Trio Jailed After Funding Daesh Fighter

Three men have been jailed after being found guilty of helping to fund a Walsall man who is currently fighting in Syria with Daesh.

The three, including two brothers, transferred money and sold items on eBay to raise cash to send to Musadikur Rohaman, who is believed to have joined Daesh after travelling to the conflict zone. 

Brothers Mohammed Iqbal Hussain, aged 26 and Mohamed Suyaubur Rohaman, aged 32, both of Castle Road, Walsall, were arrested by officers from the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit on Tuesday 12 January, 2016, following an investigation. 

Pictured L-R: Mohammed Iqbal Hussain - Mohamed Suyaubur Rohaman - Mohammed Atiqur Khan

Hussain was sentenced to four years and Rohaman for two years and nine months.

The siblings were charged with sending money to their other brother Musadikur Rohaman, who is believed to have travelled to Syria in December 2014, with his Islamic wife Zohura Siddeka.

The couple travelled to Syria via Turkey with another Walsall man, Abul Hasan, who is since believed to have been killed while fighting with terrorist forces. 

While in Syria, Rohaman maintained contact with his family in the UK through a variety of secure internet messaging platforms and Skype. Some of these messages to home prove he had been engaged in fighting with rebel forces in the conflict zone. 

The brothers, who worked at the family launderette business in Caldmore, raised cash and sent it to the couple via Western Union Bank transfers made at a shop next to their business in Walsall. 

A total of £10,000 was sent to the couple in Syria, including a number of maternity payments that Zohura Siddeka was still receiving from her teaching job in Walsall. Siddeka sent the brothers her banking details and password, so money could be taken out of her account and sent via transfer back to the pair in Syria. 

Mohammed Iqbal Hussain was found guilty of five counts of funding terrorism under the Terrorism Act 2000 and Mohamed Suyaubur Rohaman was convicted of one count at an earlier trial.

Another man has also been jailed today for funding terrorism by selling items to raise cash.

Warehouse distributer Mohammed Atiqur Khan, aged 27, from Buckle Close, was sentenced to one-and-a-half years, after being convicted of two charges of funding terrorism.

The court heard that Mohammed Atiqur Khan was recruited by one of the brothers to help raise cash for Rohaman in Syria, taking out credit cards in Rohaman’s name and attempting to sell pieces of family gold. 

The inquiry into the men began when officers were carrying out investigations into other members of a group in Walsall, for unrelated terrorism offences.

Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale, who leads on counter-terrorism for the West Midlands, said: "Police originally searched the Castle Road address in June 2015, in relation to the disappearance and suspected travel to Syria of Rohaman and Siddeka." 

"Investigations found that Musadiqur was fighting in Syria and that both Mohammed Iqbal Hussain and Mohamed Suyaubur Rohaman were aware of what their brother was doing. It is believed Musadiqur directed his brothers in what he needed doing and sent them names of who to transfer money to."

"Initially Mohammed Iqbal Hussain had money transferred to his account from Zohura Siddeka before being provided with her internet banking password and account details. Iqbal then accessed her account and transferred the money to himself, before withdrawing it in cash and transferring the money to his brother via Western Union." 

"Mohamed Suyaubur Rohaman then used his passport to carry out a number of money transfers to Musadiqur." 

ACC Beale added: "Disruption of terrorist funding is an important part of our investigations. Sending money to those actively engaged in terrorism helps fund their activities and we will continue to act on any intelligence and disrupt the flow of money to conflict zones." 

Anyone who knows of someone who may be potentially vulnerable to being drawn into terrorist-related activity, including travelling abroad to conflict zones should contact local police for advice and support on 101.