Police mentioned Friday that investigators recognized at the least 31 crypto transactions from digital wallets managed by the suspect to addresses believed to be linked to an entity utilized by the terrorist group. Searches of the barbershop and the suspect’s residence led to the seizure of cryptocurrency property, money, about 9,000 cigars, jewellery, computer systems and cell phones.
In line with police, the investigation started in June as half of a separate probe into fraud and cash laundering. Authorities declined to touch upon the suspect’s doable motives or on whether or not he knowingly maintained contact with Hamas or acted solely as an middleman. A number of financial institution accounts have been additionally frozen, and the full worth of property seized and frozen exceeds 370,000 euros, police mentioned.
Lately, Spanish authorities have warned that armed organizations have more and more used cryptocurrencies to maneuver funds throughout borders, complicating efforts to detect and disrupt terrorist financing. Hamas is designated a terrorist group by the European Union, which incorporates 27 nations, in addition to by different Western nations together with america, Canada, Britain, Japan and Australia.
For the reason that outbreak of the struggle on October 7, Spain has taken a hostile line towards Israel and has been amongst its sharpest critics. Final month, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez met Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Madrid and, at a joint information convention, accused Israel of genocide in Gaza. ‘These answerable for this genocide should be held accountable, ultimately, in order that the victims can discover justice, compensation and a measure of peace, and so {that a} tragedy of this scale can’t occur once more, as a result of solely then can we construct a simply and lasting peace primarily based on coexistence,’ Sanchez mentioned alongside Abbas.
In an announcement, the Jewish neighborhood mentioned, ‘We have now seen how, at demonstrations, on-line and in the streets, hateful speech in opposition to Jews has grow to be routine. Then indicators appeared throughout town. After that, posters have been held on public buildings with slogans. Later, a map was revealed marking Jewish targets, together with a faculty. And now, the desecration of graves. This isn’t random. That is an escalation. From slogans to marking, from marking to threats, and from threats to motion.’
