Teen Accused of Helping Al Qaeda Raise Money in Crypto Sees Limited Use of PlayStation as Punishment

A 16-year-old from east London accused of amassing cryptocurrency and offering cyber expertise to Al Qaeda has been granted bail with limited digital access, allowing him to use his PlayStation only offline.

Prosecutors allege the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, attempted to raise about $1,300 in crypto for extremist groups including Al Qaeda and the Pakistani Taliban, according to a statement Wednesday. report from De Standaard.

The teenager appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court and pleaded not guilty to five charges, including fundraising for terrorism, providing training and possessing documents useful for terror-related purposes.

Under his bail conditions, the boy must adhere to a curfew, avoid social media and limit laptop use to educational purposes.

However, he retains limited use of his PlayStation console, with terms prohibiting online multiplayer or interactive gaming platforms.

The case against the teenager will be referred to the Old Bailey, Britain’s central criminal court, for a hearing on November 2.

Although crypto use by terrorist organizations represents a relatively small portion of illegal transactions within the sector, it remains a significant portion concern for regulators worldwide.

Criminal activity involving cryptocurrencies ranges from money laundering and ransomware to fraud, but transactions related to terrorism make up a fraction of these activities, according to the blockchain analytics firm. Chain analysis.

Still, the transparent nature of blockchain technology allows law enforcement to track and trace illegal activity more effectively than traditional financial channels because every transaction is recorded on a public ledger.

That transparency helps authorities monitor the flow of money and identify suspicious patterns, making it easier to disrupt criminal networks that use digital assets, according to a study. former CIA director.

Israel last year seized approximately 40 cryptocurrency wallets linked to the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based militant organization.

It marked the “first incident of this magnitude” that Israel carried out at the time.