MOSCOW, January 21. /TASS/. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has ferreted out an undercover cell that had been collecting funds for the Islamic State (IS) international terrorist organization, which is outlawed in Russia, the FSB Center for Public Relations told TASS.
"The Federal Security Service shut down the activity of an undercover cell in the Krasnodar, Dagestan and Adygea Regions, which was operated from Syria and which had been gathering and transferring funds for the international terrorist organization the Islamic State, which is outlawed in the Russian Federation," the FSB noted. "Following orders issued by envoys of the international terrorist organization, the radical cell’s members gathered and transferred funds as a charity organization for supporting their contacts in the Syrian Arab Republic."
The FSB noted, "during the operations the scheme and mechanism for financing the terrorist organization’s members for a total sum of more than 10 million rubles [$150,760] had been detected and registered."
Based on the FSB’s materials, three criminal cases were launched under Section 205.1 of the Russian Criminal Code ("Support for terrorist activity"). "Three suspects were detained and arrested under the court’s ruling during the investigative operations.
Means of communication, payment instruments, fiscal sales receipts, as well as other documented materials which prove their criminal activity, were confiscated during searches in their places of residence," the FSB reported.
"They confessed to the offences charged during the questioning," the Center for Public Relations specified.
Criminal accountability for supporting terrorist activity is applied irrespective of the sum presented or gathered, or financial services provided for terrorist purposes, the FSB reiterated.