FBI Chief: US investigative agency is looking into the San Francisco assault on the Indian Consulate with vigor

Wray meets NIA: Here in the nation’s capital, visiting FBI Director Christopher A. Wray held a meeting with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Biden’s top investigative official. The topics discussed included the acts and activities of terrorist-organized criminal networks, the ongoing US investigations into the attack on the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, and the investigation of cyber-terror and cyber-crimes of all kinds.

A thorough debate was held about the assault on the Indian embassy in San Francisco, as well as the investigations into other forms of cyberterror and cybercrimes. According to the source, Wray’s visit marks a milestone in strengthening the US and India’s national agencies’ collaboration and shared resolve to fight terrorism in all of its forms worldwide.

Dinkar Gupta, the Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), emphasized the ongoing connection between members of organized crime syndicates and terrorist organizations, which was also expanding to the US.

The official said that frank and extensive talks on a variety of topics, including the actions and pursuits of terrorist-affiliated criminal networks, took place during the conference.

The Khalistani problem was explored.
The discussion took place shortly after Washington claimed that there was an Indian connection to an attempted assassination of Sikh rebel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on US grounds. An inquiry team has already been established in India to look into the claims. According to Wray, there are many parallels between the two agencies—far more than there are differences.

The director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said that there was now a blurring of the barriers between terrorists and criminals in cyberspace about the relationship between terror actors and organized crime syndicates.

He noted that terror incidents such as the 9/11 attacks and the Mumbai attacks have altered the way that countries respond to terror threats. He emphasized that in order to address the ever-evolving challenges and threats posed by terrorism, the FBI and NIA must step up their partnership and cooperation.

US expresses worries over cybersecurity
The NIA DG brought up the growing threat landscape in the cyber sector during the discussion. He stated that extremists and terrorists were also successfully using digital space for recruiting and the spread of extreme ideas. The NIA was also observing the usage of cryptocurrencies for funding terrorist activities.

According to Wray, more and more cybercrimes are being perpetrated to finance terrorists. “This evolution of the cyber-threat needs a joint response towards investigation of cyber-threat cases,” he said. The seminar also included a discussion of the challenges faced by law enforcement organizations worldwide when attempting to collect data via encryption applications.

The official said that tracing, monitoring, and researching cryptocurrency transactions is becoming more difficult due to the rapid development of newer technology. The official said that both agencies were aware of the difficulties presented by ransomware threats, cyber-enabled terror strikes, organized criminal networks, international terror crimes, and cyber-related crimes.

Wray said that there are chances for law enforcement agencies to collaborate in novel ways as a result of emerging difficulties.

FBI and NIA are actively looking into the assault on the Indian Consulate.
He expressed gratitude to the NIA for the long-term partnership between the two organizations and expressed excitement at the prospect of exploring new avenues for future cooperation. Wray also let the NIA know that the FBI was looking into the assault on the San Francisco Indian Consulate very seriously.

A gang of people broke into the Indian embassy General in San Francisco on March 19, damaging property, assaulting embassy staff, and committing criminal trespass.

They also sprayed combustible materials on the Consulate building early in the morning in an effort to ignite it.

A few unknown assailants then attempted to burn down the embassy building around midnight on July 2. The FBI has been a vital partner in the training and capacity development of Indian police personnel, and the DG NIA expressed gratitude for this.