Folha Goes Undercover to Expose Isis Recruiters Targeting Brazilians in Europe

03/21/2016 - 08h42

João (not his real name) left Brazil to study and broaden his horizons as part of the government program Ciência Sem Fronteiras ("Science Without Borders").

He was due to return to Brazil at the end of the course, but events took an unexpected turn. During his time abroad, his dreams, objectives and beliefs all changed dramatically.

João's experience is far from unique, to judge by the thousands of enrolment forms of supposed Islamic State (Isis) supporters and members, which were leaked to the UK's Sky News on March 10.

Terrorists from Isis and other less well-known factions, as well as people attempting to pass for them, are targeting educated young people who are capable of speaking two languages or more. Moreover, they have been focusing on young people from countries one might not expect - including Brazil.

In the case of João, the initial contact took place while he was studying in Spain. It seemed innocuous, an invitation to participate in an Islamic study group. After a while, João converted to Islam, and his contact with the group increased.

They offered him everything that he was missing in Europe, João told Folha: support, companionship, even money. They became his family and his best friends.

After several months of attending study groups, he started to go to meetings that were "a bit more radical", in which ideas were expressed that seemed at odds with the peaceful messages of the Quran. At one of these meetings, he was introduced to two men who claimed to be Isis recruiters.

THE PLAN

Every week other cases emerge, such as the 16-year-old Swedish girl Marlin Nivarlain, and the 22-year-old Belgian-Brazilian Brian de Mulder. Like João, these young people led apparently normal lives, until they decided to abandon everything they knew and join Isis.

It is impossible to explain why terrorism is attractive to young people without any history of political or religious extremism without direct experience. So, after months of investigation, Folha began to follow in these young people's footsteps, in an attempt to understand their trajectory.

After months of preparation, and with information supplied by João, the Folha team created another identity, life story and set of frustrations. Above all, we emphasized the aptitudes sought by Isis recruiters: fluency in languages, technological skill and interest in radical Islam.

Analysts also suggest that Isis tend to target people of around 25 years of age, who are capable of entering various countries without travel restrictions, including the United States.

The next step was to infiltrate groups of Brazilians and foreigners interested in the Quran. After months of monitoring these groups, we concluded that most of them are concerned only with spreading the peaceful messages of the prophet Mohammed.

A significant minority, however, are involved in shadier activities. With João's help, and posing as a Brazilian with jihadist aspirations, Folha established contact with Isis recruiters. The first meeting took place in Madrid, where João had first established contact with extremist groups.

In total, meetings between Folha and the Isis men took place in six European countries. Due to reasons of security, and the mutual mistrust of the parties involved, all communication with the recruiters was mediated by João.

THE RECRUITERS

The two supposed recruiters with whom Folha established contact were highly methodical. They avoided being seen together, never took the same method of transport and never revealed where they lived.

The first meeting took place in a fast food restaurant in one of Madrid's main squares. The recruiters were two young men of jovial aspect and unremarkable appearance, without any of the features that have come to be associated with religious extremism, such as beards. One of them was fluent in both Spanish and English, and could speak a little Portuguese.

In the first meetings, which were held in shopping malls, restaurants and tourist hotspots, there was no mention whatsoever of Isis. The two men were very cautious, appearing to weigh every word, and observing everything around them, to the point of causing discomfort and tension.

Having supposedly been trained to notice and assess any reaction, they asked a number of questions about our relationships in Brazil, our area of study (technology) and our first contact with Islam. According to João, this was a test to assess any potential risks and verify the information.

After several days of this type of conversation with the reporter and João, the men revealed that they were English recruiters for Islamic State. Intelligence agencies estimate that the group has 25,000 militants in Syria and Iraq, as well as another 5000 in Libya, many of whom are foreigners.

The two men stated that their mission was to "lead the chosen to fight in the holy war, helping the brothers in the fight against evil." The two Englishmen said that they were paid €10,000 a month as recruiters.

Folha also participated in several study groups in Lisbon and Barcelona. These took place in locations frequented by a diverse range of young people, including women and foreigners. At one meeting, there were South Americans present, including an Argentine.

None of the groups monitored had more than 20 members. They receive around 15 new members per month; when the group is nearly full, it is split into two, in order to avoid arousing suspicion.

THE PROPOSAL

As the meetings progressed, two options were laid on the table: travel to Isis-controlled territory in Syria, or assume a role abroad. In either case, the new recruit would be paid a salary by Isis. Most of them are sent for training and close study of the Quran.

According to the recruiters, the main Isis training centers are in Belgium - the home of the terrorist cell responsible for the November attacks in Paris - and in Tunisia, where tourists have been the target of recent attacks.

Men and women kept in separate areas, but close to each other. During the intensive training, the recruits have all their costs covered by Isis and stay in accommodation maintained by the group, said the two recruiters.

João explained that the ideological indoctrination is intensified during this phase, with the faith of the aspiring extremists being tested. According to the recruiters, the aim is simply to "study the Quran in greater depth."

They also revealed that Isis have infiltrated European universities, establishing recruiters in Islamic study groups.

Some of these groups are organized and financed by mosques, in order to win new converts. In these groups, there are people called "satellites", whose purpose is to identify young people who demonstrate potentially extremist characteristics.

Just as occurred with the Folha team, possible recruits are invited to extremist study groups, which tend to meet in private homes just a few kilometers from universities. These groups act as a kind of second filter, to vet any potential new recruits.

However, not all of these groups are connected with extremists - many simply study the Quran.

For the extremists, foreign students are an obvious target. The recruiters described how they exploit their feelings of loneliness and alienation. The study groups provide young people with a means of meeting other people, which makes indoctrination faster and more effective.

In some cases, such as João's, the recruiters offer financial support. Aside from the foreigners, they also target local unemployed and socially marginalized young people. But the extremists say they are looking for people who are more than just fighters.

"We want people who can do more than handle weapons; we want influencers. We want to act like bacteria, without being detected until we are everywhere, until we are uncontrollable," said one of the men.

This represents a change in strategy by the group, which is now attempting to increase its presence by using natives in every country.

The new recruits who want to go to Syria usually head first to Tunisia, then to Turkey, and then overland to Isis-held territory in Syria.

Those who choose to stay in Europe undergo training and are then taken to a local leader. They then continue their training, until they are able to lead a recruiting cell. Like those who go off to fight in Syria, they receive a salary for this work.

THE ESCAPE

Folha was asked repeatedly to continue onto the training phase. Being from Brazil - a country without any real history of Islamic terrorist activity - global travel would be easier.

Nonetheless, recruiters also said that were Folha to return to Brazil to prepare for training, it would be possible to meet with other extremist groups in the area around the Triple Frontier with Argentina and Paraguay.

According to both the American and Brazilian police, the area is home to a financing network for extremist groups.

With Joâo's help, the reporter thanked the recruiters for their invitation and told them he would return after going to Brazil to discuss the resumption of his studies and pick up his fiancée. He was told that they would stay in contact - and they did.

João eventually decided not to travel to Syria, abandoning Islam some months afterwards, and, he says, severing all ties with extremism.

Translated by TOM GATEHOUSE

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