro-ISIS groups in Tajikistan raised approximately $2 million in Tron-based USDT during the year 2022. These funds were directed towards recruiting fighters for the terrorist group's affiliate in Afghanistan, The Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP). TRM Labs traced the money to an unnamed centralized exchange used by the groups to cash out their crypto holdings and promptly notified the exchange. Thanks to TRM's information, the exchange was able to identify the user responsible for the transactions and reported him to local authorities. Consequently, on June 22, a senior ISIS fundraiser named Shamil Hukumatov was arrested in Turkey. Another pro-ISIS group managed to raise over $517,000 using an account on an Indonesia-based exchange. This fundraising campaign aimed to secure the release of ISIS members held in Syrian internment camps. Interestingly, the donations to this particular campaign often came in substantial amounts, with individual contributions reaching around $10,000 each. ISIS affiliates in Pakistan also utilized crypto for fundraising, albeit on a more modest scale. Over the past 12 months, they raised approximately $40,000, ostensibly to assist the victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria in February 2023. Additionally, TRM Labs identified the Al-Azaim Foundation for Media Production, a pro-ISIS media organization based in Afghanistan, as another entity using crypto for fundraising purposes. The foundation's wallets received a total of $10,000 in crypto donations. These findings highlight the concerning trend of terrorist groups leveraging cryptocurrencies for their illicit activities, which can pose challenges for authorities and the crypto industry as they strive to combat financial crimes. TRM Labs' efforts in tracing and exposing these activities demonstrate the importance of blockchain analytics in detecting and preventing such unlawful transactions.