ISIS turning to drugs to bankroll its activities (2 – 6)

Mahmud al-Batakoshi

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has turned to drugs to bankroll its activities, even as the terrorist organization claims to be involved in holy war against the disbelievers and for the formation of an Islamic state.

Apart from drugs, the terrorist organization raises funds by imposing taxes on people in the areas it controls. It also depends on selling stolen oil in the black market.

In Europe, ISIS supporters are following illegal ways to raise funds, especially given the fact that most of these supporters have criminal records. They utilize social networking websites in raising these funds and bankrolling terrorist activities.

The same supporters also raise funds through fabrications, stealing money specified for medical treatment and education and the selling of arms.

ISIS depended on growing narcotics in parts of Iraq for a long time to raise funds for its operations.

In moving ahead with all these activities, ISIS depends on edicts issued by its preachers and sanctioning the trade in drugs.

An ISIS preacher had previously allowed the members of the organization to sell narcotics to what he called “disbelievers”.

The same preacher also permitted the selling of wine, which prohibited in Islam, to non-Muslims.

ISIS depends on a number of routes for its drug trade. These routes include Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Syria and Iraq.

The drugs come from Afghanistan and then reach their final destination in the Arab region.