Indian-American accused of sending money to IS women: Report

New York (Best Hindu News): A 33-year-old Indian-American from the US state of Virginia has been accused of providing financial assistance to Islamic State (IS) women abroad. Said in a media report. The Washington Post, citing FBI filings last week, reported that Mohammad Azharuddin Chhipa began using social media in early 2019 to fundraise for “sisters” living in the al-Hol camp in Syria. He claimed the money was for “refugee camps”.

The FBI said the al-Hol refugee camp is “considered a stronghold of ISIS ideology”. The filing said many of the women in the camp were married to Islamic State fighters who had been killed or captured on the battlefield. Chhipa, currently jailed after a preliminary appearance on May 5 in Alexandria federal court, could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

The news said that a 2019 FBI search of Chhipa’s home “found thousands of videos, images, essays, books, notes and search history about extremist ideology, jihad, ISIS and violent propaganda on multiple devices”. The FBI also found instructions for manufacturing explosive devices and “images of what appears to be the beheading of an ISIS prisoner”.

In its filing, the intelligence outfit alleged that from late 2019 to 2022, Chhipa bought $1,72,000 in virtual currency and also collected $15,000 in digital funds from others.

An FBI agent alleged in a court filing, “More than $18,000 was transferred to a wallet used by ISIS women based in Syria. She said the total money sent by Chipa to smuggle women out of the Syrian camp could be much higher. According to the FBI affidavit, in August 2021 Chhipa met with an undercover ABI employee, collected $300, and sent it to his female Islamic State contact in Syria.

He collected $120 in October 2021, $260 in November 2021, and $160 in January 2022 from the same undercover FBI employee. According to the filing, on all three of these occasions, Chhipa remained seated in his vehicle while his mother took the cash and then transferred it to her female contact in Syria. PayPal blocked an account being used to receive funds in March 2021.

The Post cited media reports that Chhipa was detained from a migrant detention center near the Mexican-Guatemala border and deported to the US on 16 August 2019. The FBI affidavit, however, did not say anything about Chipa being sent back to the US. A court hearing on Wednesday will determine whether Chhipa should be jailed pending trial.