ALBAWABA - An Islamic preacher and a TikTok influencer, nicknamed Abdelhamid, was arrested by the authorities in Düsseldorf, Germany.
According to German media outlets, the Islamic preacher, identified as Dahran A., cheated his followers by claiming to collect donations for people willing to go to Mecca, Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage, but he stole the money.
Düsseldorf authorities revealed that the police caught the preacher, 33, in possession of thousands of euros in addition to five Rolex watches as well as a brand new Mercedes car.
The public prosecutor's office in Germany opened a probe accusing him of fraud and commercial fraud. On the other hand, the preacher comes from Moroccan origins.
A photo of one of the Rolex watches with Islamic preacher Dahran A. in Germany. (Social media)
When German police arrested Dahran early Wednesday morning, they found five Rolex watches, 2,000 euros in cash and a Mercedes AMG in his possession. In total, the police said the Islamic preacher collected a total of 350,000 euros (about $382,403).
German media also highlighted that the preacher, who holds German and North Macedonian citizenships spent only about 5,000 euros for charitable purposes and kept the rest for himself to spend on his luxurious life.
The TikToker is followed by around 217,000 on Instagram and since 2021, he has always urged people to donate for various reasons such as helping orphans, building mosques or feeding poor Muslims performing the Hajj.
The videos of Dahran, or Abdulhamid as he calls himself, on TikTok have garnered 15 million Likes as he is known for appearing in a way that combines Islamic preaching with modern style, like a "baseball" hat, while delivering lengthy sermons on religious issues related to the Day of Judgment and the afterlife.
