Crypto theft case: Delhi man's Rs 4.5 cr cryptocurrency fraudulently transferred to Palestine's Hamas wing

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In a major breakthrough, Delhi Police's Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations wing has revealed a cyber fraud module transferring Cryptocurrency into the wallets of Palestine's Al-Qassam Brigates. Notably, Al-Qassam Brigates is a military wing of Hamas. It has its headquarters in Gaza.

The cryptocurrencies worth Rs 30.85 lakh were stolen from a West Delhi businessman's wallet in 2019. Delhi Police traced fraudulently transfer of those cryptocurrencies of the current value Rs 4.5 crore to three different foreign accounts, including one to Palestinian militant organisation Hamas.  

The victim owned cryptocurrencies (6.2 Bitcoin/9.79 Etherum/2.44 Bitcoin Cash) of the blockchain mobile wallet. As per the reports, the wallets have already been seized by Israel’s National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing.

"The complaint was registered about the theft of his Bitcoins, Etherum and Bitcoin cash, worth Rs 30,85,845 at the time of the incident, from his cryptocurrency wallet," IFSO Deputy Commissioner of Police KPS Malhotra said. 

During the course of the investigation, the cryptocurrency trail led to startling facts, that the cryptocurrencies have ended in the wallets maintained by Al-QassamBrigates, which is a military wing of the Palestinian organisation Hamas and to the wallets which have already been seized by Israel, National Bureau for counter Terror Financing.

"The cryptocurrencies which have been transferred to the account belonged to Mohammad Naseer Ibrahim Abdulla," the Delhi Police official said.

The other wallets in which a major share of cryptocurrencies have been transferred were being operated from Giza, Egypt. One such wallet belonged to Ahmed Marzooq, a resident of Giza Egypt. Another wallet, in which cryptocurrencies were transferred belonged to Ahmed Q.H. Safi, a resident of Ramallah, Palestine.

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