 Early Times Report
Jammu, July 5: The State Investigation Agency (SIA) has filed a chargesheet against 11 individuals, including two Pakistan-based terrorists, in connection with a cross-border narco-terrorism case registered in 2022 at Police Station SIA Jammu. A SIA statement said: “The case relates to a well-orchestrated cross-border network engaged in smuggling narcotics and channeling the proceeds to fund terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir. The investigation revealed that the accused were closely linked to Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Hizbul Mujahideen and were instrumental in facilitating narco-trafficking and raising funds for terror activities.”
It said, “The network was designed to exploit vulnerable youth in the Union Territory by flooding local markets with narcotics, while the proceeds were funneled to Hizbul Mujahideen through hawala and other clandestine channels. Many accused had amassed substantial wealth despite having no legitimate sources of income.”
The chargesheeted individuals are: Khalid Hussain, of Rajouri, currently in Channi Himmat, Jammu, Harpreet Singh, of Nanak Nagar, Jammu, Mohammad Shokit, of Gursai, Mendhar, Poonch, Javid Ahmed Rather, resident of Thokarpura, Budgam, Manzoor Ahmad, resident of Pamposh Colony, Srinagar, Chain Singh, resident of Chak Chua, Bishnah, Sahil Kumar, resident of New Rehari, Jammu, Asif Rehman Reshi, resident of Batmaloo, Srinagar, Sandeepak Singh, resident of Trikuta Nagar, Jammu, Basharat Ahmad Bhat, resident of Budgam, currently based in Rawalpindi, Pakistan — a known Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist, Syed Mohammad Yusuf Shah alias Syed Salahudin, resident of Soibugh, Budgam — head of Hizbul Mujahideen.
The SIA investigation has highlighted that narcotics were smuggled from across the border into J&K under instructions from Basharat Ahmad Bhat, who coordinated the movement of money generated through drug sales. These funds were deposited into accounts of local conduits to support terror logistics and operations.
The accused also acted as couriers and street-level distributors, spreading the menace of drugs among local youth while maintaining direct or indirect links with terror operatives. Some accused reportedly employed others in the network to expand the reach of drug sales in urban and rural pockets.
The SIA stated that this case is part of a larger conspiracy by Pakistan-sponsored terror groups to destabilize peace and security in the region through narco-terrorism. The chargesheet underscores the agency’s unwavering resolve to disrupt and dismantle terror-financing channels being operated under the guise of drug trafficking.
Further investigation is underway to identify additional links in the cross-border narco-terror chain.
The development marks a significant step in the fight against the twin threats of terrorism and narcotics in Jammu and Kashmir. |
