J&K: How hawala money came stitched into salwars, hidden in gas cylinders

Srinagar, Aug 30: The probe in Jammu and Kashmir relating to hawala money is nothing new. There are at least 6 different cases that have been registered in connection with the inflow of funds into the Valley through a hawala channel.

What is interesting is the manner in which the sympathisers of Pakistan have managed to move the money. From concealing several lakhs of rupees in cylinders to stitching the money into a salwar kameez, there are various ways in which the money is smuggled in.

Money has come into the Valley in various forms. If one takes a look at the case relating to Kashmiri separatist, Syed Ali Shah Geelani's aide, it was found that the money was being transported in a gas cylinder. Ghulam Mohammad Bhat had been arrested twice for moving money into the Valley.

How it is done?

The directive is issued in Pakistan to move money into Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan then activates its sympathisers across the globe to start moving money into accounts controlled by the separatists.

There have been instances when the money has moved in through a hawala channel to Delhi and then the same is collected by a point man.

In the case of Ghulam Bhat it was found that he had collected the money from Delhi. In the first instance, he had collected Rs 55 lakh from a person in Delhi. He had concealed the money in a gas cylinder and was attempting to move it to J&K when he was caught.

Bhat was once again arrested in the year 2011 when he was moving Rs 25 lakh. The police had said that Bhat is a financier of disruptive activities.

In a 2002 probe it had been found that Rs 48 lakh had been stitched in to the salwar of a Kashmiri woman. The woman was arrested on the Jammmu-Srinagar highway. It was later on found that the money was being transported to separatist, Yasin Malik.

An intelligence bureau report states that network for Pakistan is controlled by the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Each one of these outfits have appointed four people each to coordinate with each other and ensure that the money flow is constant into the Valley.

The Hizbul had raised nearly Rs 80 crore by using truck drivers who were involved in cross border trade, the IB report states.

The Hizbul Mujahideen sends its operatives with the truck drivers to PoK. The operatives pose as traders and manage to enter and the exit of the border with ease.

The money is then picked up from PoK and brought back into the Valley. IB officials say that while a large chunk of the money is used by the Hizbul Mujahideen there is a considerable amount that is handed over to the separatists to fund the unrest in the Valley.

OneIndia News