India Hosts First Counter-Terror Finance Workshop for Central Asia

23 Apr 2025 CW Team

In a significant move to bolster regional security, India hosted the inaugural Capacity Building Programme for Central Asian Republics (CARs) on Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT), focusing on emerging threats such as cryptocurrencies, crowdfunding, and misuse of Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs).

Organised by the Department of Revenue (DoR) in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), the two-day programme held on April 21–22, 2025, witnessed participation from senior experts of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

Indian agencies including the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Cell under DoR, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), and the Financial Intelligence Unit – India (FIU-IND) led the technical sessions. These sessions offered insights into operational best practices, risk mitigation, and case-based learning tailored to the Central Asian context.

An expert from the Eurasian Group (EAG), a FATF-style regional body, also contributed on Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and CFT frameworks, with a special focus on the challenges posed by virtual assets and the non-profit sector.

The sessions explored the use of financial intelligence in terror investigations, the vulnerabilities of Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs), crowdfunding abuse, and radicalisation funding mechanisms.

India’s proactive initiative reflects its commitment to enhancing global counter-terrorism cooperation and strengthening regional resilience against evolving financial threats linked to terrorism.

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