FATF lauds France for its sanctions on terrorist Masood Azhar

Paris, May 18: Financial Action Task Force (FATF) applauded France in its mutual evaluation report released on Tuesday (May 17), for acting against terrorist Masoor Azhar and Jaish - e - Mohammad (JeM) after Pulwama attacks in India, of 2019. France is depriving terrorists of their assets to a large extent.

 

 

 

 

The report summarizes the 'Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism' (AML/CFT) measures in place in France as on the date of the on - site visit from June to July, last year. According to the FATF, after the Pulwama attack that took place on Feb 14, 2019, France proposed a draft European listing, while supporting a United Nation 1267 listing, which was obtained on May 1 2019.

 

 

 

 

 

On Feb 14, 2019, a terror attack was carried out in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama by a suicide bomber, resulting in the martyrdom of 40 CRPF personnel. The suicide bomber was identified as JeM's Adil Ahmad Dar, who rammed his vehicle into a bus with the CRPF convoy. FATF said in the report, "After a suicide attack carried out by terrorist organization JeM, which is affiliated to Al Qaeda, that killed 45 officers of the CRPF in India's Pulwama on Feb 14, 2019, France adopted a national freezing measure on Mar 15 against Mohamed Masood Azhar Alvi, the founder and leader of the terrorist organization."

 

 

The report also analyses the level of compliance with the FATF 40 recommendations and the level of effectiveness of France's AML/CFT system and provides recommendations on how the system could be strengthened. As per the report, France plays an active role in proposing designations on the EU and UN TFS lists. According to the report, France is depriving terrorists, terrorist organizations and financers of their assets to a large extent and by various means, especially asset freezing measures and confiscation decisions.