MOSCOW, October 13 (RIA Novosti) - Since April British police have seized over $400,000 in cash at the Manchester Airport from Syria-bound travelers suspected of intending to hand the funds over to the Islamic State (IS) militant group, the Manchester Evening News reported Monday.
"Terrorists need money to fight. At the Turkish border with Syria there are shops where you can buy guns, boots, rations and if you are going out there to fight you need money and you want equipment. We take that cash away from people, not only stopping them from buying weapons and funding terror organizations which are a threat to the UK and an international threat but we also disrupt that person," head of the North West Counter Terrorism Unit Tony Mole told the newspaper.
The money was confiscated from Syria-bound passengers just before they boarded their flights from the airport. Police acted under the Terrorism Act, and thus were able to seize the cash before the actual court hearing.
According to the report, passengers are frequently caught carrying tens of thousands of dollars in US currency, often hidden in their clothing. In the majority of cases, the suspects were unable to explain how they intended to use the money.
About 500 IS and other Islamist group supporters are thought to have traveled to Syria since the civil war broke out, with many of them from Greater Manchester.
The IS, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), has been fighting the Syrian government since 2012. In June 2014, the group expanded its attacks to northern and western Iraq. The group has seized vast areas in both countries and declared an Islamic caliphate on the territories under its control.
According to the US Central Intelligence Agency, over 30,000 militants are currently fighting for the IS.
