Walsall trio who raised £10,000 for British Isis fighter in Syria convicted of funding terrorism

Musadiqur Rohaman and his wife left to join the so-called Islamic State in 2014

Isis fighters parade in Raqqa, which became the group's de-facto capital in Syria in August 2014. (AP)

Three men who raised money for a British Isis fighter in Syria by selling items on eBay have been convicted of funding terrorism.

The trio raised a total of £10,000 for Musadiqur Rohaman and his wife Zohura Siddeka, who left Walsall to join the so-called Islamic State in Raqqa in 2014.

His two brothers, Mohammed Iqbal Hussain, 26, and Mohammed Suyaubur Rohaman, 32, and family friend Mohammed Khan, 27, denied the charges and claimed the money was to help the couple return to the UK.

Mohammed Iqbal Hussain, Mohamed Suyaubur Rohaman and Mohammed Atiqur Khan, who have been convicted of terrorism funding offences after a trial at the Old Bailey. (West Midlands Police)

They were convicted of funding terrorism between November 2014 and June 2015 at the conclusion of trial at the Old Bailey on Friday.

The court heard that Rohaman left for Syria after claiming he was going on holiday but that his brothers knew the real reason for his journey and kept in regular contact.

While working at the family launderette in Caldmore, they raised cash and sent it to the couple via Western Union Bank transfers made at a shop next to their business.

Iqbal and Suyaubur sold their brother's £4,000 BMW, his wife's wedding dress and £1,200 worth of family gold to raise a total of £10,000, despite their mother’s attempts to lock up valuables in the family home.

Musadikur Rohaman and his wife Zohura Siddeka, both 27, who left for Syria in December 2014 (West Midlands Police)

They also arranged for Siddeka's maternity pay from her job as a teacher to be sent out to Syria. She gave birth before they left in September 2014 but the baby died days later.

The court heard that Iqbal also recruited Khan to take out credit loans in Rohaman’s name and attempt to sell pieces of family gold.

After arriving in the so-called Islamic State Rohaman maintained contact with his family in the UK through a variety of secure internet messaging platforms and Skype, with some of the messages proving he was engaged in fighting.

The couple had travelled to Syria via Turkey with another Walsall man, Abul Hasan, who is since believed to have been killed while fighting with Isis.

Nigel Lambert QC, representing Hussain, described the case as a “family tragedy” in court, adding: “Their brother remains in Syria. This was a matter of misguided loyalty."

Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale, from West Midlands Police, said investigations showed Iqbal and Suyaubur knew their brother was fighting in Syria.

“It is believed Musadiqur directed his brothers in what he needed doing and sent them names of who to transfer money to,” he added.

“Disruption of terrorist funding is an important part of our investigations. Sending money to those actively engaged in terrorism helps fund their activities and we will continue to act on any intelligence and disrupt the flow of money to conflict zones.”

Iqbal, a qualified lawyer and aspiring solicitor, was found guilty of receiving money for the purposes of terrorism and entering into a funding arrangement.

Khan was convicted of entering into a funding arrangement and Suyaubur was convicted of providing money for the purposes of terrorism. They will be sentenced on 9 September.

A fourth man Maruf Uddin, 26, also from Walsall, was cleared of entering into a funding arrangement.

Additional reporting by PA