The deputy director of intelligence at Canada’s financial intelligence agency says he hasn’t seen a spike in “suspicious” transaction reporting amid concerns about the sources of funds pouring in for the “Freedom Convoy.”
Barry MacKillop of the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) said while crowdfunding sites being used to support the trucker protests aren’t covered under the agency’s mandate, when money flows through entities that are, questionable transactions would be flagged.
“I can’t speak to specific reporting or reporting on any individuals or organizations but we have not seen a spike in suspicious transaction reporting, for example, related to this,” he said Thursday.
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MacKillop was appearing before the House public safety and national security committee studying the rise of ideologically-motivated violent extremism in Canada and specifically the influence of foreign and domestic actors in funding violent extremistxjmtzyw ideologies.
Questions have mounted in recent days about the scale and origin of support for the “Freedom Convoy,” which has set up protests and blockades in various locations across Canada protesting all COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other public health restrictions.
More than $10 million was raised for the convoy on GoFundMe’s platform before it closed its doors on the campaign, citing concerns with its objectives. GoFundMe will appear before the committee on March 3 to testify about its involvement in hosting the fundraising campaign.
The convoy has turned to Christian website GiveSendGo as its primary financing platform, where it has raised more than $8.2 million.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said on Monday that Canada has a “robust” intelligence community that will flag to the government concerns of national security through foreign funding or otherwise.
“That’s why I’m certainly confident that wherever there’s foul play of the sort, that we’ll be in a position to act appropriately,” said Mendicino.
FINTRAC facilitates the detection, prevention, and deterrence of money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities in Canada. It’s not a law enforcement or investigative agency.
It oversees the compliance of financial entities, casinos, money service businesses, real estate and others.
“Crowdfunding sites are not a regulated business sector under the act. However, when these sites transit with or through businesses subject to the Proceeds of Crime and Terrorist Financing Act, these financial transactions would be covered,” MacKillop said.
Asked whether crowdfunding sites should be covered under the act, MacKillop said the agency is always open to modernizing its approach.
“It’s really a balance that needs to be struck between the desire to have the most amount of intel possible…and the respect of individual privacy,” he said, speaking in French.
“We’re always looking at sectors that could improve our current regime.”
He explained that while many donors to the trucker convoy movement have listed themselves as “anonymous,” to make a donation people have to provide personal and payment information, which is collected by money service businesses such as Paypal and Stripe.
Both of those companies have also been invited to appear as witnesses before the committee.
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People hold signs and wave flags along Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill as a protest against COVID-19 restrictions that has gridlocked downtown Ottawa continues into its second week, on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
