NIA arrests key accused in 2020 Kashmir narco-terror case

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency has arrested an accused involved in a conspiracy hatched by Pakistan-based terror outfits aimed at spreading terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, a statement by the federal agency said on Wednesday.

Muneer Ahmad Banday, who has been evading arrest for the past four years, was a key part of the conspiracy aimed at generating funds to spread terror in the Union Territory and other parts of India, it said.

The anti-terror agency said the conspiracy, involving operatives of banned terrorist outfits such as Lashkar-E-Taiba and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen came to light in June 2020 when the Handwara Police registered a case following the seizure of 2 kg of heroin and Rs 20 lakh cash during vehicle checking.

The vehicle of Abdul Momin Peer, another accused, was intercepted while it was coming from Baramulla. Interrogation of Peer resulted in the recovery of another 15 kg of heroin and Rs 1.15 crore cash.

“The NIA has arrested a wanted accused in a 2020 Kashmir narco-terror case linked with a conspiracy of the banned Pakistan-based terrorist organisations to procure and sell narcotic drugs to raise funds for promoting terrorism,” the statement said.

NIA, which re-registered the case on June 23, 2020, has filed a series of chargesheets so far against 15 accused.

The federal agency said its investigations to dismantle the narco-terror network and destroy the root of the terror funding is continuing.