"Charity ruse is funding terror of Islamic State"
- Details
- Category: Islam
- Created: Saturday, 13 September 2014 23:30
- Written by Daniel Meers - The Daily Telegraph
ISLAMIC State supporters are siphoning money from charities and using not-for-profit organisations as a guise to transfer funds from Australia to finance terrorism.
The revelations are another low for the barbaric butchers, who have slaughtered thousands of innocents across Syria and Iraq.
The Daily Telegraph understands there have been instances where bogus organisations purporting to be raising money for aid in the Middle East have been set up.
Government agencies are monitoring the foreign transactions of charity organisations, and are watching charities that have been infiltrated by terror supporters.
Some charities might innocently be sending money to bogus operations overseas.
The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre raised the concerns in the Australian Terrorism Financing report.
“Some Australian based charities and NPOs (non-profit organisations) have been exploited by terrorist groups to raise money,” the report says. “The risks associated with the misuse of charities and NPOs are high as these organisations offer the capacity for groups to raise relatively large amounts of money over time.’’
“Domestic charities and NPOs are at risk of being misused by overseas terrorist groups which have a supporter base among communities in Australia.’’
Intelligence agencies believe there are a mix of people who are knowingly misusing the charities and others who are unaware of the destination of their money.
“Some donors may willingly provide donations to support the groups, while other donors, and the charities themselves, may be coerced, extorted or misled about the purpose of funding,’’ the report said. “Funds sent overseas by charities with legitimate intentions can also be intercepted when they reach their destination country and siphoned off for use by terrorist groups.”
Terror groups have turned to charities as a vehicle to move sizeable funds because surveillance of financial transfers has increased significantly.
The government has committed $20 million as part of its $630 million counterterrorism package to targeting the financing of terror organisations in Australia.
Despite the concerns, authorities believe terror financing in Australia is still in its infancy.
Attorney-General George Brandis said it was an offence to knowingly contribute to a terrorist organisation regardless of the form of payment.
Supporting a terrorist organisation financially potentially carries a penalty of life imprisonment.
AUSTRAC have employed new analysts and have updated technology to follow money trails out of Australia. (Source : http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/charity-ruse-is-funding-terror-of-islamic-state/story-fni0cx12-1227059675528&subject=Charity%20ruse%20is%20funding%20terror%20of%20Islamic%20State)
