Terrorist finance
Countering terrorist finance is an important part of the Government’s response to terrorism and financial investigation is a key tool in the investigation of a number of terrorism offences. The vulnerabilities in the financial sector which are at risk of being exploited are broadly the same as those for the proceeds of crime. For that reason, the following powers in the Act are also extended to apply to investigations under TACT in relation to terrorist property and terrorist financing, and to the civil recovery of terrorist property under ATCSA, as well as POCA:
Disclosure orders;
Information sharing;
The powers to enhance the SARs regime; and
Seizure and forfeiture powers – for bank accounts and moveable stores of value.
	The Act provides the power to designate civilian staff employed by the police as Counter Terrorism Financial Investigators (CTFIs) and extends a number of investigatory powers under TACT and civil recovery powers under ATCSA, which are currently only available to constables, to CTFIs. Counter-terrorism police officers indicate that the extension of these powers to CTFIs will increase the capacity of the police to apply for the orders in question by over 50%. Accredited Financial Investigators (AFIs) are currently used frequently in proceeds of crime investigations.
	The Act also amends TACT to create a power so that court orders made in one part of the UK, for the purposes of or in connection with the investigation of terrorist financing, can be enforced in another part. This means, for example, that relevant orders made by a court in England can be enforced by courts in Scotland or Northern Ireland and vice versa.