India is set to highlight the funding of a mosque construction in Haryana by Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) and receipt of foreign funds by controversial outfit PFI as major sources of Islamic radicalisation at a plenary of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to be held between February 16 to 21 in Paris.
A team of officials led by Financial Intelligence Unit-India chief is heading to Paris to attend the FATF meet and lobby at the multilateral body against terror financing.
The FIU-India team will comprise officials from the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Enforcement Directorate, Intelligence Bureau and Ministries of Home and Finance, sources said, adding they have have been tasked to lobby against terror funding and related issues like radicalisation.
Track trail back of funding for construction of Khulafala-e-Rashideen mosque at village Uttawar in Palwal by the NIA in October 2018 revealed that it was allegedly built with the help of funding by LeT.
The Imam of the Masjid, Mohammed Salman, arrested by the NIA, allegedly received Rs 70 lakh from a Dubai-based Pakistani citizen Kamran. Salman is alleged to have received the money through Hawala from Dubai. The NIA is probing the terror funding case and suspects that Kamran was working for LeT and used to provide funds for terrorist activities in India.
Likewise, the Popular Front of India and NGO Rehab India Foundation linked to the outfit are being probed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act by the ED in connection with a case registered in 2018. The agency has claimed receipt of funds to the tune of Rs 120 crore by the PFI and entities related to it are being probed from money laundering angle. The agency also suspects that the PFI used the funds for violent protests against CAA in various states. However, PFI has denied the allegations.
Agencies also suspect that a portion of the PFI funding came from UAE and could have been used for Islamic radicalization.
Meanwhile, sources said the efficacy of Pakistan's decision to send LeT founder and 26/11 terror attack mastermind Hafiz Sayeed to jail remains to be seen as it came just days ahead of FATF review on Islamabad's action against terror networks operating from the country.
A Pakistani court on Wednesday sentenced Sayeed to 11 years' prison in two cases relating to terror financing.
Last year, the FATF asked Pakistan to fully implement its anti-terror action plan by February 2020 or face severe action. Pakistan was already kept under the "grey list" of countries by the FATF for failing to contain terror financing.
"The decision (to put Sayeed behind bars) has been made on the eve of FATF Plenary meeting, which has to be noted. Hence, the efficacy of this decision remains to be seen," an official said, reacting to the Pak decision on the terror mastermind's sentencing.
India has been pressing Pakistan to take action against terror masterminds involved in cross-border terror attacks including the Mumbai and Pathankot attacks.
The sentencing of Sayeed is also being seen as a Pakistani ploy to keep the US President Donald Trump in good humour as he is visiting India later this week.