UK study warns of IS ‘gangster jihadis’

LONDON: The lines between terrorism and criminality are becoming blurred as an increasing number of former criminals join the Islamic State and create a “gangster

LONDON: The lines between terrorism and criminality are becoming blurred as an increasing number of former criminals join the Islamic State and create a “gangster jihad,” according to a British report released on Tuesday.

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Nearly 60% of European militants studied by researchers had been jailed previously, in essence creating a “super-gang,” said the report from the International Centre for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence at King’s College London.

Once recruited by IS, these people easily transition to committing violence for a different cause, making the group different from other Islamist organisations such as Al Qaeda, which often radicalised students, intellectuals or other previously non-violent individuals to carry out its violent aims, the report said.

“They are the perfect fit,” Peter Neumann, the centre’s director, said of the criminals bolstering the Islamic State group’s ranks.

“Islamic State doesn’t require any intellectual sophistication. It doesn’t ask you to study religion. It makes it all like a computer game.”

The researchers said a growing IS offers criminals a chance at “redemption” without requiring a change in behaviour.

With recruits who are already accustomed to violence, it is less difficult to persuade them to go further. They are also familiar with weapons and are adept at “staying under the radar” and at logistical planning.

While past efforts to stop extremist attacks focused on tracing the complicated international bank transactions that financed militants, IS attacks don’t necessarily require huge sums of money.

The centre estimated that some 40% of such plots in Europe are now being financed in part by street crime like selling drugs or counterfeit goods.