Money laundering suspected: More payment banks under scanner

NEW DELHI: Extra fee banks might face regulatory motion because the Monetary Intelligence Unit (FIU) has detected about 50,000 accounts with out know-your-customer (KYC) verification and doubtlessly engaged in suspicious transactions and cash laundering actions.

About 30,000 of those are with funds banks apart from Paytm Funds Financial institution and particulars have already been given to the Reserve Financial institution of India (RBI), which is wanting into these and has sought additional data, stated folks with information of the matter. The banking regulator didn’t reply to queries.

The lapses by such banks embody nonreporting of suspicious transactions, not sustaining particulars of helpful house owners and registration of a number of customers utilizing a single earnings tax everlasting account quantity (PAN).

The FIU will ship an in depth report on deficiencies affecting the funds banks earlier than March 31.

“There have been 175,000 accounts which had been non-compliant, out of which 50,000 had been engaged in actions which had been suspicious in nature and used for cash laundering,” a senior authorities official advised ET.

An FIU report on Paytm Funds Financial institution had been given to the RBI 4 months again, stated the official. The most recent report contains violations on the financial institution that aren’t simply restricted to KYC non-compliance.

All reporting entities, together with fee gateways, are alleged to report suspicious transactions to the FIU, an investigation arm of the finance ministry empowered beneath the Prevention of Cash Laundering Act (PMLA). It analyses the knowledge and sends it to numerous intelligence companies such because the Directorate of Enforcement and regulatory authorities just like the RBI.

Part 13 of the PMLA says that afinancial establishment, financial institution, or middleman has to furnish particulars to the FIU about sustaining information of all transactions and paperwork on the id of purchasers and helpful house owners in addition to account recordsdata and enterprise correspondence referring to purchasers.

The RBI had on January 31 ordered Paytm Funds Financial institution to cease all fundamental fee companies by varied platforms and digital avenues, together with the Unified Funds Interface (UPI), with impact from February 29. ET first reported on February 3 concerning the ED probe into Paytm. ED was probing the Mahadev app rip-off and detected about 10,000 UPI accounts registered with Paytm allegedly getting used for cash laundering.

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