NIA raids residence of Hilal Wagay in Awantipora

SRINAGAR — The National Investigation Agency on Thursday carried out a raid at the residence of a man arrested in Amritsar.

An official said that a team of NIA carried a raid in Nowgam Khandaypora area of Awantipora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district at residence of Hilal Ahmad Wagay, arrested on April 26 at Amritsar.

The case was taken over by NIA after Hilal was arrested with 29 lakh rupees of Indian currency in Punjab.

Punjab Police had also claimed that they have traced inter-State links of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Riyaz Ahmed Naikoo with the arrest of two accomplices including Ranjit Singh and Iqbal Singh of his close associate, Hilal Ahmad Wagay after which NIA along with teams of Punjab Police and Haryana Police carried out intelligence-based raids in Sirsa, Haryana, officials said.

On May 09, National Investigation Agency (NIA) nabbed former Hizbul Mujahideen chief Riyaz Naikoo’s aide, Ranjit Singh, from Haryana’s Sirsa, the official said.

NIA said that the investigation found damning evidence against Wagay with the NIA stating that “Pakistan based militant organisations are using narcotic trade to generate funds for militant activities in India.”

“The proceeds of narcotic trade are transferred to Kashmir valley through Couriers and Hawala channel for militancy purposes,” the NIA said.