NIA arrests wanted accused in 2020 narco-terror case

Srinagar, Nov 20: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Wednesday arrested a wanted accused in a 2020 narco-terror case.

The NIA said that the accused was linked with a conspiracy of the banned Pakistan-based terrorist organisations to procure and sell narcotic drugs to raise funds for promoting terrorism.

The NIA officials said Muneer Ahmad Banday, who had been evading arrest for 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 the country.

The funds were to be used for furtherance of terror activity in the J&K through a network of Over Ground Workers (OGWs).

They said that the conspiracy involving operatives of banned terror outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) came to light in June 2020 when Police in Handwara (Kupwara) registered a case following the seizure of 2 kg of heroin and Rs 20 lakh 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 Peer resulted in the recovery of another 15 kg of heroin and Rs 1.15 crore in cash.

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