The police in Düsseldorf have arrested a Tiktok influencer. © picture alliance/dpa
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Under the name “Abdelhamid” he reaches hundreds of thousands of followers as a preacher on Tiktok and Instagram. For the security authorities, his videos are seen as an entry into a spiral of radicalization – especially for young, uneducated people. According to the North Rhine-Westphalia Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the world view that he spreads in a friendly manner and often in a sports jersey is extremist-Salafist. But that’s not why the preacher was arrested in Düsseldorf. It’s about suspicion of commercial and gang fraud.
The 33-year-old is said to have raised over 353,000 euros through 19 fundraising appeals for needy children and charitable causes. But only just under 5,000 euros are said to have actually been forwarded in accordance with the requests for donations. His 33-year-old partner and his 37-year-old sister are said to have taken part. Police and public prosecutors reported that they were also being investigated. The preacher already has a relevant criminal record. So far, fines have been imposed on him, said public prosecutor Laura Neumann.
The Salafist lifestyle influencer, as he is described as in the NRW Interior Ministry’s Islamism situation report, instead invested the money in luxury watches and his lavish lifestyle. A judge has now sent him into custody – because of the risk of absconding and repeating the crime. The 33-year-old remained silent about the current allegations. The presumption of innocence applies.
Düsseldorf: Islamist TikTok star arrested
The investigators noticed that his appeals for donations remained vague and nebulous. As a rule, he did not say where exactly the money should go and did not mention any cooperation with aid organizations. The work of the “Donation” investigative commission began in 2021 and there was already a search on him last year. Nevertheless, he continued to diligently raise donations.
The investigators reported that he then made preparations to go to Dubai. That’s why they struck again on Wednesday and had previously obtained so-called asset arrests. Three apartments were searched.
The investigators were temporarily able to seize assets worth 353,000 euros, the amount of the alleged damage. Thick bundles containing 20,000 euros in cash, several luxury watches from the “Rolex” brand and several luxury handbags were confiscated, and a limousine from Stuttgart was taken to the tow hook. In addition, seven accounts were seized.
With his reach, the 33-year-old German has become a force in the Islamist scene. Not only the Islamism situation report, but also the NRW Constitutional Protection Report devote a separate section to the Düsseldorfer.
With his simple language, he also receives great approval: there were already over ten million “likes” on Tiktok in January, the authorities reported. Abdelhamid is continuing what Pierre Vogel, who now runs a boxing school in Bergheim near Cologne, started: making extremist Salafism accessible to a wider audience.
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