In France, 29 people were arrested who were financing terrorists with cryptographic coupons.

French police arrested 29 people suspected of funding Islamist extremists in Syria with the help of cryptographic currency.

According to ABC News, the operation took place on Tuesday and was aimed at suppression of a complex scheme on financing of terrorism, organized by two French extremists. They are hiding in Syria and have not been arrested yet. In official documents, they are called Mesut S. And Walid F. Both are known to be 25 years old. Presumably, they are members of 'Hayat Tahrir al-Sham' group (an organization whose activities are banned in Russia). Mesut and Walid were sentenced in absentia by a French court to 10 years in prison in 2016.

Most of the detainees were suspected of transferring money online. Two of them are believed to have played key roles in the cyber finance system, providing logistical assistance to keep it operational.

The original scheme to finance terrorism using cryptocurrency was uncovered by the French Intelligence and Counter Clandestine Financial Schemes Authority. According to the publication, since 2013, the main method of financing jihadists was sending fiat currency to the accounts of people in neighboring countries with Syria. Subsequently, other methods were used for this purpose to avoid ever increasing control.

According to the publication, the terrorist financing scheme has been in place since 2019. The main means of transferring money in it were crypt currency coupons purchased in France. Their data were transmitted through encrypted messages to terrorists in Syria, where they withdrew money through cryptographic platforms.

According to the prosecution, dozens of people in France regularly bought such coupons for 10 to 150 euros, taking advantage of anonymity. It is believed that several hundred thousand euros were sent to the terrorists through the network.