South Korean Police Detain Suspects Accused of Financing Syrian Terrorist Group
South Korean authorities have made a significant discovery in their efforts to combat terrorist financing. Four Uzbek nationals have been detained on suspicion of supplying funds to Katibat Tawhid wal Jihad (KTJ), a terrorist group operating in Syria.
The main suspect, who arrived in South Korea on a student visa in 2017 and overstayed his authorized stay, allegedly sent 4,267 USDT to KTJ between August 2024 and April 2025. He also received cryptocurrency from the group and used it to purchase 11 vehicles and two excavators worth approximately $121,000.
The equipment was then shipped to Syria, marking a new scheme in which funds were received from a terrorist organization and used to supply it with physical goods. The defendant denied the main allegations at his first court hearing, claiming the transfers were intended for his family's living expenses.
South Korea is preparing to tighten oversight of cryptocurrency moving through private wallets ahead of the introduction of digital asset taxation in 2027. Authorities are developing a mechanism to track transactions outside regulated exchanges to determine investors' taxable gains.