Pulwama terrorists used Amazon to order bomb materials, says global terror financing watchdog FATF
Pulwama attack
and the 2022 Gorakhnath Temple assault in Uttar Pradesh. In a recent report, FATF raised concerns about terrorists increasingly using e-commerce platforms and online payment services to procure materials and transfer money for their operations, a TOI report stated.
Pulwama attack involved online procurement
The FATF report noted that a key chemical used in the Pulwama bombing, aluminium powder, was purchased through an ad network on Amazon. "Investigations revealed the cross-border movement of a large quantity of explosives into India. Notably, a key component of the improvised explosive device used in the attack , aluminium powder, was procured through EPOM Amazon, an ad network. This material was used to enhance the impact of the blast," the report said.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had earlier named Waiz-ul-Islam as one of the accused in the case. According to the chargesheet, 'He personally delivered the items to JeM terrorists after procuring the incriminating material online as a part of the conspiracy to carry out the Pulwama attack.'
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The chargesheet, filed in a special court in Jammu, also stated, 'Accused Sajjad Bhat had purchased a Maruti Eeco car for the purpose of carrying out the IED attack.' JeM chief Moulana Masood Azhar, his brothers Rouf Asgar and Ammar Alvi, suicide bomber Adil Ahmed Dar, and 15 others were named as accused in the case.
PayPal used in Gorakhnath Temple attack
FATF also cited the April 2022 attack on security personnel at Gorakhnath Temple in Uttar Pradesh. The report said, 'On April 3, 2022, the accused individual attacked security personnel at Gorakhnath Temple, influenced by the Islamic State's ideology.'
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It noted that the accused had used PayPal to transfer funds to the Islamic State. The report also mentioned that the individual had used a virtual private network (VPN) to avoid detection and carried out 44 payments using third-party transactions.
FATF warning on online abuse by terrorists
The FATF report stressed that these examples showed a rising trend of terrorists exploiting online platforms to support their operations. It urged nations and digital service providers to strengthen checks to prevent such misuse.
The cases, according to FATF, illustrate how technology can be repurposed for terrorist agendas if not adequately monitored.
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