JEDDAH, 15 April 2006 — The financial intelligence unit at the Ministry of Interior has been monitoring several sources possibly offering financial support to terrorist operations in the Kingdom, press reports said yesterday.
“The unit has received several reports of suspicious financial dealings and it is taking required measures to foil them,” Al-Jazirah newspaper quoted Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, as saying.
“The unit undertakes investigation of all suspicious financial operations in order to dry up support for terrorist groups,” he added.
The security authorities have been on constant lookout for covert movements of terrorists in the country and have arrested 42 suspects in connection with the Feb. 24 attack on the key oil refinery in Abqaiq, the largest in the world.
According to an earlier ministry statement, security forces have tracked down a number of suspicious movements by people who were providing material and financial support to the terrorist cause.
The intelligence unit, which was established last year with its headquarters in Riyadh, will open branches in other cities when required, Al-Turki said.
Saudi Arabia has been playing a leading role in the global campaign on combating terror financing and money laundering. The Saudi law criminalizes both money laundering and financing terrorist operations.
