J&K SIA chargesheets three Hizbul Mujahideen militants among six others in narco-terror funding case

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The Jammu and Kashmir State Investigation Agency has filed a fourth supplementary charge sheet against six accused, including three Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen militants, in a case relating to terror funding, an official said on Friday.

Newswire PTI reported that with the filing of the fresh charge sheet in a special court in Jammu, the number of accused in the case has gone up to 18. The accused includes policeman Saif Din who was arrested in December last year.

The alleged cross-border terror syndicate was busted by the SIA in April 2022 following its investigation into a Hawala case involving former minister and chairman of Nature-Mankind Friendly Party Jatinder Singh who was subsequently arrested and chargesheeted along with 11 others.

The latest supplementary charge sheet under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Narcotic Drug Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and Indian Penal Code was filed against Din, Mohd Sharief Chechi and Farooq Ahmad Jungal besides Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen militants Hamidullah Khuroo, Farooq Ahmad Shawl and Javed Ahmad Chalkoo, the official said.

Chechi and Jungal were arrested by the SIA in August and December last year.

The official said the accused were involved in smuggling heroin from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in Uri, Hathlanga, Baramulla and the transporting and selling of the contraband in Jammu to generate huge proceeds planned to be delivered to the Over Ground Workers of Hizbul Mujahideen, a proscribed terrorist organization.

The same was deposited in banking channels for further distribution to fuel anti-national activities and other terrorist acts to challenge the sovereignty, integrity and security of India, the official said.

The SIA Jammu has seized Rs 10 lakh and freezed more than Rs 70 lakh in bank accounts which were the proceeds from narcotics smuggled from across the border, he added.

The proceedings for attaching the properties of the accused under relevant sections of the law have been initiated, the official said.

The official said the investigation revealed that there was a well-organised drug syndicate involving Farooq Ahmad Naikoo, who was operating from Dubai, Mohd Rafiq Najar, Mubashir Mushtaq Fafoo, Ainaz Ahmad Sayam, along with Chechi, Jungal and Din.

The accused conspired with HM militants operating from Pakistan to bring narcotics into Jammu and Kashmir to generate funds which were used for funding secessionist and militant activities, he added. (With inputs from PTI)