NIA attaches houses of 4 accused in narco-terror case in Kupwara

Srinagar, Feb 24 (PTI) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday attached houses of four accused in a narco-terror case in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district, the agency said.

The case relates to the use of the “proceeds of narcotic drugs” to fund violent terror activities by proscribed terror groups Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) operating in Jammu and Kashmir’s Handwara-Kupwara region, the NIA said in a statement.

In a major step towards dismantling the funding networks that are fuelling terrorism in Kashmir, the NIA attached four residential properties and seized cash in the Handwara narco-terrorism case involving LeT and HM, it said.

The properties belonging to four accused have been attached in Handwara tehsil of the north Kashmir district by the NIA, which has also seized a total of Rs 2.27 crore in cash under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the agency said.

The immovable properties attached are accused Afaq Ahmad Wani’s two-storey house, accused Muneer Ahmad Pandey’s single-storey house, accused Saleem Andrabi’s house, and accused Islam-ul-Haq’s two-storey house, it said.

A total of 12 accused have been arrested and 15 have been charge-sheeted so far in the case, the NIA said.

The case was registered following the recovery of a black bag and a large number of Indian currency notes of Rs 500 denomination during checking of vehicles in the Langate area of Handwara.

Preliminary questioning of the car’s driver, Abdul Momin Peer, had led to revelations about the narco-terror nexus and prompted a detailed investigation by the NIA.

During initial searches conducted at the houses of the accused, 21 kg of heroin and various other incriminating material, including large sums of cash, were seized, the NIA said.