Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Terrorist financing

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  1. Our role

Terrorist activity financing, as defined by the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, is the use of funds, property or other services to encourage, plan, assist or engage in acts of terrorism, where the primary motivation is not financial gain.

There are two main differences that set apart terrorist activity financing from money laundering:

  • Funds can be from legitimate sources, not just criminal acts
  • Money is the means, not the end. The goal is to use funds to facilitate or implement terrorist activities

Our role

Under section 83.08 of the Criminal Code, financial institutions are to freeze assets of entities that meet the definition of a terrorist group and notify the RCMP and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service of the freeze. The Federal Policing National Security's role is to conduct a review and determine if the RCMP supports the freeze.

Additionally, the national security teams conduct, in collaboration with a multitude of domestic and international stakeholders, complex terrorist financing investigations to trace and stop the financial flows linked to terrorism and prosecute those responsible. Subject matter experts are continually tracking global trends in terms of terrorist financing to better interdict access to the financial system for illicit purposes.

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