ED
JAMMU: Enforcement Directorate sleuths Thursday launched simultaneous raids in six locations of Jammu and Kashmir, including the house of former minister from Kathua, Jatinder Singh alias Babu Singh, as part of investigations into a narco-terror funding case.Officials said the searches were conducted at four places in Srinagar and two in Jammu under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Police had arrested Singh in April 2022 in connection with the case registered at Gandhi Nagar PS.The case dates back to March 30, 2022, when police detained a suspect, Mohammad Shareef Shah from Kashmir, in Jammu with Rs 6.9 lakh hawala money. During interrogation, Shah had allegedly disclosed that Singh had tasked him with collecting the cash from one Omer in Srinagar.On Sept 9, 2023, State Investigation Agency arrested a drug smuggler, Mohammad Sharief Chechi, a close aide of Singh, from Baramulla. In 2024, SIA arrested two more suspects — Selection Grade Constable Mohammad Saifuddin from Jammu, and former sarpanch Farooq Ahmad Jungal from Uri (Baramulla) — for allegedly being part of a cross-border narcotics syndicate involved in terror funding in Jammu. The arrest of the duo took the number of accused in the case to 17. According to an official SIA statement in 2023, investigation revealed a well-organised drug syndicate run by the accused — some of whom were operating from Dubai — aided by other suspects, including Pakistan-based operatives, who were pushing narcotics into India to generate funds to fuel terrorism in J&K. Heroin smuggled from Pakistan in 2021-22 was sold in India, generating over Rs 2 crore, which was deposited in several Srinagar-based bank accounts, the statement claimed.SIA had earlier filed a chargesheet in this case against 12 accused, including Singh, Muhammad Shareef Shah of Larnoo (Anantnag), and Muhammad Hussain Khateeb of Bhaderwah (Doda), currently based in Pakistan. SIA stated that Singh was in touch with terrorists of the proscribed Hizbul Mujahideen outfit and separatists of the unlawful Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front. The proceeds of the drug sales were allegedly transferred to bank accounts of Indian citizens working in Dubai as “mules” (illegal carriers of money) to obscure the origin of these funds, the statement said.Officials said further investigation was underway.
