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Virginia Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Crypto Funding of ISIS Terror

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  • Chhipa used social media and encrypted apps to fund ISIS operations.
  • Over $185K in crypto sent to ISIS members for prison breaks, fighters.
  • FBI and DOJ lead successful crackdown on Chhipa’s crypto terrorism.

A Virginia man, Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for cryptocurrency funding of ISIS. Chhipa wired more than $185,000 to female ISIS members in Syria between 2019 and 2022. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) outlined how Chhipa used social media and encrypted applications to collect, launder, and transfer the funds.

Chhipa raised money through online platforms and in-person donations. He then converted the funds into cryptocurrency, which was transferred through Turkey to Syria. Prosecutors state that these funds financed prison breaks and terrorism, which involved the militant activities in Syria.

Chhipa Sentenced For Crypto Terrorism

A federal jury convicted Chhipa in December on five felony counts, which include conspiracy and material support for a terrorist group. On May 7, Federal Judge David Novak sentenced Chhip, citing the severe implications of his activities. The DOJ stated that this case was intended to send a clear message that efforts to finance terrorism will face dire legal consequences.

Furthermore, Chhipa worked with a British-born ISIS member who lives in Syria. This collaborator assisted the accused to organize financial transfers and offered tactical support for ISIS operations. Chhipa used digital assets to conceal transactions and avoid detection in traditional financial systems.

Chhipa tried to escape the U.S. when the FBI launched investigations into his operations. In a bid to cover his tracks, he traveled through several countries but was eventually arrested. The DOJ’s National Security Division and the FBI’s efforts resulted in Chhipa’s return to the U.S. for trial.

Authorities Combat Use of Crypto in Terror Activities

This case demonstrates the increased use of cryptocurrencies by terrorist groups to finance their operations and avoid detection. The DOJ has made remarkable achievements in tracking down cryptocurrency transactions associated with terrorist groups. In 2020, a DOJ operation destroyed several terror-related crypto accounts and seized millions of dollars in digital assets.

In wider counterterrorism attempts, US authorities continue to monitor and disrupt digital financing instruments utilized by ISIS and other groups. These initiatives match the DOJ’s plan to prevent the use of digital assets in illicit activities. The DOJ has pledged to continue its efforts to crack down on digital terrorism financing.

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Crypto Crackdown: Spanish Authorities Dismantle ISIS Funding Scheme

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Crypto operation nets five individuals allegedly tied to ISIS funding in weekend raids. In a weekend operation, Spanish law enforcement successfully apprehended five individuals allegedly involved in financing ISIS through cryptocurrency transactions. 

The arrests, conducted in Valencia (2), Cáceres, Alicante, and Guipúzcoa, mark the culmination of a two-and-a-half-year investigation targeting individuals connected to the terrorist organization known as DAESH or ISIS.

Four of the suspects have been remanded in custody as per a court order. The operation, identified as the second phase of “MIYA,” was initiated in 2021 by Spain’s National Police General Information Commissariat (CGI), according to the official statement from the Spanish national police.

This extensive investigation regarding crypto received cooperation from intelligence and security services across twelve countries, including the Moroccan Surveillance du Territoire (DGST), the Algerian Direction Générale de la Sécurité Intérieure (DGSI), the Mauritanian Direction Générale de la Sûreté Nationale (DGSN), the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Swiss FEDPOL, and EUROPOL. 

Crypto Collaboration With Domestic Agencies And Legal Entities In CGI’s Operation

Domestically, the CGI collaborated with Provincial Information Brigades in Valencia, Alicante, Cáceres, and San Sebastián, along with the National Intelligence Center (CNI). The Central Court of Instruction number 6 and the Prosecutor’s Office of the National Court played key roles in coordinating the investigation.

The earlier phase of the operation, conducted after a year and a half of inquiry, uncovered an individual of Maghreb origin in Spain in contact with a jihadist planning an attack in France on behalf of DAESH. 

The Spanish individual offered assistance to the extremists. The CGI’s counterterrorism experts located the intended attacker in Switzerland, leading to a joint operation that resulted in arrests in March 2022. The detainee in Spain was subsequently sentenced to two years in prison for terrorism-related charges and released in mid-2023.

Following this initial phase, CGI analysts discovered that the two detainees were part of an international network supporting DAESH, spanning Afghanistan, the Middle East, Sahel, Maghreb, and Europe. 

The network allegedly acquired funds through criminal activities in Europe to finance terrorist operations using cryptocurrencies. Authorities seized nearly 200,000 euros worth of digital assets moved through international transfers and crypto.

The official statement noted that members of the network engaged in indoctrination, attempting to recruit new followers to the jihadist cause and providing support to individuals expressing a desire to carry out terrorist attacks. The investigation uncovered evidence suggesting the network’s involvement in planning at least two attacks, ultimately thwarted by security services.

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Crypto Crackdown: Spanish Authorities Dismantle ISIS Funding Scheme 2

The recent arrests in Spain mark the conclusion of the investigation, with five individuals taken into custody. One suspect displayed signs of radicalization in recent months and expressed a desire to carry out an attack. Authorities, during a search of the individual’s residence, discovered handgun ammunition, an ax, manuals for making explosives, manuals for indoctrinating minors, and jihadist propaganda.