- Turkish authorities, suspecting links to Mossad, have arrested 34 individuals involved in espionage against Palestinians
- Cryptocurrency was allegedly used for payments, apparently to evade tracing
- The arrests follow months of scrutiny after US politicians called for an investigation into Hamas using cryptocurrencies for fundraising
Turkish authorities have arrested 34 individuals, suspecting their connection to Israel’s Mossad intelligence service, alleging their involvement in espionage and activities against Palestinians in Turkey. The suspects were recruited through social media job postings, and the intricate details of their operations revealed a significant reliance on cryptocurrency for payment in order to avoid being traced. The allegations come months after US politicians asked for an investigation into Hamas’ use of cryptocurrencies to raise funds for its terror campaign.
Crypto Payments Benefited Mossad’s Aims
The recruitment process initiated via social media job listings allowed Mossad to discreetly establish contact with individuals willing to carry out various tasks, including surveillance and reconnaissance against Palestinians. Subsequent communications were maintained through encrypted messaging platforms, ensuring a high level of secrecy.
What stands out in these covert dealings is the utilization of cryptocurrency for financial transactions, with its decentralized and pseudonymous nature being attractive to Mossad. According to Turkish officials, Mossad employed intermediaries or live couriers for payments to its recruits, aiming to obscure the traceability of funds. The use of digital currencies added an additional layer of complexity to Mossad’s covert operations, enabling financial transactions to occur beyond conventional banking systems.
Operation Mole
Turkey’s response to these activities has been robust, with law enforcement conducting raids in multiple provinces as part of “Operation Mole.” The arrests underscore the significance of cryptocurrency in clandestine operations, as it allows for financial transactions to be conducted with a degree of anonymity and difficulty in tracing the funds back to their source.
The crypto-centric nature of these activities has wider implications, shedding light on the evolving tactics intelligence agencies employ to fund and execute covert operations. As global scrutiny on cryptocurrency regulations intensifies, incidents like these emphasize the need for enhanced measures to address the potential misuse of digital assets in illicit activities.
In October last year, US lawmakers asked the Department of Justice (DoJ) to look into Hamas’ use of cryptocurrencies to raise funds, with Binance and Tether particularly in the firing line. These two examples show a potentially unwelcome growth area for the crypto sector, but one that was inevitable given its design.
