Terrorism Investigations: Parallel Probes Target Financing Offences
A New Approach to Disrupting Terrorist Financing Networks
In a bid to disrupt terrorist financing networks, investigators are now conducting parallel investigations that combine expertise from both investigative backgrounds to tackle terrorism offences and related money laundering schemes. This approach is recommended by 30 states and involves developing proactive parallel financial investigations that identify the proceeds of crimes currently under investigation for seizure or restraint.
Benefits of Parallel Financial Investigations
- Ensures assets do not dissipate or disappear, preventing illegal profits from infiltrating the legal economy
- Removes the means for committing future crimes
- Identifies motives, associations, and links to people and places
- Locates suspects, witnesses, or victims
- Provides information on suspect movements
- Traces persons
The Process of Parallel Financial Investigations
Financial investigations are data-intensive, involving records such as bank account information that point to the movement of money. The goal is to identify and document the flow of funds during the commission of an offence, linking sources, recipients, timing, and storage or deposit locations to prove criminal activity.
Information Sharing and Coordination
Information, intelligence, and evidence obtained during parallel investigations can be shared to avoid duplication of services. For example, intercepted communications may reveal information related to both predicate offences and associated money laundering schemes.
Enhancing Predicate Offence Investigations
Financial investigations can also enhance and corroborate predicate offence investigations by providing insight into criminal organizations’ hierarchies, exposing them to possible prosecution. By sharing resources and expertise, investigators can effectively target the top echelons of these criminal networks.
Standard Operating Procedures and Task Forces
To ensure effective coordination, countries are encouraged to establish standard operating procedures for investigative agencies, including checklists or outlines of essential elements for conducting financial investigations. In large, complex cases, multi-disciplinary groups or task forces are assembled to ensure effective handling of investigations, prosecutions, and confiscations.
A Game-Changer in the Fight Against Terrorism Financing
The parallel investigation approach has been hailed as a game-changer in the fight against terrorism financing, allowing law enforcement authorities to target criminal networks more effectively and disrupt their ability to fund illicit activities. With this approach, investigators can now target the root of terrorist financing networks, bringing criminals to justice and preventing further harm.