Sales consultant guilty of Bitcoin Islamic State terrorism funding

Hisham Chaudhary was found guilty of seven offences under the Terrorism Act

A sales consultant has been found guilty of using Bitcoin to fund the Islamic State (IS) group.

Hisham Chaudhary had denied using the cryptocurrency to back the organisation's terrorism, and spreading propaganda online.

The 28-year-old, of Chestnut Drive, Oadby, Leicestershire, was found guilty of seven offences under the Terrorism Act by a jury at Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday.

He will be sentenced on 3 September.

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During the trial, the court heard Chaudhary produced a "jihad" video - described as a sinister "call to arms" - that was then spread through the internet.

Chaudhary posted some videos online using the name "John Smith", the court was told.

Counter Terrorism Policing North East said he raised thousands of pounds and converted it to Bitcoin, which he used to send IS money to free supporters of the group from detention camps in Syria.

Choudhary's claims his funding had a "humanitarian purpose" were described as "a smokescreen".

The jury convicted him of four counts of disseminating a terrorist publication, two counts of funding terrorism and one count of membership of a proscribed organisation.

Chaudhary was found guilty after a trial at Birmingham Crown Court

Anti-terrorism police arrested Chaudhary in a dawn raid in November 2019.

During the arrest, police found devices in his bedroom containing what were described as IS propaganda videos.

Det Ch Supt Martin Snowden, head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said: "Proscribed organisations present a very real risk to our security. Anyone demonstrating support for such a group, in any form, will be prosecuted without exception.

"Despite the weight of the evidence against him, Hisham Chaudhary has tried to present himself as a humanitarian. He is in fact a terrorist and has been recognised as such by the jury."

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