FBI watches al-Qaeda funds in SE Asia

Tue, 01 Apr 2003 | Source: AFP

SINGAPORE: The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is monitoring al-Qaeda's financial activities in Southeast Asia after the terrorist network's Middle East channels were disrupted, diplomats said.

Dennis Lormel, chief of the FBI's anti-terrorist financing unit, visited the region recently to meet with security officials and bankers in order to share the bureau's experience in choking terrorist funding, they said.

According to a presentation by Lormel made available to AFP, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia are being watched as possible sources of funds for the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), a Southeast Asian militant group linked to al-Qaeda.

The JI has allegedly been using legitimate businesses and non- government organizations (NGOs) in the region to raise funds for its operations and serve as fronts for clandestine activities.

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