The Moscow Main Investigations Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia investigates a criminal case of financing terrorism launched under Part 4 of Article 205.1 (assisting to terrorism), Part 1 and Part 1.1 of Article 205.1 (assisting to terrorism), and Part 2 of Article 205.5 (participation in the activities of an organization recognized as terrorist under legislation of the Russian Federation) of the Criminal Code of Russia. Charges for the commission of the above-listed offences have been pressed against nine perpetrators. Upon request of the investigation, the suspects were put into custody.

According to the investigation, one of the accused had entered a banned terrorist organization, while in Egypt. Upon return to Russia in 2015, he had started searching for persons willing to provide material aid to active participants of the international terrorist organization Islamic State (banned in Russia by the decision of the Russian Supreme Court). He had used a mobile application to create a group and invite trusted persons who had agreed to finance the illegal terrorist organization in Syria and Iraq. The group had been joined by approximately 30 participants.

The organizer of the group had been collecting money on his accounts and transferred it to the accounts of persons taking part in combats as participants of the illegal armed group. The money had been used to finance logistics units of the terrorist organizations and to prepare and commit crimes of terrorist nature.

The organizer had talked in person with each participant of the group, taking them to Kokoshkino rural settlement of Moscow Region, where they had even pledged allegiance to the terrorist organization. After initiation, the new participants had been obliged to provide financial support to the indicated organization by transferring money every month.

During the investigation, the investigative units in collaboration with officers of the Federal Security Service and the Main Directorate for Combating Extremism of the Ministry of Internal Affairs worked through close relations of the organizer of financing terrorism and identified his accomplices. Under the pressure of evidence, the indicated persons pleaded guilty.

Investigators of the Investigative Committee of Russia carried out numerous searches and arrests in Moscow, the Republic of Dagestan, and the Kabardino-Balkar Republic.

The criminal investigation is ongoing.