南非警方调查比特币支付是否涉嫌恐怖主义

一名 35 岁男子因涉嫌使用加密货币资助恐怖主义而在南非被捕。

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

警方周日表示，一名 35 岁男子因涉嫌使用加密货币资助恐怖主义活动而在南非被捕。

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.

经过该国精英执法机构老鹰队的长时间调查后，该男子于周五下午在约翰内斯堡的家中被捕。

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.

老鹰队发言人 Philani Nkwalase 上校表示，此事于 2018 年 5 月首次接受调查，当时金融情报中心 (FIC) 和老鹰队收到了有关可疑交易的信息，这些交易可能与资助恐怖主义有关。

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.

调查显示，2017年11月30日，犯罪嫌疑人购买了价值11,500兰特的比特币。此次购买是通过虚拟资产服务提供商 (VASP) Luno 进行的。嫌疑人能够将钱从卢诺的银行账户转入卢诺的托管账户。随后，嫌疑人的比特币从他的 Luno 钱包转到了一个组织的钱包。该组织将自己描述为一个独立的慈善机构。

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.

进一步调查显示，比特币的转移是为了响应对武器、经济援助和援助另一个国家人民的项目等活动提供财政支持的呼吁，警方认为这些活动与恐怖主义有关。

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.

当局从那里获得了搜查令，并于 2024 年 10 月 3 日开始搜查嫌疑人位于桑顿的家。搜查期间，扣押了各种证据以供进一步调查。

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.

除了资助恐怖主义的指控外，警方还发现嫌疑人的两把有执照的枪支没有按照法律要求安全存放。针对这一违规行为还增加了另一项指控。

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

嫌疑人预计将于周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.

优先犯罪调查局国家负责人戈弗雷·莱贝亚中将表示，此案意义重大。他说，当地和国际合作伙伴正在研究如何阻止非法资金的流动。

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，此案也构成了越来越多有关使用加密货币用于非法目的的发现的一部分。随着技术的进步，执法部门预防和侦查此类犯罪并追查肇事者的努力也将不断进步。鹰派及其合作伙伴将继续调查并阻止向恐怖分子提供资金。