Russian security forces a carrying out a large-scale campaign to neutralize a terrorism financing network, the Investigative Committee of Russia said in a statement on June 19.
According to the statement, raids were already carried out in the city of Moscow and the following regions: Moscow Oblast, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Astrakhan Oblast, Stavropol Krai and the Republic of Dagestan. The Federal Security Service, the Centre for Combating Extremism of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other security services are involved.
At least 2 suspects were detained in Moscow and Moscow Oblast:
According to investigators, the terrorism financing network, which acted in the period from 2014 to 2017, was acting in Russia in favour of ISIS. The group involved Russian citizens from Dagestan in order to establish a financing network across Russia. The network collected around 8 million rubles (around 123,000 USD). Criminal cases were already opened against some of the people that contributed money.
It’s interesting to note that the network was acting in such financially prosperous regions as Moscow Oblast, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Krasnoyarsk Krai and Astrakhan Oblast. Another factor is the ethno-national composition of the group: Most of its members are person originally from Dagestan, Chechnya, Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia.
