Nexus between terrorists, criminals strengthens: UNODC official

DohaThe links between terrorists and criminals have strengthened over the last decade, the Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Yury Fedotov said Tuesday at a high-level session on terrorism financing at the 13th Crime Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.Speaking on the sidelines of the event Fedotov said: "We have witnessed the strengthening and increased sophistication of links between transnational organised criminal networks and terrorists in many regions across the world”.The UNODC chief said the gravity of this worrying nexus had been recognised by the UN Security Council in its recent resolutions 2195 and 2199. The resolutions highlighted the importance of redoubling efforts to prevent terrorists from benefiting from transnational organized crime.“Going after the terrorist ‘business model’ and disrupting financial flows remains a major challenge, one that requires a comprehensive, integrated approach that reaches out to all sectors and actors involved, private and public, and leaves no gaps for the terrorists and criminals to exploit.” Fedotov said criminals were the weak link due to the likelihood they would be detected. On those groups financing terrorist activities he said they often funneled money via countries with poor counter-financing laws and expertise.International co-operation was essential in these areas as was ratifying and implementing the conventions against transnational organised crime and corruption.Fedotov said the UNODC’s Global Programme against Money Laundering, Proceeds of Crime and the Financing of Terrorism also had an important role in global efforts to counter the terrorists. To support the Member States he said the UN had created a working group chaired by UNODC on countering the financing of terrorism as part of the Counter-terrorism Implementation Task Force. He also said the UNODC was pushing ahead with promoting the ratification and full implementation of the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism.The top UNODC official also said the nexus between terrorists and criminals was “an evolving threat, with ever-changing modi operandi. We need to be swift, innovative and ready to learn.” The high- level event was chaired by the Head of the Terrorism Prevention Branch Trevor Rajah.Speakers included the Minister of Justice of Lebanon Ashraf Rifi, the Acting Minister of Justice of Afghanistan Said Yusuf Halem, Deputy Minister of Interior of Iraq, Aqeel Kareem Khazel, and the Executive Director, United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate Jean-Paul Laborde.