Jammu & Kashmir

NIA files charge sheet against three persons in cross border LoC trade, militancy funding case

Srinagar Jail. [FPK File Photo/Vikar Syed]

Srinagar: National Investigation Agency of India on Friday said that it filed a charge sheet against three persons in connection with a case of cross-LoC trade and militancy funding case.

In a statement, NIA said that today it has filed a charge sheet against three accused persons in case RC-17/2016/NIA/DLI. The case was registered suo-moto on 16,12,2016. The charge sheet against the accused persons was filed under sections 120B of IPC and sections 17, 20, 21, 39, and 40 of UA(P) Act. The accused include Tanveer Ahmad Wani, son of Ghulam Ahmad Wani, a resident of Achagoza, PS Rajpora, Distt Pulwama, Peer Arshad Iqbal @ Ashu son of Peer Gayasuddin resident of Khwaja Bagh, Baramulla and Bashir Ahmad Sofi son of Haji Ghulam Mohi-Ud-Din resident of Hamdani Colony, Drangbal, district Baramulla.

According to the spokesperson, the case pertains to profiteering and generation of funds through cross-LoC trade between JK and PaK and using those funds for the promotion of militant activities in Jammu and Kashmir. Cross-LoC trade was launched in 2008 via two Trade Facilitation Centres (TFCs) located at Salamabad, Uri in Baramulla District, and Chakan-da-Bagh in Poonch District. As per the SOP of the trade mechanism put in place, 21 articles were allowed to be imported from PaK and exported from JK. It was based on a barter system and no transaction of money was involved.

After scrutinizing several documents, it has come to notice that extraordinary profits were generated by excess import and under-invoicing of imported almonds by the traders. It has also been found that some of the cross-LoC traders of PaK are crossed-over militants and were backed by the militant outfit, Hizb-Ul-Muzahideen (HM). The trade was suspended in April 2019, he said.

Investigation revealed that accused persons Tanveer Ahmad Wani and Peer Arshad Iqbal were Cross-LoC traders and were handling several Cross-LoC trade firms, registered in the names of themselves and their friends, relatives, employees, etc. Both of them raised militant funds by excess import than export and by under-invoicing of imported Almonds from PaK-based cross LoC traders, he said.

The investigation has established that both of the accused were also in a trading relationship with PaK-based cross-border Hizb-Ul-Muzahideen militants. After raising the militancy funds, accused Tanveer Ahmad Wani had provided funds in cash to different militants of HM, JeM (Jaish-e-Mohammad) etc. Accused Peer Arshad Iqbal used to provide funds to accused Bashir Ahmad Sofi, an ex-militant of HM. Further investigations in the case are in progress, reads the statement.

 

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