SIA chargesheets against two individuals for narco-terror financing

SRINAGAR — The Special Investigation Agency (SIA) has filed charges against two individuals accused of orchestrating a narco-terror financing module within the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir.

According to a statement, the SIA revealed that Zaheed Ahmad Khoja and Zameer Ahmad Lone are facing charges under various provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, under the purview of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act.

Khoja was apprehended last September while transporting a significant heroin consignment weighing 3.565 kilograms, valued at over Rs 25 crores. Lone, on the other hand, is identified as an active member of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), currently based in Pakistan and is listed as an absconding accused.

The SIA stated that Khoja, Lone, and their associates collaborated with ‘terrorists’ from proscribed organizations to raise funds through illegal smuggling and trafficking of narcotics across borders. These funds were allegedly used to finance ‘terrorist activities’ and perpetuate a ‘terror ecosystem’.

Additionally, the accused individuals reportedly planned to sow communal disharmony through targeted ‘terror acts’ against minority communities, facilitated by encrypted messaging applications.

The funds obtained through these illicit activities were purportedly utilized for personal enrichment and to execute ‘terrorist acts’, including arson attacks on government buildings, residences of minority communities and police personnel, as well as the offices of political parties, as instructed by various ‘terrorist outfits’ operating in Jammu and Kashmir.

The SIA’s investigation uncovered linkages between the ‘narco-terror financing’ module and multiple ‘terrorist’ organizations active in the region. It underscores the deep involvement of ‘terrorist’ groups in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir in raising funds through the illicit sale of narcotics to sustain their nefarious operations.

The statement further indicates that the SIA’s probe into other associates of the charged individuals in this case remains ongoing.