In its recent discovery, the Eurasian Group has tracked down more than 600 individuals having connections with global networks involved in financing terror activities this year, according to the organisation's top officials.  

Discovering ways to finance international terrorists and their backers has become a major challenge. The topic was thoroughly discussed at the 41st plenary meeting of the EAG, which includes nine countries, said EAG chairman Yuri Chikhanchin on Friday. He was speaking at a press conference following the conclusion of the five-day meeting that started on November 25. The nine nations that make up the EAG are Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, India, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan."This is the biggest challenge that we are facing - identifying channels of financing, financiers and sustainment of international terrorists because we all are international these days," Chikhanchin said. 

"This year itself, over 600 people have been identified in our region via the analysis of financial intelligence units (FIU) of countries associated with EAG. We have identified these people on the basis of their financial behaviour. This is a great result, and it will give us more opportunities in the future to enhance this work," the organisation chairman said. According to him, this was a huge success and would open up new avenues for strengthening the effort to find those responsible for funding terrorists. In response to a question about Afghanistan, he stated that the dangers associated with terrorism are not specific to any one nation in the current global environment.

"The risk of terrorism across the region is the most prevalent and most troubling. Afghanistan is one country in which the risk of terrorism is still relevant. We are thinking about joint measures to tackle this risk emanating from Afghanistan," Chikhanchin said. He claims that approaches to improve the organisation's ties with Afghanistan and lower the threat of terrorism were discussed in one of the EAG meetings. "We have discussed in one of our meetings how to fortify and enhance our relations with Afghanistan and how to minimise the risk and the situation there that it still triggers," he added. 

When asked about the impact of ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia on the global fight against money laundering and terror financing, Chikhanchin stated, "Eurasian Group is a purely technical organisation. We never discuss issues of political nature. We stand against terrorism financing and money laundering." Regarding whether the EAG might recommend banning cryptocurrencies due to their role in money laundering and terror financing, he explained that regulating cryptocurrencies is a complex issue, and the world needs to work together to find a solution. Vivek Aggarwal, who led the Indian delegation at the EAG meeting, mentioned that the five-day meeting was highly beneficial for the host country.

Aggarwal, the additional secretary of the revenue department in the Finance Ministry and the Director of the country's Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), mentioned that the 600 individuals identified by EAG chairman Chikhanchin in relation to terror financing cases also include people involved in international financial transactions. According to him, the units used to complete these transactions have also been identified in these instances. "The EAG meeting discussed in detail the terrorist financing from across the border in the Indian context. It discussed the role of organisations like Al Qaeda, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Lashkar-e-Taiba and their affiliates as well as the international transaction of money by them," said Aggarwal. 

The EAG meeting also talked about cases where money was transferred through cryptocurrencies, which could potentially support terrorism. The fintech industry and digital payment systems are rapidly growing in India, and the meeting also addressed the issue of cybercrimes and ways to handle them, said Aggarwal.