Dagestani native accused of organizing fundraising for IS

A native of Dagestan who had left the republic to join militants in Syria used the help of a woman from the Astrakhan Region to collect money through closed Telegram chats, investigators report.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on February 15, the investigators announced the detention of a woman from the Astrakhan Region. According to the law enforcement bodies, she was one of the organizers of a secret unit of the "Islamic State" (IS), banned in Russia by the court, and starting from 2016, she has been raising money through social networks for the terrorist organization. On February 20, the court pronounced a decision to place the woman under house arrest, since she took care of five children.

Today, the investigators have reported that they succeeded in identifying a 32-year-old native of Dagestan as the organizer of the money raising. According to the investigators, in 2016, he left Russia first for Turkey and then for Syria, where he joined IS militants. The man contacted the suspected woman via Telegram.

The man still stays among the militants in Syria, the "Interfax" reports with reference to the Investigating Department for the Astrakhan Region of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF). The suspect faces up to 20 years of imprisonment.