HomeCirculars › RBI/2022-23/171

UAPA Update: ISIL-Southeast Asia Added to UN Sanctions List

Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2022-23/171 · issued 30 Jan 2023 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI directs all regulated entities to freeze assets and deny services to Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant in South-East Asia (ISIL-SEA), added to the UNSC 1267/1989 sanctions list on January 27, 2022. Check existing accounts and update screening databases immediately.
Sanctions-list safety note. This circular refers to a specific UN Security Council / UAPA designated-entities list update as it stood on the date above — sanctions lists change often, and a newer update almost certainly exists today. Never use this page, or any single dated circular, as your current screening list. Always screen against the live, current list at the official UAPA proscribed-organisations list and the UN Consolidated List, and confirm the obligations for your bank on the official rbi.org.in source below.
The rule, in the simplest words
How it plays out — a real example

A KYC & compliance officer in Indore is reviewing new loan applications. She runs the applicant names through her bank's screening system and sees a match for 'ISIL-Southeast Asia'. She immediately freezes the linked account, stops the loan process, and reports the match to the FIU-IND and MHA as required by the RBI rule.

What changed

The UN Security Council added one new entity—Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant in South-East Asia (ISIL-SEA)—to its ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List effective January 27, 2022. Regulated entities must now treat this group as a designated terrorist entity under Section 51A of UAPA, 1967, and the RBI Master Direction on KYC.

What it means for you

Banks and other regulated entities must immediately screen all customers and transactions against this new entry and freeze any assets linked to ISIL-SEA. Non-compliance could attract regulatory action under UAPA and KYC directions. This update reinforces the obligation to maintain real-time sanctions screening and report any matches to the Financial Intelligence Unit and MHA.

What you must do

Who it affects

All scheduled commercial banks, Non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), Payment system operators, All other RBI-regulated entities

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).

What is the effective date for this sanctions update?

The UNSC added ISIL-SEA to its sanctions list on January 27, 2022, and RBI notified regulated entities on January 30, 2023. Compliance is required from the date of the RBI circular.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2022-23/171 DOR.AML.REC.99/14.06.001/2022-23 January 30, 2023 The Chairpersons/CEOs of all the Regulated Entities Madam/Dear Sir, Implementation of Section 51A of UAPA, 1967: Updates to UNSC’s 1267/ 1989 ISIL (Da'esh) & Al-Qaida Sanctions List: Addition of 1 entry Please refer to Section 51 of our Master Direction on Know Your Customer dated February 25, 2016 as amended on May 10 , 2021, in terms of which “Regulated Entities (REs) shall ensure that in terms of Section 51A of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) (UAPA) Act, 1967, they do not have any account in the name of individuals/entities appearing in the lists of individuals and entities, suspected of having terrorist links, which are approved by and periodically circulated by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).” 2. In this connection, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has informed about UNSC press release SC/15186 dated January 27, 2023 wherein the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida, and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities approved the addition of the entry specified below to its ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo set out in paragraph 1 of Security Council resolution 2610 (2021) and adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations: B. Entities and other groups QDe.169 Name: Islamic State In Iraq And the Levant In South-East Asia (ISIL-SEA, ISIL-South East Asia) Name (original script): na A.k.a.: a) Islamic State East Asia Division b) Dawlatul Islamiyah Waliyatul Mashriq F.k.a.: na Address: na Listed on: 27 Jan. 2022 Other information : Formed in June 2016 upon announcement by now-deceased Isnilon Hapilon (QDi.204). Associated with Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, listed as Al-Qaida in Iraq (QDe.115). INTERPOL-UN Security Council Special Notice web link: www.interpol.int/en/How-we-work/Notices/View-UN-Notices-Entities 3. The UNSC press releases concerning amendments to the list is available at URL: https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/sanctions/1267/press-releases 4. The details of the sanction measures and exemptions are available at the following URL: https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/sanctions/1267#further_information In view of the above, Regulated Entities (REs) are advised to take appropriate action in terms of section 51, 52 and 53 of the RBI Master Direction (MD) on Know Your Customer (KYC) dated February 25, 2016 as amended from time to time and strictly follow the procedure laid down in the UAPA Order dated Feb 02, 2021 annexed to the MD on KYC ibid. 5. Updated lists of individuals and entities linked to ISIL (Da'esh), Al-Qaida and Taliban are available at: www.un.org/securitycouncil/sanctions/1267/aq_sanctions_list https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/sanctions/1988/materials 6. Further, as per the instructions from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), any request for delisting received by any Regulated Entity (RE) is to be forwarded electronically to Joint Secretary (CTCR), MHA for consideration. Individuals, groups, undertakings or entities seeking to be removed from the Security Council’s ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List can submit their request for delisting to an independent and impartial Ombudsperson who has been appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General. More details are available at the following URL: https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/ombudsperson/application 7. REs are advised to take note of the aforementioned UNSC communications and ensure meticulous compliance. Yours faithfully, (Santosh Kumar Panigrahy) Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2022-23/171 · issued 30 Jan 2023. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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Worked example & action-note template

Example: if you are a Compliance officer at a bank this circular applies to (All scheduled commercial banks, Non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), Payment system operators, All other RBI-regulated entities), your first concrete step on “UAPA Update: ISIL-Southeast Asia Added to UN Sanctions List” is: “Update your UNSC sanctions screening database to include ISIL-SEA (QDe.169) and all aliases listed.” (RBI issued this 30 Jan 2023).

  1. Circular: RBI/2022-23/171 -- UAPA Update: ISIL-Southeast Asia Added to UN Sanctions List
  2. Issued: 30 Jan 2023
  3. Action required: Update your UNSC sanctions screening database to include ISIL-SEA (QDe.169) and all aliases listed.
  4. Action required: Freeze all accounts, transactions, and assets linked to this entity immediately and report to FIU-IND.
  5. Action required: Forward any delisting requests received from customers to Joint Secretary (CTCR), MHA electronically.
  6. Action required: Review and reinforce compliance with Sections 51, 52, and 53 of the RBI KYC Master Direction (Feb 25, 2016, as amended).
  7. Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
  8. Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
  9. Evidence filed in compliance register on: ____________
Built only from this circular’s own published fields — not legal advice; always confirm against the official RBI source.

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Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=12447&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
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