US Sanctions Syrian National, 2 Companies Linked to Daesh Financing

The United States sanctioned Syrian national Fawaz Muhammad Jubayr al-Rawi and two companies for facilitating monetary transactions for the Daesh terror group, according to the US Department of the Treasury.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States sanctioned Syrian national Fawaz Muhammad Jubayr al-Rawi, his company, the Hanifa Currency Exchange and the Iraq-based Selselat al Thahab Money Exchange for facilitating monetary transactions for Daesh terror group, the US Department of the Treasury said in a press release on Tuesday.

"Al-Rawi and the two money services businesses have played an important role in Daesh’s financial operations by helping the terrorist group move its money," the release stated.

According to the release, Al-Rawi operated the exchange near his residence in Albu Kamal, Syria and stored large amounts of currency for Daesh through the Hanifa Exchange.

Al-Rawi opened the Hanifa Exchange in 2010 to exchange currency between Syria and Turkey, the release noted. By May 2016, it was used exclusively for Daesh-related transactions, the release said.

Additionally, al-Rawi oversaw money exchanges and payments to Daesh fighters and hosted top commanders at his home for weekly meetings.

Between early 2015 and early 2016, the Iraq-based Selselat al Thahab Money Exchange received millions of dollars of financial transactions from financial institutions in Kirkuk.

Many of the transfers belonged to a company financing the Islamic State, the release said.

As a result of the sanctions, all of al-Rawi and the companies’ assets subject to US jurisdiction are frozen and US persons are prohibited from doing business with them.