Weapon dropping with drone | NIA Jammu arrests another accused

Srinagar, Nov 21: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested another accused in a terrorism case involving the delivery of weapons through drones to terrorists active in Kashmir.

“A team from the NIA Jammu Branch nabbed 22-year-old Zakir Hussain of Kathua on Monday. He is the eighth accused to be arrested in the case (RC-06/2022/NIA/JMU), registered by the NIA on July 30, 2022, after taking over the case from Police in Kathua,” the NIA officials said. “One of the seven accused arrested earlier had died due to cardiac arrest in judicial custody while two Pakistan-based terror operatives are absconding.”

The officials said that the seven arrested accused and the two absconders were chargesheeted by the NIA on January 12, 2023, under Sections 16, 17, 18, 18-B, 20, 23, 38, 39, and 40 of the UA (P) Act, 1967, Sections 25 (1) (a) and 25(1AA) of the Arms Act, Sections 4 and 5 of the Explosive Substances Act, and Sections 120-B, 121-A, and 122 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

They said that according to the NIA investigations, the accused were working on the directions of their Pakistani handler Sajjad Gul.

“The accused were involved in collecting, receiving, and transporting weapons dropped through drones to terrorists active in Kashmir,” officials said. “The weapons were used to commit terrorist attacks in the J&K.”

The NIA officials said that the local Police had initially registered the case following the interception of a drone (hexacopter) and seizure of several rounds of UBGL and magnetic bombs near the Dhalli area of Police Station Rajbagh in district Kathua.

“The NIA is continuing with its investigations in the matter to unravel the bigger conspiracy of Pakistan-backed terrorist groups to carry out acts of terror and violence in Kashmir and across India,” they said.