Nepal to freeze assets of Dawood, Al Qaeda-linked suspects

The Nepal government today directed authorities to freeze assets of over 200 individuals, including India's most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, on charges of having links with Al Qaeda.
Authorities have been directed to freeze the assets of 224 individuals and 64 groups, Home Ministry spokesperson Shanker Prasad Koirala told PTI.
Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, who India says is currently living in the Pakistani port city of Karachi, was among the individuals named in a list issued by the Home Ministry for having links with Al Qaeda.
The Home Ministry said action had been taken against individuals and groups identified by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as entities having links with the international terror network.

Under the Security Council's resolutions, UN member states have to freeze assets and impose a travel ban and embargo on such individuals and entities, spokesperson Koirala said.
The action is in line with Nepal's commitment to UN principles and its adoption of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, he said.

The Act has provisions to freeze the properties of those who invest in organisations, groups, and people involved in terrorist activities or in manufacturing or sale of weapons.
"As per our commitment to the UN resolution and recommendation made by the ministry of foreign affairs, we have asked the concerned government authorities to freeze the proprieties or bank account(s) or financial transactions," the Home Ministry spokesperson said.

Indian security agencies have for long said that several Pakistan-backed terrorists and militant groups have been using Nepal as a transit point and base for their activities.
Recently, senior Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Abdul Karim Tunda and Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal were arrested near the Indo-Nepal border.