Why in news?

A two-day anti-terror conference 2024 in New Delhi will be inaugurated by the Union Home Minister. The event, hosted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), aims to shape future counter-terrorism policies and strategies.

NIA has outlined major issues for an upcoming two-day anti-terror conference in New Delhi, including the role of organized crime in terror funding in northeast India, the use of encrypted apps, connections between organized criminal gangs and terrorism, and the regulation of social media in terror cases.

These topics will be discussed with intelligence agency heads and state counter-terrorism squads.

What’s in today’s article?

• Organised Crime and Terror Funding
• Anti-terror conference 2024

Organised Crime and Terror Funding

• About Organised Crime
  • Organized crime refers to criminal enterprises that are systematically structured to engage in illegal activities for profit.
  • These criminal groups often operate with a high level of coordination, secrecy, and persistence, using violence and corruption to exert control over their operations.
  • In India, organized crime includes activities such as drug trafficking, arms smuggling, human trafficking, extortion, and illegal mining.
• Symbiosis between Organized Crime and Terrorism
  • Organized crime has developed a symbiotic relationship with terrorist groups. This collaboration allows both entities to thrive.
  • Terrorist organizations, such as those active in the region, often rely on the financial support provided by organized criminal gangs.
  • These groups, in turn, benefit from the protection and resources offered by the terrorist organizations.
  • This partnership helps sustain their operations, often in remote areas where the government has limited reach.
• Role of Organized Crime in Terror Funding
  • Organized crime and terrorism are linked in several ways, including: 
    • Illegal activities - Terrorist groups can fund their activities through illegal activities like: Drug trafficking; Human trafficking; Weapons trafficking; Extortion; Smuggling; Kidnapping for ransom. 
    • Legal sources - Terrorist groups can also fund their activities through legal sources like: Donations from wealthy benefactors; Front organizations; Business activities. 
    • Money laundering - Criminals can use the financial system to support terrorism through: The formal financial system; New payment methods like bitcoin and Ripple; Traditional methods of value transfer like hawala; Trade based money-laundering; Cash couriers.
• Case Example: Northeast India
  • In the northeastern states of India, particularly in Manipur, Nagaland, and Assam, insurgent groups have had long-standing ties with organized crime.
  • For instance, groups like the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) have been known to engage in extortion from businesses, smuggling of arms and drugs, and even running illegal taxation operations.
  • These activities have helped them finance their operations and sustain insurgency movements.
  • In recent years, the NIA and intelligence agencies have reported the increasing involvement of organized crime in financing terrorism.
  • The rise of criminal syndicates engaging in cross-border smuggling, coupled with the proliferation of firearms, has exacerbated the security situation in these regions.
  • The use of drones to drop drugs and arms across the India-Myanmar border has also become a significant concern.

Anti-terror conference 2024

• The two-day anti-terror conference, organized by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), will address several critical issues, including:
  • Terrorist Group Formation and Criminal Linkages
    • A focus on preventing the formation of new terrorist groups through a "ruthless" approach, as directed by Union Home Minister.
    • Discussion of organized crime's role in terror funding, especially in northeast India.
    • The rise of Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT) in southern states and transnational crime syndicates’ links to terrorism.
  • Case Studies and Emerging Threats
    • Detailed discussion of the Rameshwaram cafe blast, including the arrest of the accused through coordination between West Bengal police and the NIA.
    • Examination of new methods for arms and drug trafficking across borders using drones.
  • Counter-Terrorism Coordination and Strategy
    • Importance of a uniform anti-terror structure, with better coordination between counter-terrorism squads and local police at the district level.
    • Strategy to tackle terror financing and dismantle the terror ecosystem in areas affected by Left Wing Extremism.
  • Technological Challenges in Terrorism
    • The role of social media and encrypted applications in terrorism, including the use of VPNs, virtual numbers, and encrypted apps by terror groups.
    • The impact of narcotics trafficking on national security.
  • National Databases for Counter-Terrorism
    • Use of the NIA’s national-level terror database, which includes data on fingerprint records, terrorist cases, narco-offenders, and human trafficking offenders, to aid in investigations.