India told the UN that terror groups are using organised crime for funding
India has called for increased cooperation between the UN and organisations such as the Financial Action Task Force to deal with terrorist groups and transnational organised criminal networks that helps raise funds for terror financing, recruiting and other illicit activities across borders.
Speaking at a General Assembly Third Committee that deals with social, humanitarian affairs and human rights issues, First Secretary in India's Permanent Mission to the UN Paulomi Tripathi said transnational organised crimes continue to undermine efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals, and threaten international peace and security.
"Terrorist organisations are increasingly drawing sustenance by using transnational organised criminal networks for illicit activities to raise funds. Crime syndicates are in cahoots with terrorists, providing them services such as counterfeiting, money laundering, arms dealing, drug trafficking and smuggling terrorists across borders," Ms Tripathi said on Thursday.
She said the activities of terror groups such as ISIL, Al Shabab and Boko Haram using extortion, human trafficking, extraction of natural resources, trade in cultural artefacts and illicit taxation in areas under their control, manifest the blurring of lines between crime and terror.
"There is also increasing evidence that narcotics are being used not just for terror financing but for luring youth to be recruited by the terrorists. Revenue generated by illicit activities of terrorists and criminal groups are moved across borders and exchanged through open networks," she said.
Ms Tripathi underscored that such a situation calls for far more coherent and resolute response and "the UN needs to increase cooperation with other bodies such as Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which is playing a significant role in setting global standards for preventing and combating money laundering and terrorist financing."
"Its impact is not limited to rule of law and governance. Rather, its deleterious effect on domestic resource mobilisation through money laundering, corruption and other economic offences, impede development. Symbiotic relationship between transnational organised crimes and terrorism adds complexity to this issue," she said.
The Paris-based FATF is an intergovernmental organisation to develop policies to combat money laundering and terrorism financing.