Cross-LoC trade case: NIA conducts searches at nine locations in J-K’s Poonch

Mukesh Ranjan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 3

The anti-terror federal probe agency NIA on Sunday said it has raided the premises of a trader at nine locations in Poonch district of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) in connection with a case relating to trading across Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan.

Officials in the agency said the searches were conducted with the assistance of personnel of J&K Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

“During the searches conducted today, documents, digital devices and other incriminating materials have been recovered from the premises of the suspects,” a senior NIA official said.

The official said investigation into the case revealed that some of the traders having excess imports were “channelising the surplus profit generated to terror organizations, while others are suspected to have links and connections with proscribed terrorist organisations”.

The officials said the case was registered by the NIA on December 9, 2016, under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The LoC Trade was started in the year 2008 as part of confidence-building measures between J&K and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). The trade was based on a barter system, as third party origin goods were not allowed.

The instant case is related to the large-scale transfer of funds from Pakistan to India through the import of California almonds and other items via the Cross-LoC Trade Facilitation Centres (TFCs) located at Salamabad, Uri, District Baramulla and Chakkan-Da-Bag, Poonch.

These funds were purportedly being used for fomenting terrorism and separatism in J&K, the NIA has claimed, adding that further investigation in the case under way.