Lok Sabha Question No. 440 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-01
Subject: Terrorist Funding
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: A. ARUNMOZHITHEVAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 440 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 1ST  DECEMBER, 2015/AGRAHAYANA 10, 1937 (SAKA)

## TERRORIST FUNDING

440. SHRI A. ARUNMOZHITHEVAN:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has effectively implemented the anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing laws;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether India continue to be a major target for a range of terrorist groups; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b) :   The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) and the Unlawful  Activities  (Prevention  )  Act,  1967  (UAPA)  are  effective  laws  to combat  offences  relating  to  Money  Laundering  and  Terrorist  Financing. The PMLA has been strengthened in 2013 by incorporating the provisions relating to removing of the monetary threshold for the scheduled 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.

The Section 51A of the UAPA empowers the Central Government to freeze,  seize  or  attach  funds  and  other  financial  assets  of  individuals  or entities engaged in or suspected to be engaged in terrorism.  The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 has also been strengthened by amendments  in  2013  which  inter-alia  includes  increasing  the  period  of declaration of an association as unlawful from 2 to 5 years, enlarging the scope of proceeds of terrorism  to include any property 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,  includes  within  its  scope  the offences  by  companies,  societies  or  trusts.  Thus,  both  PMLA  and  UAPA have  sufficiently  stringent  provisions  to  combat  money  laundering  and terrorist financing.

On  the  basis  of  the  inputs  obtained  from  Central  and  State  Law Enforcement Agencies a total of 217 FIRs have been registered and 132 charge sheets have been filed in the courts in terror financing cases since the  year  2006  till  date.  These  include  the  11  cases  investigated  by National Investigation Agency (NIA).

(c) & (d):   The Government has taken all necessary measures to safeguard India's territorial integrity and safety and security of its citizens.  In this regard, there is a very close and effective coordination among Intelligence Agencies  at  the  Centre  and  the  State  levels  on  sharing  of  intelligence related to terrorist outfits.  The intelligence inputs about possible designs and  threats  are  shared  with  the  State  Governments  /  Union  Territory Administration  concerned  on  a  regular  basis.    The  Multi-Agency  Centre (MAC) has been strengthened and re-organized to enable it to function on 24  x  7  basis    for  real  time  collation  and  sharing  of  intelligence  which ensures  seamless  flow  of  information  between  States  /  Union  Territory Administration and the Central Agencies. This has resulted in bursting of a number of terrorist modules in the country.

*****