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Features

How Islamic State commanders squeeze their hostages for every penny

The dirty business of kidnapping, and other IS money-making schemes

15 November 2014

9:00 AM

15 November 2014

9:00 AM

 Turkish/Syrian border

It was Abouday’s heavy metal T-shirt that started the trouble. Two jihadis at a checkpoint said the fire-breathing dragon showed he was a devil worshipper. In fact, he worshipped only Metallica, but he did not realise the danger he was in. People had scarcely heard of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria back then.

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Paul Wood is a BBC correspondent covering Syria.

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