28 July 2017

40 terror shops come under NIA lens in Kashmir, cross-border traders using business for hawala money


Investigations into the money trail coming in from Pakistan-based terror outfits to Kashmiri separatists to fuel violence in the Valley has gone back to the 90s with over a dozen properties, over a score cross-border traders and some 50 WhatsApp and social media groups coming under the scanner of central investigating agencies. 

According to a senior government official, a collective crackdown by agencies is going to have a long-term effect in the Valley in restoring peace as it has cut down the financial links of anti-social elements in Kashmir from their handlers in Pakistan. 

Both the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) are separately investigating cases of terror funding and subversive activities. 

While the NIA has arrested seven Kashmiri separatist leaders, who were sent to 10-day judicial custody, ED arrested Shabir Shah - one of the founders of Kashmiri separatism, who was remanded to ED custody for seven days. 

While probing these cases, security agencies have unearthed some faces of stone-pelters, properties of separatist leaders that doesn't match with their income and dirty transactions by Indo-Pak traders. 

"Kashmiri separatists have accumulated enough properties worth several crores in Kashmir and Delhi, but they will have a tough time explaining the source of their assets that is not in proportion to their income," said a senior MHA officer. 

Probe by NIA reveals that prime properties were bought by them even when they were under house arrest. 

MORE THAN A 100 TRADERS UNDER SCRUTINY 

Investigators have also unearthed the dubious role played by some Indian businessmen involved in cross-border trade. 

Over a hundred such traders are under scrutiny and NIA recently conducted raids in J&K, Haryana and Delhi, probing their role in money supply by terror organisations. 

MAIL TODAY had earlier reported that traders under suspicion used to export goods by over-invoicing their bills and after receiving the money, they would route the funds to pro-freedom leaders for unrest in Kashmir. 

Investigators believe the money pumped by terror outfits was used keep the Valley burning for several decades. 

Sources claim to have identified several people involved in stone pelting, damaging public property and burning down schools. 

Electronic evidences including chains of transaction establish links between separatist leaders and violent elements in the Valley were also uncovered. 

Following detailed analysis of mobile phone locations, NIA has zeroed in on 48 youths, who orchestrated stone-pelting mobs to disrupt anti-terror operations in Kashmir. 

It has also identified over 5,000 stone-pelters as part of its probe in the terror-funding case, involving Hurriyat leaders. It is now probing links between stone pelters and separatists. 

According to investigators, groups of violent men were mobilised through several WhatsApp and social media groups monitored and operated from Pakistan. 

The phone analysis established that though these people lived far away, they were present in the vicinity of anti-terror operations' sites. The NIA has listed out the operations, with dates and locations, in a dossier, to establish the presence of these suspects.

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