Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) believes that revenues of the so called Islamic State which is banned in Russia have declined tenfold and now amount to $200-300 mio a year, RBC daily reports.
Back in 2014 the terrorists’ proceeds were at about $3 bln per annum (an amount comparable to the wealth of businessman Arkady Rotenberg, ranked 40th on the Russian Forbes list).
According to Sergei Beseda, chief of intelligence information and international relations department of the Federal Security Service, IS’s diminishing revenues are due to loss of territorial control over numerous areas in Syria and Iraq. Earlier, the terrorists derived their profits from selling oil extracted at those areas and from taxes imposed on local residents.
According to intelligence agencies, the Islamic State is attempting to compensate for its lost profits by investing in lawful businesses. So far, the IS has engaged in rather conservative investments and has not invested in cutting edge innovations. It has been investing, for instance, in agricultural enterprises in Iraq. A most popular business there is cultivating carps since carp dishes are much fancied in the country.