BIRMINGHAM,— Four men originally from Iraqi Kurdistan have been sentenced to nearly 30 years combined in prison for promoting and funding terrorism through a messaging app, British counter-terrorism authorities announced Friday.
The U.K.’s Counter Terrorism Policing unit stated on May 23, that the Kurdish men used a WhatsApp group between 2022 and 2023 to distribute extremist content and coordinate funding efforts for the Islamic State group (IS/ISIS), which is banned under U.K. law.
Mohammed Hamad, 30, born in Iraq, who entered the United Kingdom unlawfully in 2016, pleaded guilty earlier this week at Liverpool Crown Court to two charges related to sharing terrorist materials. He was detained in March 2024 in Liverpool and was sentenced to four years in prison.
Reporting restrictions on the case were lifted this week following the conclusion of court proceedings.
Authorities also identified Roshman Azad Wali Saeed, a 30-year-old Kurd from Birmingham, as a central figure in the scheme. Saeed was convicted in April 2024 of six counts tied to the dissemination of terrorist materials and involvement in terrorist financing. He was handed a 12-year prison term by Birmingham Crown Court.
Another suspect, Tshko Ahmad Mohamad, 33-year-old Kurd from West Bromwich, received a seven-year sentence for terrorism fundraising after being convicted during the same trial.
The investigation expanded in April 2023, when officers from Counter Terrorism Policing South East arrested 24-year-old Omar Hussain Ahmadi at Stansted Airport.
He was found carrying £7,000 concealed in infant formula containers. Authorities also seized his mobile phone, which contained key evidence.
Ahmadi, who resides in Sheffield, admitted to being part of a terrorist financing arrangement and received a five-year, seven-month sentence last December in Birmingham.
Police seized more than £4,000 in cash, over 30 SIM cards, and numerous mobile phones during the probe. Many of the messages recovered from the group were translated and found to explicitly support the Islamic State, along with graphic visuals.
“This group was clearly committed to supporting Islamic State operations,” said Detective Superintendent Annie Miller of Counter Terrorism Policing West Midlands. “We will act on any online activity that promotes or supports terrorism in any form.”
(With files from UK’s Counter Terrorism Policing)
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