Islamist TikTok star arrested in Germany over fraud allegations

An Islamist social media influencer from the German city of Dusseldorf has been arrested on suspicion of commercial and gang-related fraud, law enforcement agencies said on Thursday.

The 33-year-old is alleged to have raised over €353,000 ($385,000) through 19 fundraising appeals for needy children and charitable purposes.

But just under €5,000 was actually forwarded on to charities.

Operating under the handle "Abdelhamid," the man reached hundreds of thousands of followers on TikTok as well as Instagram, where he has over 200,000 followers.

Security authorities consider his videos a gateway to radicalization.

The North Rhine-Westphalia Office for the Protection of the Constitution described the ideology being espoused as Salafist extremism.

The man's 33-year-old partner and 37-year-old sister are also suspected to have been involved in the fraud. Police and prosecutors said that they are under investigation as well.

Authorities said that the man already has a criminal record.

A judge has placed him in pre-trial detention due to the risk of flight and re-offending.