UK court jails man funded nephew fighting for “terrorist” group in Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A man has been convicted of terrorism offenses for sending money to his nephew, who was fighting for an Islamist terrorist group in Syria, the UK police service said on Monday.
The Metropolitan Police stated that Farhad Mohammad, aged 45, arranged for two payments totaling $350 to be sent to his nephew, Idris Usman, who investigations uncovered was a member of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front), a proscribed terrorist organization in the UK, while fighting in Syria.
Mohammad was found guilty of two terrorism funding offenses after a ten-day trial at the Old Bailey in April 26, 2024.
“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,” the statement read.
Additionally, Usman sent a picture to Mohammad showing him seated on a motorbike with a gun slung over his shoulder.
Mohammad planned to travel to Turkey from London on February 2018 but was intercepted by the police. They seized more than £4,000 in cash and three mobile phones in his possession.
Mohammad is scheduled to be sentenced at the same court on June 20, 2024.
On March 18, the Old Bailey jailed a mother and daughter from London for sending money to a relative who had joined the Islamic State (ISIS) group in Syria.