南非警方調查比特幣支付是否涉嫌恐怖主義

一名 35 歲男子因涉嫌使用加密貨幣資助恐怖主義而在南非被捕。

A 35-year-old man has been arrested in South Africa for allegedly using cryptocurrency to fund terrorism activities, police said Sunday.

警方週日表示，一名 35 歲男子因涉嫌使用加密貨幣資助恐怖主義活動而在南非被捕。

The man was arrested at his home in Johannesburg on Friday afternoon following a lengthy investigation by the Hawks, the country’s elite law enforcement agency.

經過該國精英執法機構老鷹隊的長時間調查後，該男子於週五下午在約翰內斯堡的家中被捕。

The matter first came under investigation in May 2018, when the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) and the Hawks received information on suspicious transactions, possibly linked to the financing of terrorism, Hawks spokesperson Colonel Philani Nkwalase said.

老鷹隊發言人 Philani Nkwalase 上校表示，此事於 2018 年 5 月首次接受調查，當時金融情報中心 (FIC) 和老鷹隊收到了有關可疑交易的信息，這些交易可能與資助恐怖主義有關。

According to the investigation, on November 30, 2017, the suspect purchased Bitcoin to the value of R11,500. The purchase was made via tissue using Luno, a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP). The suspect was able to transfer money into Luno’s custody account from his bank account. The suspect’s Bitcoin then went from his Luno wallet to an organization wallet. The group described itself as an independent charity.

調查顯示，2017年11月30日，嫌犯購買了價值11,500蘭特的比特幣。此次購買是透過虛擬資產服務提供者 (VASP) Luno 進行的。嫌疑人能夠將錢從盧諾的銀行帳戶轉入盧諾的託管帳戶。隨後，嫌疑人的比特幣從他的 Luno 錢包轉到了一個組織的錢包。該組織將自己描述為一個獨立的慈善機構。

A further investigation would reveal that the transfer of Bitcoin was in response to a call for financial support towards activities ranging from weapons, financial aid, and projects assisting people in another country, which police believed to be linked to terrorism.

進一步調查顯示，比特幣的轉移是為了回應對武器、經濟援助和援助另一個國家人民的項目等活動提供財政支持的呼籲，警方認為這些活動與恐怖主義有關。

From there, authorities obtained a search warrant and proceeded to search the suspect’s Sandton home on October 3, 2024. During the search, various pieces of evidence were seized for further investigation.

當局從那裡獲得了搜查令，並於 2024 年 10 月 3 日開始搜查嫌疑人位於桑頓的家。

In addition to the terrorism financing charge, police found that the suspect’s two licensed firearms were not safely stored as required by law. Another charge was added for this contravention.

除了資助恐怖主義的指控外，警方還發現嫌疑人的兩把有執照的槍支沒有按照法律要求安全存放。針對這項違規行為還增加了另一項指控。

The suspect is expected to appear in the Lichtenburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

嫌疑人預計將於週一在利希滕堡地方法院出庭。

This case was significant, said Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya, national head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation. Local and international partners are relating on how to stop the flow of illegal funds, he said.

優先犯罪調查局國家負責人戈弗雷·萊貝亞中將表示，此案意義重大。他說，當地和國際合作夥伴正在研究如何阻止非法資金的流動。

However, this case also forms part of a growing number of discoveries regarding the use of cryptocurrency for illicit purposes. As technology advances, so too will the efforts of law enforcement to try to prevent and detect such crimes and track down the perpetrators. The Hawks and partners will continue to investigate and disrupt funding to terrorists.

然而，此案也構成了越來越多有關使用加密貨幣用於非法目的的發現的一部分。隨著科技的進步，執法部門預防和偵查此類犯罪並追蹤肇事者的努力也將不斷進步。鷹派及其合作夥伴將繼續調查並阻止向恐怖分子提供資金。