New Delhi, August 8, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Indian security and investigative agencies have flagged the emergence of organisations operating under the banner of charity, education, religion and healthcare as potential channels for illicit funding, including money allegedly intended to support terror activities and create unrest in the country.
Officials said investigations have revealed that some organisations may not always operate for the purposes they publicly claim, but instead function as front entities for collecting and transferring funds.
An Intelligence Bureau official said such organisations often maintain a low profile and avoid activities that could immediately attract suspicion. While their activities can eventually be traced, officials said establishing the flow and origin of funds remains a major challenge.
According to officials, illicit money is sometimes brought into India through legitimate banking channels in relatively small transactions designed to avoid scrutiny. The funds are subsequently withdrawn and transferred to the organisations concerned.
Hawala networks remain another significant route, officials said. Investigators have particularly examined such channels in Kerala, where a large overseas population, including workers in the Gulf region, provides opportunities for intermediaries to exploit informal remittance networks.
Officials said agents operating abroad can approach individuals and arrange for money to be routed to India alongside legitimate remittances sent to families. Intermediaries may then collect the funds from recipients and divert them towards organisations under investigation.
The large volume of such transactions makes the money trail particularly difficult to establish, officials said.
Over the past decade, agencies including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Intelligence Bureau have taken action against several organisations suspected of facilitating illicit funding. However, officials said new entities often emerge after existing organisations come under scrutiny or are shut down.
Investigators have also flagged organisations that operate only temporarily, particularly during natural disasters, communal disturbances or protests. Such entities may collect funds in the name of relief operations before allegedly diverting the money elsewhere, officials claimed.
Officials also cited the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), founded by controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, as an example that investigators have examined in the past. The IRF was accused by authorities of promoting extremist ideology and was declared unlawful by the Centre.
Officials said the newer organisations may not have the scale of the IRF, but their growing number and geographical spread pose a significant challenge to agencies tracking suspected terror-financing networks.
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