Bulgaria: Six people charged With financing ISIS

(Sofia) After 43 arrests on Jan 18 across the country on a suspected criminal ring that had been financing terrorist groups. Five Syrians and a Bulgarian woman have been charged in Bulgaria with financing terrorist groups in the Middle East.

Rumiana Arnaudova, a spokeswoman for the attorney general, on January 19 stated:

"The group transferred at least 25 million euros [$29 million] to terrorist organizations over four years"

The money transfers are alleged to have taken place since 2016. Arnaudova said the financing had been carried out across the border using the traditional Muslim "hawala" system that is difficult to trace. The criminal ring had also bought 100s of cars in Bulgaria and transported them to terror groups inside Syria via Turkey which borders both countries.