NIA files chargesheet in Hizb narco-terror case

Tribune News Service
Mohali, October 20

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today filed a chargesheet against 10 persons in the Hizbul Mujahideen narco-terror module case at a special court here.

The NIA had arrested Hilal Ahmed Shergojri (35), a resident of Pulwama district in south Kashmir, from Amritsar on April 25 along with Rs 29 lakh, following which the narco-terror module was busted.

10 under lens for Funding terror

• Accused allegedly received at least six heroin consignments via Attari in the garb of importing rock salt from Pakistan
• The sixth consignment of around 532 kg was seized in July 2019 and a separate case was registered
• The drug proceeds were partly sent back to Pakistan through hawala while a substantial portion was channelised to Hizbul ultras in Jammu & Kashmir

In its 14,000-page chargesheet, the NIA said the investigations had established that the module members were allegedly involved in smuggling and selling heroin and channelising its proceeds through hawala to Pakistan and Hizbul militants in Kashmir through the terror outfit’s over-ground workers and other associates.

The probe also established that a conspiracy was hatched by Hizbul commanders based in Pakistan and terrorists operating in Kashmir to raise funds for the proscribed outfit, the NIA said.

Of the 10 accused, seven have been arrested–Shergojri; Bikram Singh (27), Ranjit Singh (41), Gagandeep Singh (27) and Maninder Singh (22) of Amritsar; and Ranjit Singh (42) and Jaswant Singh (25) of Gurdaspur.

Two other accused, Iqbal Singh (24) of Amritsar and Zafar Hussain Bhat (52) of Anantnag, are absconding while Riyaz Ahmed Naikoo, the then Hizbul commander in Kashmir, was killed by the security forces in an operation, the NIA said in a statement.

It said Hilal, who had come to Amritsar to collect Rs 29 lakh, was a Hizbul member and a close associate of Naikoo.

The chargesheet has been filed under various sections of the IPC, Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Passports Act. The NIA took over the investigation from the Punjab Police on May 8.

During investigation, the NIA carried out searches at 15 locations belonging to the suspects and accused in Punjab, Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir and seized Rs 98.5 lakh in cash, eight vehicles and 3 kg of heroin, the NIA said, adding investments worth several crores had also been identified.