Terror funds in the valley: Rs 80 crore raised by Hizbul Mujahideen

The Hizbul Mujahideen has huge chunks of cash in its coffers. Raising money through the sale of California almonds and violating cross-border trade norms helped the outfit raise funds.

Five firms are under the scanner for helping the Hizbul Mujahideen raise funds for terror. The National Investigation Agency scanned through the files of 300 firms indulging in cross-border trade. It found that the transactions made by these firms were dubious in nature. An amount of at least Rs 80 crore had been raised over the years through such transactions.

OneIndia had reported in August 2016 and January 2017 that cross-border trade was facilitating terror groups to raise funds. It was also reported that several firms were under the scanner and were indulging in raising funds for groups such as the Hizbul Mujahideen.

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

NIA officials informed OneIndia that the traders from Pakistan occupied Kashmir were receiving and sending California almonds. This money was being used to fund terror, the officer also revealed. According to the cross-Line of Control agreement between India and Pakistan, products grown on both sides of Jammu and Kashmir can exchanged under the barter system. The products include California almonds which is grown in parts of PoK.

During searches, the NIA officials found documents related to the exchange of California almonds. The documents showed that the traders from PoK were sending almonds and the money was being used to fund terror groups in Jammu and Kashmir.

The NIA carried out searches on traders at the trade facilitation centres at Salamabad in north Kashmir's Baramulla district and Chakan da Bagh in Poonch district of the Jammu region.

A few months back, the NIA had also received information that businessmen and traders were aiding with the funding of terror activities. The NIA probed the flow of money into the Valley and it was found that there were remittances from West Asia and Europe into Jammu and Kashmir. It was also found that some Kashmiri businessmen from Saudi Arabia had over invoiced the price of goods and pumped money into the Valley.

Trucks with cash:

It was found that Hizbul Mujahideen had roped in some truck drivers involved in cross-border trade for this operation. The Hizbul Mujahideen had sent its terrorists to Pakistan occupied Kashmir 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.

OneIndia News