Special unit set up to go after terror financing in KP

PESHAWAR: A special Counter Terrorism Finance Unit has been established in the Counter-Terrorism Department of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police to stop terror financing through illegal money transaction.

A source said that an officer of the rank of senior superintendent of police will head the CTFU. He will be assisted by experts in the field.

The Section 11 of the Anti-Terrorism Act deals with these offences, which applies to fundraising, providing support in fundraising and money-laundering.

The source added as the SOPs has been devised for investigation into the terror financing cases. The district heads of investigation of KP CTD have been briefed and trained to deal with the terror financing cases within their jurisdiction.

“The CTD has so far registered about 80 cases of this nature in which over 100 suspects have been arrested. Special attention is now being paid to investigation and prosecution in order to deny finances to the banned outfits,” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) CTD KP Sajjad Khan said when asked about the actions against illegal money business by the force.

The official added that the KP CTD is coordinating with other law enforcement agencies including federal investigation agency (FIA), district police and Intelligence Bureau to ensure proper action under the ATA 1997 and AMLA 2010 in terror financing offences. “Besides money-laundering, terror financing is done through other offences including kidnapping for ransom and extortion. A major case of terror financing was worked out recently in kidnapping case of a trader in which an amount of Rs30 million was paid and later used for financing the terrorist attack on Agriculture Training Institute,” a source said. He added that the two cases were clubbed and now under trial.

The Federal investigation Agency (FIA) along with police and Intelligence Bureau conducted a major operation against the illegal business of hundi and hawala during which 44 traders were arrested and an amount of Rs26.83 million were recovered.

According to an official of the FIA, Pakistan has been placed on the ‘Grey List’ of Financial Action Task Force due to the illegal business of hundi, hawala and the smuggling of currencies. Fearing further downgrading and imposition of economic sanctions, the federal government and the Ministry of Interior has directed a crackdown against illicit money trade.

According to the FIA official, the recovered money included Rs23,414,375, 3595 US dollars, 30120 Qatari riyal, 18530 Turkish lira, 17216 Saudi riyal, 15121 Malaysian ringgit, 8395 UAE dirham, 1070 euro, 260 UK pound, 4760 Thai baht and 3000 Chinese Yuan.