BSA Data Helps Disrupt Terrorism Support Network

PDF Download : May2015_Case6.pdf

This case out of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida exemplifies how BSA data can intersect with other criminal investigative techniques to paint a full picture of terrorism material support and other threat finance crimes. The case originated in 2008 with BSA data concerning an individual who was later convicted of conspiring to provide and providing material support to the Pakistani Taliban. The defendant funneled money to Pakistan as Taliban insurgents fought for greater control in northwest Pakistan. BSA data was critical in uncovering the diverse and complex methods the individual used to send money from the United States to Pakistan, each of which was designed to conceal and support his activities. Investigators uncovered at least three methods: 1) wire transfers from the United States to Pakistan, where an associate picked up and administered the funds; 2, transfers of funds from cashier's checks drawn on U.S. banks to a bank in Pakistan where co-conspirators could draw checks; and 3) bulk cash carried by family members and other travelers from the United States to Pakistan. SAR narratives helped explain how funds traveled from the United States to areas of Pakistan. The timing of this case proved extremely helpful in the fight against the Pakistan Taliban as important information gleaned from BSA records proved critical in obtaining other leads. The data led to subpoenas for bank and financial records (admissible evidence), alerted investigators to the use of wire transfers, and revealed the centrality of specific bank accounts to the scheme. This case demonstrates that BSA data, when taken with other resources at the disposal of law enforcement, can effectively disrupt terrorism support networks and mitigate other threats to public safety.

[Posted May 2015]