A Rohingya-based extortion syndicate in Malaysia has been channelling thousands of dollars to fund Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) terrorists in Myanmar, a senior Malaysian police official said Monday, RFA reported.

Authorities have determined that about 80,000 ringgit (U.S. $19,450) was channelled to ARSA in 2019 through an intricate money transfer system called “hawala,” Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, who heads the Malaysian police’s counterterrorist wing, told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

Ayob said that money was obtained from Rohingya living in Malaysia.

“They gave their money out of fear. Some believe in ARSA’s fight, some don’t but had to give because they were threatened,” Ayob said.