FSB detects cell that gathered funds for Daesh militants in Syria

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has detected an undercover cell which had been collecting funds for the international terrorist organization Daes, which is outlawed in Russia, the FSB Center for Public Relations told TASS.

"The Federal Security Service shut down the activity of an undercover cell in the Krasnodar, Dagestan and Adygea Regions, which was operated from Syria and which had been gathering and transferring funds for the international terrorist organization Daesh, which is outlawed in the Russian Federation," the FSB noted. "Following orders issued by envoys of the international terrorist organization, the radical cell’s members gathered and transferred funds as a charity organization for supporting their contacts in the Syrian Arab Republic."

The FSB noted that "during the operations the scheme and mechanism for financing the terrorist organization’s members for a total sum of more than 10 million rubles [$150,760] were detected and registered."

Based on the FSB’s materials, three criminal cases were launched under Section 205.1 of the Russian Criminal Code ("Support for terrorist activity"). "Three suspects were detained and arrested under the court’s ruling during the investigative operations. Means of communication, payment instruments, fiscal sales receipts, as well as other documentary materials which prove their criminal activity, were confiscated during searches in their dwellings," the FSB reported.

"They made confessions on the offences charged during the questioning," the Center for Public Relations specified.

Criminal responsibility for supporting terrorist activity is applied irrespective of the sum and amount of funds presented or gathered or financial services provided for terrorist purposes, the FSB reiterated.