Crypto theft in India leads Delhi Police investigators to Middle East terror trail

New Delhi, January 24: The Delhi Police on Monday said it had solved a case of cryptocurrency theft by busting a cyber fraud module operated by Al-Qassam Brigates, the military wing of Hamas, which operated by hacking into crypto-wallets of people and transferring the stolen virtual currency into the digital wallets linked to the terrorist organisation.

The Delhi Police said they started investigations, based on a case that was first registered at the Paschim Vihar police station in the national capital in which the complainant reported that some unknown persons had fraudulently transferred cryptocurrency, including Bitcoins, Etherum and Bitcoin cash, worth about Rs 30 lakh, from his cryptocurrency wallet. [caption id="attachment_574942" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Cryptocurrencies were routed through various private wallets and finally landed into suspects digital wallets, being used/operated in Gaza, Egypt and the military wings of Hamas.[/caption] Also read | Fresh Covid-19 cases decline, schools reopen in this state Initially, a case was registered at the Paschim Vihar police station on the orders of the court, but subsequently, the investigation was transferred to the Cyber Crime Unit, Special Cell, Delhi. During the course of the investigation, the cryptocurrency trail led to startling facts, that the virtual currencies ended up in the digital wallets maintained by Al-Qassam Brigates, which is the military wing of Palestinian organisation Hamas and into the wallets which have already been seized by Israel's Defence Ministry's National Bureau for Counter Financing. The police said the cryptocurrencies were routed through various private wallets and finally landed into suspects digital wallets, being used/operated in Gaza, Egypt and the military wings of Hamas, which had been blacklisted as a terror organisation by the US and European Union. One such wallet has already been seized/frozen by the National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing, Israel. [caption id="attachment_574943" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Hamas is known to raise funds through the use of cryptocurrencies to avoid being tracked.[/caption] One of the seized wallets belonged to one person identified as Mohammad Naseer Ibrahim Abdulla, the police said. "Other wallets in which a major share of cryptocurrencies have been transferred are being operated from Giza in Egypt. One such wallet belongs to Ahmed Marzooq, who is a resident of Giza. Another wallet in which cryptocurrencies have been transferred belongs to Ahmed QH Safi, who is a resident of Ramallah in the Palestinian city," the police said. The Delhi Police said from the investigation conducted so far, it had been revealed that the bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies were fraudulently transferred from the digital wallet of the complainant. The probe by the Delhi Police is part of a larger investigation launched by Rakesh Ashtana and led by a special team helmed by DCP KPS Malhotra. [caption id="attachment_574944" align="aligncenter" width="750"] The probe by the Delhi Police is part of a larger investigation launched by Rakesh Ashtana and led by a special team helmed by DCP KPS Malhotra.[/caption] Hamas is known to raise funds through the use of cryptocurrencies to avoid being tracked. Further probe in the matter is underway and the Delhi Police said it were looking into other complaints of crypto wallet thefts. Also read | Now, six members can register using one mobile number on CoWIN portal -PTC News