"The FSB deems it necessary to toughen the punishment for credit organizations and their top managers for financing terrorist activities and organized crime," Nikolai Patrushev said in an interview for the Thursday edition of government daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta.
Patrushev called on the Central Bank of Russia to be more responsive to the signals sent by law enforcement agencies. "It is inadmissible to earn money on blood," he said, adding that eliminating terrorism's financial channels was the FSB's priority.
Patrushev said special services and law enforcement agencies had to be given the authority to control financial flows and to freeze and arrest suspicious accounts. He also said financial and credit organizations should be obliged to cooperate with special services.
Patrushev cited U.S. law as an example, which makes it possible for law enforcement agencies to obtain information from banks and financial institutions when international terrorism is involved.
