E-Paper
ED unearths Hijbul Mujahideen’s narco-terror network in J&K, one nabbed
ED nabbed an accused involved in operating a narco-terrorism module, busted by the police in 2019, leading to seizure and identification of drugs and illicit cash
In a major crackdown on economic ecosystem of narco- terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), on Tuesday, arrested a narco operative in connection with a case involving narco-terrorism, linked to funding of the subversive activities of Hijbul Mujahideen (HM) terror outfit, said officials.
He was identified as Laddi Ram of Kathua.
The Court of Principal District and Sessions Judge (Designated PMLA Court), Jammu, on Tuesday, granted his ED custody for four days, said an ED official.
“This is the third arrest by ED in the case, following the earlier arrest of criminal masterminds, viz., Arshad Ahmed Allie and Fayaz Ahmed Dar, in the case,” said the official.
ED initiated investigation on the basis of FIR and chargesheets filed by J&K Police against accused Arshad Ahmed Allie, Fayaz Ahmed Dar, Laddi Ram and other accused persons under the sections of NDPS Act, 1985 and UA(P) Act, 1967.
They were involved in operating a narco-terrorism module, busted by the police in 2019, leading to seizure and identification of drugs and illicit cash.
Accused Altaf Hafiz, a religious teacher, acted in smuggling of heroin into India as per directions from Pakistan based handlers. Accused Arshad Ahmed Allie, assisted by accused Fayaz Ahmed Dar, used to pick heroin from Altaf Hafiz and utilized his business, M/s New Style Car Bazaar, Bijbehara in Anantnag for the distribution of the drugs to accused Laddi Ram.
Laddi Ram sold the drugs in J&K and Punjab and remitted the proceeds to Arshad, who in turn routed the funds to accused Latief Dar and Shafi Bhat, former militants of Hijbul Mujahideen (HM).
Dar and Bhat then distributed the funds to sponsor terrorist activities. “All these accused persons were acting on the directions of Pakistan based accused persons acting as financiers and handlers of HM for anti-India activities,” said the ED officer.
ED investigation, into the forward and backward linkages of the financial transactions, unearthed a network of collusion of drug smuggling and terrorism.
Laddi Ram used to transfer the drug money via banking transactions to Arshad Allie.
The transaction profiling of the bank accounts in the case revealed huge cash deposits, running into crores, obtained via drugs sales, routed through multiple suspected interconnected transactions, disguising the actual source and nature of funds, said the officer.
The investigation into this case remains ongoing as the Directorate of Enforcement continues to pursue leads and gather evidence.
