Left-Wing extremists seeking to overthrow Govt with overseas funding: FATF on India

 

 

 

A TTEMPTS are on to destabilise India from within, and the funding for this is coming from outside India. The latest report of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) reveals that the ‘most frequent and significant’ source of terror financing in four of the six theatres of conflicts of India comes from ‘outside the borders of India’. And, Left Wing Extremism (LWE) is among these six theatres identified in the report. Apart from other areas of concern, the latest FATF report on India flags the threat of LWE, which is referred to as Naxalism or Maoism in India. Pointing out ‘a disparate range of terrorism threats categorised into six different theatres’, the FATF report lists‘Left-Wing extremist groups seeking to overthrow the Government’ as one of these six. A few days ago, the FATF released its Mutual Evaluation Report for India on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing measures. Apart from other things reported by media earlier, the FATF report states, “India faces a disparate range of terrorism threats, categorised into six different theatres.

 

These can be summarised as theatres associated with ISIL or Al Qaeda (AQ) linked extremist groups active in and around Jammu and Kashmir, whether directly or via proxies or affiliates, as well as other separatist movements in the region; other ISIL or AQ cells, their affiliates, or radicalised individuals in India; regional insurgencies in the North-East and North of India; and Left-wing extremist groups seeking to overthrow the government.” As per the report, the ‘most significant’ terrorism threats appear to relate to groups linked to ISIL or AQ active in and around Jammu and Kashmir. The terror financing risk assessmentidentifies various modes of terrorist funding. These include through sources outside India, organisedcriminalgangs,extortion, non-profit organisations (NPOs), fake Indian currency notes (FICN), narcotics financing, virtual assets, and illicit arms trafficking. AspertheFATFreport,each demonstrates differing magnitudedependingonthe theatre.Thereport citesexample too. “The most frequent and significant source of terror financing in four of the six theatres of conflicts of India comes from outside the borders of India, while extortion is a major source of funds for terrorist groups in the NorthEastandareasaffectedbyLeft Wing Terrorism,” it states.

 

TheissueofNPOs hasbeen on radar of the Indian agencies. Stating that India has identified 7,500NPOs as‘high risk’,theFATFreportalsonotes instances of ‘abuse of NPOs with links to terrorist organisations and radicalisation, havingreceivedfundingfrom foreigncountriesdisguisedas fundsforcharitableactivities’. The authorities have noted theuse of‘virtual assets’ to be an emerging trend for terror financingmore generallydue to the difficulties faced in tracking the funds flow. Since amendment to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA in 2019, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) hasincreasinglyusedthepower given to the Director General to grant approval to seize property acquired from proceeds of terrorism anywhere in India without having to seek permission from therespectiveStatePolice.The actions taken include seizure of both moveable and immoveable property. “The largejumpinamounts frozen inthefirsthalfof2023isattributable to one case relating to Left Wing Extremism which resultedintheseizureofproperty as well as over 150 accounts,”FATFreportstates.

 

Thespecificmentionofthe case dates back to March 3, 2023, when the NIA attached over Rs 20 crore inacase involving the proscribed Communist Party of India (Maoist). In the said action, morethan153bankaccounts, mutual fund accounts were attached,anditwasthelargest amount ever to be attached by the NIA in an LWE case. These accounts were earlier frozenundertheprovisionsof CriminalProcedure Codebut had been found to be ‘proceeds of terrorism’ during investigations warranting their attachment under the UAPA. As per the NIA press release issued back then, the NIA investigations had revealed that the accused MrutyunjayKumarSinghalias Sonu Singh, one of the partners of M/s Santosh Construction, had a ‘close nexus with top CPI (Maoist) cadres’.“Hehadprovidedcash funds to Maoist cadre Ravindra Ganjhu, a Regional Committee Member of CPI (Maoist) for furtherance of Maoist activities,” it had stated.These things had come to lightduring investigationof a casedatingbackto2020when a vehicle of Chandwa police station was attacked killing four police personnel and their arms, ammunition etc looted at Lokaiya More in LatehardistrictofJharkhand. CPI(Maoist)armedcadresled byGanjhuhadcarriedoutthe attack.