NIA arrests wanted accused in 2020 Kashmir narco-terror case

New Delhi, Nov 20: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a wanted accused in a 2020 Kashmir narco-terror case linked with a conspiracy of the banned Pakistan-based terrorist organisations to procure and sell narcotic drugs to raise funds for promoting terrorism.

Muneer Ahmad Banday, who had been evading arrest since the last four years, was a key part of the conspiracy, aimed at generating funds to spread terror in J&K and other parts of India. The funds were to be used for furtherance of terrorist activity in the UT of Jammu & Kashmir through a network of over ground workers (OGWs), NIA in a statement said.

The conspiracy, involving operatives of banned terrorist outfits like Lashkar-E-Taiba (LeT) and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) came to light in June 2020 when the Handwara (Kupwara) police registered a case following seizure of 2 kgs of heroin and Rs. 20 lakhs in cash during checking of vehicles at Kairo Bridge. The vehicle of accused Abdul Momin Peer was intercepted while coming from Baramulla to Handwara, leading to the seizure. Further interrogation of Abdul Momin Peer resulted in the recovery of another 15 kgs of heroin and Rs. 1.15 crores in cash, the statement said.

NIA, which took over the case and re-registered it as RC-03/2020/NIA/ JMU on 23rd June 2020 under various sections of IPC, NDPS Act and UA(P) Act, has filed a series of chargesheets so far against a total of 15 persons in the case RC-03/2020/NIA/JMU.

The agency is continuing with its investigations to dismantle the narco-terror network and destroy the root of the terror funding in the country, particularly in Kashmir, the statement added.