Teen cyber whizz, 18, jailed for teaching Al Qaida how to take untraceable cryptocurrency donations

Published 21 October 2026, 16:35

• Yusuf Shah, of Ilford, got four years and two months at Kingston Crown Court on Monday
• Aged just 16, he wrote 'A Guide on Cybersecurity' for the Tehrik-e-Taliban terror group
• 'Shah was being drawn into extremist material at only 13 or 14,' warned Commander Helen Flanagan

A teenage computer whizz who taught Al Qaida supporters how to make untraceable cryptocurrency donations has been jailed for four years and two months.

Yusuf Shah, 18, of Ilford, was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on Monday 20 October following an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) London.

Shah advised members of pro-terrorist Telegram chat groups to use a specific, untraceable cryptocurrency to donate to Al Qaida.

In April 2024, a donation of $1,376.51 was made to a QR code using the exact security methods he recommended — the only donation ever made via that QR code.

At the end of March 2024, Shah was approached on Telegram by an individual who said a senior official within the terror group Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP) wanted a cybersecurity guide.

Shah quickly produced a document titled "A Guide on Cybersecurity" containing detailed instructions on cybersecurity and cryptocurrency use, and sent it to help the group conduct terrorist activities in secret.

Shah was just 16 when he was stopped at Heathrow Airport in January 2024 under schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act.

Analysis of his mobile phone and computer revealed he had been active on social media expressing support for terror groups including Al Qaida and Tehrik-e-Taliban.

Helen Flanagan, who leads CTP London as its commander, said: "Our investigation showed that Shah was being drawn into extremist and terrorist material and ideologies when he was only 13 or 14 years old."

"This case should act as another warning to parents and carers to be aware of what their children are doing online," she said.

"Even at the age of just 16, Shah had enough knowledge of the online world to be able to provide practical advice to terrorist groups on how to make anonymous cryptocurrency payments," Flanagan said, warning the case reflects "a growing trend of young people being radicalised and accessing extremely dangerous and violent terrorist ideologies and material online."

The data extracted from Shah's phone revealed that he had opened an online magazine, published by Al Qaida, which contained practical information on carrying out acts of terrorism.

He had also downloaded documents with instructions on making explosives and explosive devices, and on using different types of weapons.

Shah participated in Telegram chat groups that backed terrorist organisations, connecting with individuals across the globe and presenting himself as a person who held the same extremist beliefs and could provide technical computing expertise.

After a five-week trial at Kingston Crown Court, Shah was convicted of five counts under the Terrorism Act 2000: entering into a funding arrangement making money or property available to another, providing instruction or training knowing it would be used for terrorism, and three counts of collecting terrorist materials.

Shah, born 30 November 2007, was also made subject to a 10-year notification order.

"It is vital that parents and carers are aware of what children are doing on the internet, especially if they are accessing social media platforms. I would implore you to have conversations, to be inquisitive about what your children are doing online," Flanagan said.