In a first, FATF mentions role of 'states' as terror sponsors

NEW DELHI: A Financial Action Task Force (FATF) report on a comprehensive update on terrorist financing risks, released this month, has for the first time mentioned the role of 'states' as terror sponsors, something India has been harping on while seeking to designate Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism.

India had identified state sponsored terrorism from Pakistan as a source of terrorist financing risk in its money laundering/terror financing risk assessment in 2022. The findings of the FATF reinforces India's position as for the first time, it has introduced the concept of state sponsored terrorism in its report, a senior govt official said.

"Political and economic realities within states play a significant role in the close cooperation between criminal elements and terrorist organisations' operations and settlements," the report said, adding that weak governance-related matters, systemic corruption and high criminal levels influence the nature of terror financing risks.

It stressed on the fact that criminal and terrorist organisations thrived in states with ineffective legal and institutional frameworks, experiencing widespread and systemic corruption, particularly ones which offered lucrative criminal opportunities. The report also mentioned widespread use of banking channels by terrorist outfits in Pakistan.

The Paris-based inter-governmental body said Pakistan-based terror outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) had used non-profit organisations (NPOs) and gaming platforms to raise terror financing.

"Sham NPOs are established or registered knowingly for the purpose of terror financing and used to raise, store and move funds, commonly under false charitable pretexts," the FATF report said. The report raised concerns on increasing use of gaming websites by terror outfits.