Human trafficking poses money laundering risk: FATF

New Delhi, July 21: Illicit money from the country is being laundered to the USA and UK by organised human trafficking syndicates, a global body setting standards for combating terror financing and money laundering has said for the first time in its latest report.

The United Kingdom's Department of Home Affairs has found that an organised gang of human traffickers operating from India, South Africa and the UK was instrumental in illegally sneaking 200 migrants into the country and the total crime money involved in the clandestine operation was about Rs 6 crore, a report by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) said.

The FATF, of which India became the 34th member last year, has placed on record instances of this undated crime in its recent report, titled, ''Money Laundering Risks Arising from Trafficking in Human Beings and Smuggling of Migrants''.

(The first) case involves an organised criminal syndicate which operated from India, South Africa and the United Kingdom. They assisted people from India to get into the UK by smuggling them through South Africa.

"When the people arrived in South Africa, another member of the syndicate would arrange identity documents and passports for them by supplying false information to the Department of Home Affairs."

"Upon obtaining their travel documents they would then leave for the UK. In this manner, more than 200 persons were assisted to get to the UK. The average amount charged was ZAR 40,000 per person and it would either be paid in cash or in installments into the bank account of the syndicate member in South Africa."

"Bank statements of the South African member were obtained and it reflected scores of deposits of ZAR 2,000 from various persons," the report said, while describing the operations of an organised syndicate operating in India.

PTI