Euronews, a prominent news outlet from Brussels exposed a terror-linked network nexus in the UK. The news outlet named Zulkarnain Saer Khan AKA Sami in its reports with links to terror outfits including Hamas. It also talked about Khan’s other activities including money laundering and sex trafficking in Hungary.
In its comprehensive coverage, EuroNews discussed how a restaurant owner from Bangladesh, who once resided in Budapest and possessed a Hungarian ID, aided “the terrorist organizations” through illegal methods.
EuroNews reported that investigators are delving into the financial background and key backers of the “Islamist terrorist organization” responsible for the extensive attack on Israel on October 7. Alongside the already identified “main supporters of Hamas”, the article highlights a noteworthy connection to Hungary.
The report by EuroNews elaborated that as far back as 2014, the United States Congress had identified Qatar as the “top financial patron” of the organization. During a committee hearing, it came to light that the Gulf state was “paying for Hamas’ strikes in Gaza”, including the construction of an intricate network of terror tunnels aimed at Israel. The report also noted that Hamas had “hijacked” aid from the UN and the EU to further these endeavours.
Hamas receives substantial financial support from Doha, as well as additional backing from Iran and Turkey. Didier Billion, the deputy director of the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS), was quoted as saying, “Their financial support of 30 million dollars a month is proven and public,” reported the Brussels-based news outlet.
Doha’s funding, ostensibly for Gaza’s civil servants, actually serves as direct support to Hamas. While Western nations label Hamas as a terrorist group, Algeria, Iran, Sudan, and Tunisia openly back it, with Tehran also funding its armed wing through Lebanese Hezbollah.
Hamas utilizes cryptocurrency and online donations for funding, with Israeli authorities recently seizing digital assets linked to the group. Additionally, the organization reportedly earns millions from the international drug trade, having formed an alliance with indicted former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, reported EuroNews.
Hamas has a complex relationship with a figure named Zulkarnain Saer, who goes by multiple aliases and claims to be a journalist and researcher. Saer holds multiple Bangladeshi passports and a Hungarian identity card. He operated various restaurants in Budapest, which were allegedly fronts for illegal activities like money laundering and drug trafficking. These establishments are said to serve as meeting points for individuals involved in unlawful actions. EuroNews wrote that Zulkarnain Saer Khan Sami “calls himself a fact-finding journalist from Bangladesh and a researcher-analyst for the Al-Jazeera news channel in Qatar”.
On May 20, 2022, Zulkarnain Saer established a UK-based company, SAMS INC LTD, purportedly to shift his “illegal activities”, including “drug trafficking” and “money laundering”, from Hungary to the UK. This information comes amid reminders of a 2016 explosion in Budapest that injured two police officers, leading to the life imprisonment of the perpetrator, P. László, in 2019.
The report recalled a 2016 Budapest explosion that injured two officers, noting that the perpetrator, P. László, received a second-degree life sentence in 2019.
EuroNews added that plans for the terrorist attack were reportedly finalized weeks prior at the Curry House, a detail previously unmentioned in the case. The report also noted that Saer was expelled from Hungary for extortion and his “relationship with Shahid Uddin Khan”, an Interpol-wanted terrorist financier.
Zulkarnain Saer Khan, commonly known as Sami, emerges as a multifaceted individual deeply entangled in a range of illicit activities. Numerous articles in The Eastern Herald have shed light on Saer’s intricate operations, which he conducts under a variety of pseudonyms such as Tanvir Sadat and Saer Zulkarnain. These reports have unveiled his engagement in diverse criminal acts, from extortion and cybercrime to international drug trafficking. Adding another layer to his convoluted persona, Sami poses as an Al-Jazeera journalist. His criminal network spans multiple countries, from Bangladesh and Hungary to the United Kingdom, where Sami is involved in money laundering via a corporate entity named SAMS INC LTD.
As reported by the Hungary edition of EuroNews, Saer has transitioned to funding and backing pro-Hamas and anti-Israel demonstrations in London, making him a potential risk to UK national security. He is allegedly involved in plotting attacks against the Israeli embassy, synagogues, and various business establishments. The Hindu Post was also referenced in the coverage.
