South Korean police revealed that a counter-terrorism financing case involving crypto assets has entered the judicial process. The police stated that four individuals of Uzbek nationality are suspected of using... USDT Transferred funds to Syrian armed groups, and used the received encrypted assets to purchase vehicles and engineering equipment, which were then transported to Syria.

There were a total of 7 transactions involved in the case.

According to the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency in South Korea, the main suspect has been prosecuted and is in custody for trial, while the other three individuals are currently under investigation without being detained. One of them was previously subject to a red notice of arrest issued by Interpol.

From August 2024 to April 2025, the main suspect transferred 4,267 USDT on seven occasions to the "Jihad and Unity Brigade" ( Katibat Tawhid wal Jihad, abbreviated as KTJ ), according to the police. This organization was established in 2014 and operates in Syria; it has been listed as a terrorist group by the United Nations and the United States.

Encrypted assets are exchanged for vehicles and transported to Syria.

Investigators stated that the main suspect also received encrypted assets from KTJ, and used this funds to purchase 11 used cars and 2 excavators, with a total value of about 170 million Korean won, which is approximately 121,000 US dollars. Subsequently, these items were transported to Syria. The remaining three suspects are accused of assisting in the procurement and export of the related vehicles.

The police stated that the main suspect had been transferring funds between three personal wallets, while the money for purchasing the car was deposited into the account of his spouse. When the police carried out the arrest, he also presented a driver's license belonging to someone else.

The main suspect has been put on trial.

The police revealed that the main suspect entered South Korea in 2017 on a student visa. After completing his university studies in Daejeon, he has been residing there beyond the permitted period since 2023. During his first trial in June of this year, he denied the main charges, claiming that the remittances in question were used for family expenses and stating that he was unaware of the identity of the vehicle buyer.

The police also stated that this investigation has led to the arrest of another suspect who is on Interpol's Red Notice list, and the subsequent investigation continues. According to the police, this is the first case in South Korea where it has been discovered that "cryptocurrency assets have flowed to designated terrorist organizations and then been reinvested in physical goods."