Terror funding; Choked at source, now time to wipe it of the ground

New Delhi, July 06: The Indian agencies are working on a plan to completely choke terror funding, especially in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

While a part of this process has already started with probes by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Enforcement Directorate (ED), the plan now is to wipe out the money that is already on the ground.

Despite such a heavy crackdown on both separatists and terrorists, operatives of terror groups are still able to carry out operations. This is because a lot of money has already moved and reached the ground, an Intelligence Bureau (IB) official tells OneIndia.

While the plan to wipe out money from the ground is being prepared, the momentum against terror funding would continue. The NIA has made good progress in the case and has also managed to identify the source and route of the funding.

Some of the key findings of the probe have been the route and source of the funds. More importantly, it was also found that several separatists had routed these funds for personal use and there was also a rift among them regarding the money.

Investigation revealed that Zahoor Ahamad Shah Watali is one of the main hawala conduit who used to generate and receive funds from Pakistan, ISI, UAE and had floated various shell companies to disguise foreign remittances for further transfer to separatist leaders and stone pelters in the valley. These funds were used to fuel unrest in the Kashmir valley and organise violent agitations and anti-India activities which resulted in large scale violence leading to numerous injuries and deaths of civilians and security forces.

In continuation of the investigation, the NIA arrested Yasin Malik, leader of proscribed organisation JKLF, Asiya Andrabi leader of proscribed organisation Duktaran-e-Milat, Separatist leader Shabir Shah of JKDFP and Masrat Alam of Muslim League. All the four accused were taken into police custody for custodial interrogation.

Malik revealed that he was instrumental in bringing together the disparate factions of Hurriyat Conference and formed the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) which spear headed the violent agitations in 2016 in Kashmir Valley by issuing "Protest Calendars" leading to economic shut down for over four months and also caused death and injuries to civilians and security forces during the violent protests.

Malik admitted that the JRL and Hurriyat Conference Gilani Group collected funds from business community as well as certain other sources and ensured that economic shut down and violent protests continue to disrupt the daily life of common citizens in the valley.

Asiya Andrabi admitted that she had been collecting funds and donations from foreign sources and Duktaran-e-Milat had been organising protests by muslim women in the valley. Asiya Andrabi was confronted with evidence regarding funding of educational expenses of her son in Malaysia from 2011 onwards through foreign remittances made by Zahoor Watali.