Society for Internet Research::SoFIR

17 June 2009

Involvement in crime places the terrorist enterprise at risk...

...and involvement in terrorism similarly endangers the criminal enterprise. Either way it's a win-win situation if you are in law enforcement or counter-terrorism. This at least is my initial reaction to the case of the Global Jihad and the phone phreaks in the Philippines.

Summary:

Individuals in the Philippines, including a Jordanian national suspected of ties to al-Qaida, cracked many long-distance phone accounts, for which they were paid $100USD per account.

The cracked phone accounts were accessed via, and/or access to those accounts was sold through store front calling centers in Italy (and perhaps elsewhere in Europe). Losses to the victimized owners of the long distance accounts are in the tens of millions of dollars.

At least $560,000USD was siphoned off of this business and contributed to the Islamist charity operated by Jamal Khalifa. Mr. Khalifa was brother-in-law to Osama bin Laden, is credited with underwriting the spread of al-Qaida in southeast Asia, and is past tense, having been killed under appropriately mysterious circumstances in February of 2007.

Interestingly, reports indicate that the investigation into this matter began with an tip from US authorities in May of 2007. A coincidence, I'm sure...

In addition, there are reports that money from this criminal enterprise was used to finance the telecommunications used by the terrorists who attacked Mumbai in November of 2008. Time for Italy and India to sign an extradition treaty if they have not already.

Central to the entire operation was the Madina Trading Company of Brescia, Italy, which has now be shut down by Italian authorities in coordination with the unsealing of an indictment in the USA.