A recent investigative report reveals the intricate extortion schemes utilised by ISIS in South Africa as a primary method for fundraising.
How ISIS uses extortion in South Africa to raise funds
The Islamic State’s financial strategies in the country are multifaceted, largely operating outside the formal economy, an investigative report by the US Department of Treasury’s Counter ISIS Finance Group found.
Through criminal activities, including extortion, the group has been able to sustain its operations and funding.
Specifically, ISIS affiliates exploit local businesses by imposing “taxes” or demanding protection money, leveraging fear and coercion.
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These illicit activities are not limited to direct extortion but extend to sophisticated financial manipulations involving the laundering of extorted funds through local financial systems, including banks, hawalas (informal money transfer services), and mobile money platforms.
“ISIS fundraising networks around the globe continue to receive contributions that support ISIS’s capability to conduct terrorist attacks and promote its violent ideology. Some of ISIS crowdfunding campaigns exploit unwitting donors by launching fraudulent charitable appeals.”
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This method not only provides ISIS with a steady stream of income but also integrates its operations within the local economy, making it challenging for authorities to trace and dismantle their financial networks.
Counter-ISIS groups highlight concerns about ISIS activity in Africa
The Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, alongside national and international counterterrorism entities, has expressed increasing concern over ISIS’s activities in Africa, particularly in terms of their fundraising and financial networks.
Efforts to counter these activities have included targeted financial sanctions against ISIS members and affiliates, disrupting their access to the global financial system.
Despite these measures, ISIS’s adaptation to counterterrorism strategies has shown resilience, with the group continually finding new ways to generate revenue, maintain global connectivity, and evade financial controls.
Who are the ISIS cells operating in South Africa?
ISIS cells in South Africa are reportedly led by individuals who have been identified and sanctioned by international authorities for their roles in facilitating financial transactions and operational activities supporting ISIS’s broader network across Africa.
These individuals have utilised South Africa’s financial systems to transfer funds to Isis branches and networks throughout the continent, emphasizing the strategic role of South Africa in Isis’s financial infrastructure.
The following list outlines Isis cells and individuals operating in South Africa:
- Farhad Hoomer:
- Role: Leader of a Durban-based ISIS cell. Involved in organising operations, recruiting, training members, and contacting ISIS supporters across South Africa. Raised funds through kidnap-for-ransom operations and extortion of businesses.
- Siraaj Miller:
- Role: Leads a Cape Town-based group of Isis supporters. Provided financial assistance to ISIS by training members for robberies and acquiring safe houses.
- Abdella Hussein Abadigga:
- Role: Recruited young men in South Africa and sent them to weapons training camps. Used his control over mosques to extort money for ISIS support.
- Peter Charles Mbaga:
- Role: Facilitated funds transfers from South Africa to support ISIS-Mozambique (ISIS-M) by procuring equipment and weapons.
