CTD nabs varsity student on terror funding charges

Initial examination of his phones indicate Khalid may be involved in terror financing

The Counter Terrorism Department announced the arrest of a student of the NED University of Engineering and Technology on Monday, claiming that the student is involved in international terror financing.

Addressing a press conference at his office CTD DIG Umar Shahid Hamid, flanked by CTD in-charge Raja Umar Khattab, stated that the CTD had arrested Hafiz Muhammad Umar bin Khalid, a third year student at NED, during an intelligence-based operation on December 17, 2020.

According to Shahid, two mobile phones were confiscated from Khalid’s possession and initial examination of the phones indicated that Khalid may be involved in terror financing. However, as there was no concrete evidence against him at the time, Khalid was released on personal surety, said Shahid. But, his phones were kept and sent for forensic analysis.

Shahid stated that strong evidence emerged against Khalid in the forensic report, which was received on January 11, 2021.

The report stated that Khalid is affiliated with a group that works to raise funds from Pakistan to send to Islamic State (IS) terror group in Syria, said Shaikh. He added that Khalid was in direct contact with terrorist families and their women who carry out terror activities in Syria and Pakistan.

According to Shahid, the forensic report revealed that unidentified elements would send money to Khalid through EasyPaisa and Khalid would forward that amount to a man named Zia in Hyderabad. The latter would exchange the money into dollars and send it to terrorist families in Syria through bitcoin transactions, said the DIG.

The DIG further apprised that the alleged terror financing operation had been ongoing for two years and over Rs1 million had been transferred to IS.

The case against Khalid and his accomplices was lodged by the CTD on January 11 after it was found that Khalid had gone into hiding after being released by the CTD, said Shahid.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th, 2021.