The Delhi Police’s Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Ops (IFSO) section during an investigation discovered a link between a cryptocurrency wallet breach and the Hamas group.
According to a report from the Times of India, the cryptocurrency theft was worth $536,000 at today’s pricing. The cash was apparently routed through several individual wallets before reaching Hamas’ armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades.
The victim lost access to his wallet, which held Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Bitcoin Cash. The details of that wallet were then allegedly published to the Darknet, a portion of the internet not accessible through standard search engines that has seen its fair share of crypto-related criminal finance.
In a report, the IFSO stated, “The seized wallet belonged to Mohammad Naseer Ibrahim Abdulla.” “Another wallet containing cryptocurrency transfers belongs to Ahmed QH Safi of Ramallah, Palestine.”
According to the Times of India, some of the stolen cryptocurrency was sent to a gaming site in the United Kingdom and a child pornography website.
Hamas group and cryptocurrency
This isn’t the first time Hamas has turned to cryptocurrency to support its operations. The group, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the United States, the United Kingdom, and other nations, has turned to the bitcoin market to avoid international sanctions.
This is especially true when the dispute with Israel flares up again. According to a senior Hamas official, the group saw an increase in Bitcoin donations in June of last year, following the military war with Israel.
“There was a significant increase [in Bitcoin donations].” “Some of the money is utilized for military purposes to safeguard Palestinians’ basic rights,” the official explained.
In 2019, Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades issued an online appeal for Bitcoin donations. The group “boasted that Bitcoin donations were anonymous and would be used for violent reasons,” according to the US Department of Justice.
