US sanctions 'key' facilitator for Daesh/ISIS's Afghanistan branch

WASHINGTON

The US sanctioned on Monday a pivotal "financial facilitator" for Daesh/ISIS's Afghanistan branch.

The Treasury Department said Ismatullah Khalozai "operated a Turkey-based hawala business to transfer funds to finance ISIS-K operations" for two years. It was referring to Daesh/ISIS-Khorasan Province, which is sometimes referred to as ISIS-K.

Khalozai is also alleged to have operated a financing scheme out of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that involved the international resale of luxury goods whose proceeds would be sent to Daesh/ISIS-K's coffers. The US also accused him of enacting human smuggling operations, including one that brought an Daesh/ISIS-K courier from Afghanistan to Turkey.

“The Biden Administration is committed to rooting out terrorist financing networks around the world,” said Andrea Gacki, the department's Office of Foreign Assets Control director. “Today’s designation underscores the United States’ determination to prevent ISIS-K and its members from exploiting the international financial system to support terrorist acts in Afghanistan and beyond.”

The State Department is also expected to announce the designation of three Daesh/ISIS-K leaders -- Sanaullah Ghafari, Sultan Aziz Azam, and Maulawi Rajab -- as Specially Designated Global Terrorists.