How Hizbul Mujahideen used cross border trade to raise Rs 80 crore?

Bengaluru, Aug 27: The scope of the investigation being conducted by the National Investigation Agency probing the flow of money into Jammu and Kashmir to fuel the unrest is likely to widen. Remittances from West Asia and Europe into Jammu and Kashmir are now under the scanner.

The NIA has already found that some Kashmiri businessmen from Saudi Arabia had over invoiced the price of goods and pumped money into the Valley.

The NIA would revisit its 2013 chargesheet filed against the Hizbul Mujahideen in which it was stated that Rs 80 crore had come in from Pakistan to fund terror activities. The Hizbul Mujahideen had roped in some truck drivers involved in cross border trade for this operation.

In addition to this, the Enforcement Directorate too had probed a case in which it was found that a Hurriyat Conference member, Firdaus Ahmed Shah had received funds from Italy through the Western Union Money transfer. A team of the ED which is also probing another similar case has found that money had come in from West Asia and Europe.

Funding terror

NIA officials say that the Hizbul Mujahideen had roped in some truck drivers involved in cross border trade. The Hizbul Mujahideen had sent its terrorists to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) as traders. The truck drivers would ferry them across to PoK.

The NIA during the course of its probe learnt that when these terrorists returned from PoK they had with them huge chunks of cash and weapons. The terrorists from Pakistan parked in PoK would facilitate both the cash and the weapons. It was further found that Rs 80 crore had come into the Valley in various installments.

The NIA and the Enforcement Directorate would now coordinate to probe into similar cases. Both agencies are probing the money flow into the Valley. The NIA is now specifically probing into the flow of cash to fund the unrest.

The ED on the other hand is probing the flow of funds from Pakistan to finance terrorist groups such as the Hizbul Mujahideen.

OneIndia News