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Recent cases suggest some operatives are using terror money for such ends as hiring prostitutes or going into the real estate business.
While jihadi extremists claim to be fighting for Islamic principles, some of the money their organisations raise is apparently being used to satisfy personal whims, several recent cases suggest.
![A February 2010 blast at the German Bakery in Pune, India killed 17 people. Indian Mujahideen (IM) chief Yasin Bhatkal, whose organisation is thought to have carried out the attack, may have diverted terror funds into his plans to become a real estate mogul, police say. [Stringer/Reuters]](/shared/images/2012/08/07/120807_CHANDAN_IN_JIHADIS.jpg)
A February 2010 blast at the German Bakery in Pune, India killed 17 people. Indian Mujahideen (IM) chief Yasin Bhatkal, whose organisation is thought to have carried out the attack, may have diverted terror funds into his plans to become a real estate mogul, police say. [Stringer/Reuters]
Instead of going to recruitment efforts or to support extremist operations, funds raised by extremists groups have been spent to entertain female companions, pay off personal debts or even to help terrorist leaders become wealthy businessmen, investigators say.
Indian Mujahideen (IM) chief Yasin Bhatkal, known as Shahrukh, may be best known for masterminding bloody attacks such as the February 13th, 2010 German Bakery blast in Pune that killed 17 and injured as many as 50. But investigators say he was simultaneously pursuing an aspiration to become a real estate mogul – and using IM funds to help achieve that dream.
"Bhatkal had invested about Rs 14 lakh ($25,100) in a Nala Sopara [development] project last year. The accused had received the funds from his mentors from abroad in 2010," former Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) K. Subramaniam told Khabar South Asia.
"The funds were meant for the legal expenditures of jailed IM members. However, the money was not spent on that."
Mirza Himayat Baig, a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative arrested in June for his alleged connection with the German Bakery blast, is yet another example, says Pune Anti-Terrorism Squad Deputy Inspector General Sanjay Latkar.
"During interrogations, Baig confessed that his sponsors had sent Rs. 12.5 lakh ($22,400) to conduct the mission," Latkar told Khabar. "However, it was later learned that he spent about Rs. 10 lakh ($17,900) on the operational expenses of the mission, while the remaining amount was spent on payment of personal debts."
Those using terror funds for personal gain are able to take advantage of hawala – an illegal system of money transfer through brokers. While helping cover up the source of funds, some of which come from organised crime, the system also makes it easier to divert money towards personal use.
"The police are now very sure that IM enjoys underworld backing and they receive funds from the underworld via hawala," Maharashtra Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Additional Director General of Police S P Yadav told Khabar.
According to K Srinivasan, deputy inspector general of the Border Security Force, terrorist outfits move money across the LoC (Line of Control) separating the Indian and Pakistani-controlled parts of Kashmir.
"They use the porous border to flush hawala funds into India, and this money goes into the hands of terrorist outfits," he said.
The availability of these funds, however, may lure some who combine Islamist ideology with more venal desires, as the case of murdered IM suspect Qateel Siddiqui suggests.
Siddiqui met his end in June, allegedly at the hands of two fellow inmates Pune -- local gangland figure Sharad Mohol and his aide Alok Bhalerao at a high-security prison. The reasons behind the slaying remain unclear. But revelations Siddiqui is said to have disclosed to police would have given fellow jihadists cause for anger.
IM is believed to have given Siddiqui, suspected of involvement in attacks on Chinnaswamy Stadium in Pune in 2010 and Jama Masjid in Delhi last year, Rs. 100,000 ($1,800) in order to help him recruit new members.
But Siddiqui did not use the money for the intended purpose, squandering it instead on women, investigators say.
"During interrogations, Siddiqui used to evade all questions pertaining to the source of his funding. However, on one occasion he did admit that he received the funds through hawala from Pakistan, rerouted via the United Arab Emirates. He also revealed his passion for being in the company of beautiful girls and [that he] spent lavishly on them," said Nehchal Sandhu, Director of the Intelligence Bureau.
"Most of the money he received from abroad was spent on luxury and call girls, with very little to spare for the activities of IM, which, he claimed, he joined for the money," Sandhu said.
![Bangladeshi rescue personnel carry stretchers with the remains of garment workers from the site of a collapsed building in Savar on May 9th. With a death toll of at least 1,127 workers, the April 24th collapse ranks as the world's worst industrial disaster in recent history. [AFP]](/shared/images/2013/05/14/130514_TASHFIN_BD_COLLAPSE-100_67.jpg)
![Here, Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen (centre) and Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda (right) open the 2013 Jaffna International Trade Fair on January 18th, aiming to inject more energy into the economic revival taking place in the former war zone. [Photos by Nilupul Perera/Khabar]](/shared/images/2013/02/26/130226_LK_ESSAY1-270_180.jpg)
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Junaid Ahmed KhanSeptember 15, 2012 @ 02:09:06AM
Absolutely good as Gold
harpinderSeptember 8, 2012 @ 07:09:39AM
news are the good way to know the world, be fare with the real newses,always tell the truth, by read the news people react immidiatly.
Manowar Hussain SaikiaSeptember 4, 2012 @ 02:09:48AM
crime should be protest by every people.then it would be a strong step against crime.......
Manowar Hussain SaikiaSeptember 4, 2012 @ 02:09:22AM
crime should be protest by every people.then it would be a strong step against crime.......
v.thatchanamoorthyAugust 31, 2012 @ 07:08:50AM
I fully agree that the article has brought correct picture of the terrorists organisations . They collected money from the criminal groups and spent lavishly for their personal use and pretending to wage a war against non-islamic groups which attracted few innocent youths and fallen prey for little sums and spoiled their life as against principles of islam. If they change the way and help the poorer and weaker section and non-violence , the entire world will support and embrass islam only. Hence, the terrorist may give up their attitute and turn to main stream to fight against poverty,illiteracy and lend a hand for development of poorer nations and poorer sections to create conducive atmosphere for brotherhoodness of all sections without disliking other religions people and groups. will my ambitions be fulfilled
v.thatchanamoorthyAugust 31, 2012 @ 07:08:48AM
I fully agree that the article has brought correct picture of the terrorists organisations . They collected money from the criminal groups and spent lavishly for their personal use and pretending to wage a war against non-islamic groups which attracted few innocent youths and fallen prey for little sums and spoiled their life as against principles of islam. If they change the way and help the poorer and weaker section and non-violence , the entire world will support and embrass islam only. Hence, the terrorist may give up their attitute and turn to main stream to fight against poverty,illiteracy and lend a hand for development of poorer nations and poorer sections to create conducive atmosphere for brotherhoodness of all sections without disliking other religions people and groups. will my ambitions be fulfilled
shikha bhardwajAugust 27, 2012 @ 01:08:17AM
i want to say that this news is nothing new.because its happning todays but we have to controled.really i love my country.if i become i I.A.S.then i try my best
RakeshPaliwalAugust 26, 2012 @ 03:08:52AM
VERY GOOD NEWS OVER ALL WORD KINDLY SEND US THIS TYPES NEW & CREAT A NEW GENERATION FOR FUTURE
Imran AliAugust 26, 2012 @ 02:08:12AM
I love Allah & Mohammad (sallallahoalayheossalam) Allah is all in all.It is universal truth.
A.S.KanwarAugust 23, 2012 @ 03:08:05AM
The news item reg.Jihadi terrorists siphoning funds for personal use are already open secrets.No religious person adopts terrorism as a means to spreads tenents of religion.It is only the wicked and lumptuous people who have failed in life or incapable to struggle to achieve some place in the society adopts terrorism as a means to collect money in the name of religion .Such people have no place in the society or in the relidion and must be condemend.
abhijithAugust 18, 2012 @ 09:08:57AM
i am an ncc cdet so i will love my country so in my hand any terrorist i will kill him or hand over the police so we are indians so prous of our country
abhijithAugust 18, 2012 @ 09:08:07AM
i am an ncc cdet so i will love my country so in my hand any terrorist i will kill him or hand over the police so we are indians so prous of our country
DipakAugust 16, 2012 @ 06:08:33AM
The news is nothing new. The failure of the Government to provide education and means of survival leads a youth to choose this kind of option for their survival. It is seen that with the development works such kinds of act recedes drastically as was seen in West Bengal during Naxalite movement. In PuPunjab during the nineties etc.