German police swoop on ‘Islamic State’ finance network

From DW

Prosecutors in Karlsruhe on Wednesday said more than 1,000 federal and state police were involved in raids across several states on an alleged terrorist financing network. The prosecutor said four of the arrests were made in North Rhine Westphalia, with one arrest each in Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Bremen. Searches also took place in Berlin, Bavaria, Hamburg, Hesse, Thuringia, and Lower Saxony, with a further property raided in the Netherlands.

Seven suspects were arrested on suspicion of collecting donations and forwarding them to the so-called “Islamic State” (IS) terror group. The men and women, mostly of German nationality, were detained on suspicion of supporting a terrorist organization.

According to investigators, at least 65,000 euros ($71,552.00) were transferred in this way. The money was allegedly used to support IS members imprisoned in Syria, in some cases allowing them to escape from detention. The money is understood to have been collected through social media campaigns with titles like “Your Sister in the Camp,” which have been running for several years.

The seven suspects were due to appear before a magistrate to determine whether they should be held in pre-trial detention.