Homeland Security

Bourses also source of terror funds: India's NSA

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, Feb 15, IRNA
India-Stocks-Militants
Terrorists are not only getting tech- friendly but market-savvy as well. A good part of terror funds is being sourced from manipulation of bourses, particularly the Mumbai and Chennai stock exchanges, through fictitious or notional companies, according to India's National Security Adviser M K Narayanan.

According to local press reports, Narayanan, who made the revelation during his address to the 43rd Conference on Security Policy held in Munich over the weekend, said many of the fictitious companies found to be engaging in stock market operations have been traced to terrorist groups.

"Isolated instances of terrorist outfits manipulating the stock markets to raise funds for their operations have been reported. Stock exchanges in Mumbai and Chennai have, on occasions, reported that fictitious or notional companies were engaging in stock market operations," Narayanan was quoted as having told his counterparts in Munich.

Also expressing deep concern over the transfer of terror funds through valid banking channels from Dubai and UAE for use by groups like the Jaish-e Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen, Narayanan stressed the need to lift banking secrecy and the corporate veil to facilitate proper investigation of terror-related cases.

Terrorist groups, he said, generally make small transactions to avoid detection.

"Use of both real and fraudulent ATM cards has also been resorted to at times," he added.

"Security agencies have detected many instances of funds received via banking channels from so-called safe locations like Dubai and UAE that were intended for terrorist groups," he noted.

Squarely blaming certain "official agencies" in Pakistan for pumping millions of dollars for militancy in India, he said militant groups had started to establish a network of legitimate businesses to fund their activities.

The terrorist groups are involved in legally running restaurants, real estate agencies and shipping firms and use their proceeds for their terrorist activities, he added.

"Among terrorist outfits, the LTTE has a very well-established network of legitimate business which provides both funds as well as logistics for their activities. Militant organizations have begun to follow suit."
He said a combination of conventional money laundering techniques, including routing money through hawala channels, has made it extremely difficult to track funds utilized for terror purposes since no audit or paper trail is available.

Referring to 11 common ways of terrorist funding, the national security adviser said among these were voluntary contributions, on which terrorist groups like the Al-Qaeda and LTTE thrive, and compulsory donations including forcible subscription to their publications.

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