BANGKOK, April 23 – Thailand’s justice minister will officially announce the names of 291 international terrorists whose monetary activities with banks and other financial institutions in Thailand will be immediately suspended, a senior official said.
Pol Col Seehanat Prayoonrat, secretary general of the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), said the list of global terrorists, supplied by the United Nations, will be given to commercial banks which are required to instantly cease business with them or transfer their assets.
Failing to do so makes the institution subject to a one million baht fine and a daily penalty of Bt10,000 until the bank follows the AMLO instruction. Executives or employees of financial institutions refusing to cooperate are liable to a three years’ imprisonment and a Bt300,000 fine.
AMLO is also compiling the names of Thai terrorists for legal action.
The move is in compliance with the global network Financial Action Task Force (FATF) which will assign a team of experts to Thailand next month to check if the country has fully implemented the laws on money laundering and terrorism financing.
The FATF team will submit its findings to the task force meeting in Norway in June when a decision is expected on whether Thailand will be removed from a “grey list.”
Terrorists in Thailand’s far South are AMLO’s major target.
