NIA files charge sheet against 3 terror-funding accused

New Delhi, Dec 23 (PTI) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday filed a chargesheet against three people accused in a case of terror-funding through cross-LoC trade, an official said.

The case was registered suo-moto on December 16, 2016.

The accused — Tanveer Ahmad Wani of Pulwama, and Peer Arshad Iqbal and Bashir Ahmad Sofi of Baramulla — were chargesheeted in a special court under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, an NIA spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said the case pertains to profiteering and generation of funds through trade between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) via the Line of Control (LoC) and using of those funds for promotion of terrorist activities in Jammu & Kashmir.

The Cross-LoC trade was launched in 2008 via two Trade Facilitation Centres (TFCs) located at Salamabad, Uri in Baramulla district of Kashmir and Chakan-da-Bagh in Poonch of Jammu region.

As per the SOP of the trade mechanism put in place, 21 articles were allowed to be imported from PoK and exported from J&K. It was based on barter system and no transaction of money was involved.

“After scrutinising several documents, it has come to notice that extraordinary profits were generated by excess import and under-invoicing of imported almonds by the traders. It has also been found that some of the cross LoC traders of PoK are crossed-over terrorists and were backed by terrorist outfit, Hizb-Ul-Muzahideen (HM),” the spokesperson said.

The trade was suspended in April 2019.

The spokesperson said investigation revealed that accused Wani and Iqbal were cross-LoC traders and were handling several trade firms registered in the names of themselves, their friends, relatives and employees.

“Both of them raised terror funds by excess import than the export and by under-invoicing of imported Almonds from PoK based cross LoC traders,” the official said.

The NIA said the investigation has established that both of the accused were also in a trading relationship with PoK-based cross-border Hizb-Ul-Muzahideen terrorists.
“After raising the terror funds, Wani had provided funds in cash to different terrorists of Hizbul Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammad and others. Accused Iqbal used to provide funds to Sofi, a former militant of Hizbul Mujahideen,” the spokesperson said.