Lashkar-e-Taiba Financing

Group financing profile

Pakistan is no stranger to terrorist groups, and one that has operated in its borders since 1984 is Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). A co-founder of the group, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, has recently been sentenced to 31 years in prison for terrorism financing, although he has previously been both convicted of similar offences, and released from prison on other occasions. Saeed’s militant group has conducted high profile terrorist attacks, the latest of which was a 2018 attack on an Indian Border Security Force vehicle. The most infamous attack conducted by LeT was the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, when ten fighters held the city in a siege for 60 hours. This article looks at how the group finances its activities.

Lashkar-e-Taiba is based and operates primarily in Pakistan. The group is also active within Afghanistan and has targeted several military and civilian targets in India. LeT supports the Afghan Taliban, maintains ties to the Al Qaeda global network, and is allied with the Indian Mujahideen. The group’s powerful relationships and diversified funding streams allows them to maintain operational strength.