The president of the republic of Somalia hassan sheikh mohamud,said yesterday that Alshabaab attempts to find ways around restrictions and surveillance on their financial operations.”One trick that an alshabaab (operative) uses is to approach an unsuspecting relative and urge him/her to open a (mobile) bank account.
The account owner does not have any clue about how to the account will be used,but authorties become aware of unusual transactions such as 10 million dollars in the account,and summon the account owner,”said president mohamud.
The owners of bank accounts used by alshabaab to levy taxes on businesses are not of who uses the banka account.”Bank account owners are flabbergasted to learn that alshabaab uses the bank accounts registered in their names,”said president mohamud.
President mohamud said the telecommunications surveillance system enables security forces to identify people who receive calls from blacllisted individuals affiliated with alshabaab,’Authorities will interview any person whom alshabab operatives phoned,”president mohamud added.
The somali national intelligence and security agency (NISA) collected information on telephone numbers used by alshabaab,into wich businesses pay taxes levied by alshabaab.
NISA received help from a major western intelligence agenct to determine the total number of phone numbers and mobile phone banking details used by the blacklisted organisation to boost its income,’NISA interviewed every owner of a mobile banking account used by alshabaab,” a former senior officer at the Office of the national security said.
Source:puntlandpost