Lok Sabha Question No. 903 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-01
Subject: ISIS Threat
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: ANANT KUMAR DATTATREYA HEGDE, KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH, VIJAY KUMAR S.R., KAPIL MORESHWAR PATIL, K. ASHOK KUMAR, UDIT RAJ, KAMAL NATH, RAMACHANDRAN MULLAPPALLY, SHASHI THAROOR, JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN, VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT, JYOTIRADITYA MADHAVRAO SCINDIA, SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD, KIRRON KHER, R. VANAROJA, DALPAT SINGH PARASTE, T.G. VENKATESH BABU, RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE, RAHUL KASWAN, A. ARUNMOZHITHEVAN, HARISH DWIVEDI, RANJANBEN BHATT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †903

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 1 ST  MARCH, 2016/PHALGUNA 11, 1937 (SAKA)

ISIS THREAT

†903.

SHRI ANANTKUMAR HEGDE:

KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH:

SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR:

SHRI KAPIL MORESHWAR PATIL:

SHRI K. ASHOK KUMAR:

DR. UDIT RAJ:

SHRI KAMAL NATH:

SHRI MULLAPPALLY RAMACHANDRAN:

DR. SHASHI THAROOR:

DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN:

SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT:

SHRI JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA:

DR. SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD:

SHRIMATI KIRRON KHER:

SHRIMATI VANAROJA R.:

SHRI DALPAT SINGH PARASTE:

SHRI VENKATESH BABU T.G.:

SHRI RAHUL SHEWALE:

SHRI RAHUL KASWAN:

SHRI A. ARUNMOZHITHEVAN:

SHRI HARISH CHANDRA ALIAS HARISH DWIVEDI:

SHRIMATI RANJANBEN BHATT:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there are reports of spread of influence and network of ISIS as well as efforts of radicalisation and recruitment of youth by ISIS in the country;
- (b)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along with the number of arrests  made in this regard by various agencies including NIA, State-wise;
- (c)  the  details  of  source  of  funding  of  the  activities  of  ISIS  in  the country and the measures taken to check the said funding;

## LS.USQ.No. 903 FOR 1.3.2016

- (d)  whether  there  are  reports  of  use  of  communication  network  and social  media by ISIS to spread their  network in the country, if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto; and
- (e)  the  details  of  threat  of  attacks  on  cities  and  vital  installation received and the measures taken by the Government to deal with the said threats along with the measures taken to curb the activities of ISIS in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI HARIBHAI PARATHIBHAI CHAUDHARY)

(a): The  Islamic  State  (IS)/  Islamic  State  of  Iraq  and  Levant  (ISIL)/ Islamic  State  of  Iraq  and  Syria  (ISIS)/  Daesh  has  been  notified  as  a Terrorist Organization and  included in the First  Schedule  of  the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act,  1967 by  the Central Government. The outfit uses both  positive and negative imagery to attract recruits from across the world.  However, it has influenced/attracted very few youth from India.

- (b): The  National  Investigation  Agency  (NIA)  and  the  State  Police  in some  States  have  registered  cases  and  arrested  some  active  cadres affiliated to ISIS in the recent past. So far, NIA has arrested 24 accused (Jammu  &    Kashmir  -    01,    Karnataka  -  07,    Madhya  Pradesh  -  01, Maharashtra - 07, Tamil Nadu -01, Telangana - 04 and Uttar Pradesh 03) in the cases being investigated by the agency.

## LS.USQ.No. 903 FOR 1.3.2016

(c): The  ISIS  funding  in  India  is  mostly  through  the  self-financing mechanism.  However, Hawala channel has  also been  used in one or two instances to raise funds.

The Government has a well established strategy and institutional mechanism  to  effectively  deal  with    terrorist  financing  and  money laundering  problem.  The  Unlawful  Activities  (Prevention)  Act,  1967 (UAPA) and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) are effective  instrumentalities  to  combat  offences  relating  to  Terrorist Financing  and  Money  Laundering.    A  special  Combating  Financing  of Terrorism (CFT) Cell has been created in the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2011, to coordinate with the Central Intelligence/ Enforcement Agencies  and  the  State  Law  Enforcement  Agencies  for  an  integrated approach to tackle the problem of terror funding.  A Terror Funding and Fake Currency Cell has also been set up in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to investigate Terror Funding cases.

The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 has been strengthened by amendments in 2013 which inter-alia includes enlarging the scope of proceeds of terrorism  to include any property

## LS.USQ.No. 903 FOR 1.3.2016

intended  to  be  used  for  terrorism,  enlarging  the  scope  of  Section  17 relating  to  punishment  for  raising  funds  for  terrorist  act  by  including within  its  scope,  raising  of  funds  both  from  legitimate  or  illegitimate sources  by  a  terrorist  organization,  terrorist  gang  or  by  an  individual terrorist,  and  includes  within  its  scope    offences  by  companies, societies or trusts.

The  PMLA  has  also  been  strengthened  in  2013  by  incorporating the provisions relating to removing the monetary threshold for schedule offences, strengthening confiscation and provisional attachment  powers  with  regard  to  money  laundering  investigation, covering new financial institutions and designated non-financial business  and  professions  within  the  scope  of  PMLA,  enhancing  the powers of Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) to access information from banks  and  financial  institutions  and  introduction  of  broad  range  of sanctions under PMLA including sanctions against designated Directors  and  employees  of  reporting  entities.  Thus,  both  PMLA  and UAPA have sufficiently stringent provisions to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.

## LS.USQ.No. 903 FOR 1.3.2016

(d) & (e): The  ISIS is using various internet  based  platforms for propaganda and to propagate its ideology. The Intelligence and Security agencies monitor the cyber space closely to identify potential recruits and keep them under surveillance and take further action, if necessary.

In  order  to  assess  the  threat  posed  by  ISIS/ISIL  and  to  devise  a national  strategy  to  deal  with  it,  meetings  have  been  held  by  the Ministry  of  Home  Affairs  with  all  the  Central  agencies  concerned  and the State Governments on 01.08.2015 and 16.01.2016 respectively.

The government has taken all necessary measures to counter the incipient  threat  posed  by  the  ISIS  and  further  details  cannot  be disclosed in the interest of national security.

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