南非男子在比特幣恐怖融資案件中授予保釋

當局調查了與極端主義活動有關的涉嫌加密貨幣交易。

A South African man accused of financing terrorism with Bitcoin has been granted bail. Ziyadh Hoorzook is accused of paying R11,500 in Bitcoin to support members of the Islamic State in Syria.

一名被指控用比特幣籌集恐怖主義資金的南非男子已被保釋。 Ziyadh Hoorzook被指控向比特幣支付R11,500，以支持敘利亞伊斯蘭國的成員。

The Lichtenburg Magistrates Court set bail at R30,000 on Monday after the prosecution failed to show sufficient grounds for keeping Hoorzook in custody.

利希滕堡地方法院週一將保釋金定為30,000盧比，因為起訴未能表現出足夠的理由來拘留霍爾佐克。

According to Hawks spokesperson Colonel Philani Nkwalase, authorities began investigating Hoorzook as part of a broader probe into cryptocurrency payments linked to terrorism, which began in May 2018.

據霍克斯發言人慈善機上校Nkwalase上校稱，當局開始調查霍爾佐克，這是對與恐怖主義有關的加密貨幣支付的更廣泛調查的一部分，該恐怖主義始於2018年5月。

Nkwalase said the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) picked up suspicious transactions that could be linked to financing terrorism activities.

Nkwalase說，金融情報中心（FIC）採取了可疑交易，這些交易可能與恐怖主義活動有關。

“On 30 November 2017, Hoorzook transacted funds in Bitcoin using the Luno Virtual Asset Service Provider. Those funds were sent from Hoorzook’s bank account to an account belonging to Luno, and those Bitcoin were used to fund an organisation that owned the wallet,” Nkwalase said.

“ 2017年11月30日，Hoorzook使用Luno虛擬資產服務提供商在比特幣中進行了資金。這些資金是從Hoorzook的銀行帳戶發送到屬於Luno的帳戶的，這些比特幣被用來為擁有錢包的組織提供資金。” Nkwalase說。

Hoorzook allegedly used Bitcoin to pay members of the Islamic State in Syria (File photo).

據稱，霍爾佐克使用比特幣向敘利亞的伊斯蘭國成員支付（文件照片）。

Forensic evidence links Bitcoin transactions to terror financing

法醫證據將比特幣交易與恐怖融資聯繫起來

Hoorzook, who is out on bail, has maintained that the al-Sadaqah group appeared to be a legitimate charity. He testified that an Islamic figure introduced him to the organisation, recommending it for providing relief in the Syrian conflict.

被保釋的Hoorzook堅持認為，Al-Sadaqah集團似乎是合法的慈善機構。他作證說，一個伊斯蘭人的人物向他介紹了該組織，建議為敘利亞衝突提供救濟。

However, al-Sadaqah was later designated a terrorist-linked group, a fact that Hoorzook said he was not aware of at the time.

但是，艾爾薩達卡（Al-Sadaqah）後來被指定為與恐怖分子相關的團體，這一事實這一事實表示，他當時不知道。

Warrant Officer John Sithole, who led the investigation, disputed Hoorzook’s claims, arguing that the prosecution had compelling evidence against him.

領導調查的保證官員約翰·塞特霍爾（John Sithole）對霍爾佐克（Hoorzook）的主張提出異議，認為起訴有令人信服的證據對他。

“A forensic examination of Hoorzook’s electronic devices revealed a substantial amount of material linked to extremism,” Sithole said.

Sithole說：“對Hoorzook的電子設備的法醫檢查發現，與極端主義相關的大量材料。”

During the investigation, law enforcement officials found violent media files and recordings of Osama bin Laden on Hoorzook’s devices.

在調查過程中，執法人員發現了在Hoorzook的設備上發現了烏薩馬·本·拉登的暴力媒體檔案和錄音。

Sithole added that three al-Sadaqah advertisements were also found on Hoorzook’s devices, which explicitly stated that the organisation did not operate as a charity.

Sithole補充說，在Hoorzook的設備上還發現了三個Al-Sadaqah廣告，該廣告明確指出該組織沒有作為慈善機構運作。

“This evidence, according to the Hawks, shows that Hoorzook must have known that the funds he was paying would be used for terrorism activities,” Nkwalase said.

Nkwalase說：“根據鷹派的說法，這一證據表明，Hoorzook必須知道他所支付的資金將用於恐怖主義活動。”

The investigation is ongoing, with authorities gathering more information. The legal decision will hinge on whether Hoorzook had knowledge of the group’s activities and his intentions when providing funds for their operations.

調查正在進行中，當局收集了更多信息。法律決定將取決於Hoorzook在為其運營提供資金時是否了解該小組的活動和他的意圖。

This case is being closely monitored by law enforcement and financial regulatory bodies in South Africa.

該案正在由南非執法和金融監管機構密切監視。