NIA Arrests 2 Kashmiris For Terror Funding In Cross-LoC Trade Case

| Updated: 28 June, 2022 10:43 pm IST
Representative image

 

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two people for providing funds to members of various terrorist organisations, overground workers (OGWs), and stone-pelters in Kashmir, it said on Tuesday.

Tanveer Ahmad Wani, a resident of Pulwama, and Peer Arshad Iqbal aka Ashu of Baramulla in the LoC trade and terror funding case, an NIA spokesperson said here.

Both the accused were involved in trading across the Line of Control (LoC) and were handling several cross-LoC firms registered in their own names or in the names of their friends, family members, and relatives.

“They used to provide funds to the members of various terrorist organisations, OGWs, stone-pelters etc,” the official said.

On June 15, the NIA conducted searches at three locations in Baramulla district and one location in Handwara at the premises of suspected cross-LoC traders and related persons in with the case.

The case pertains to the generation of extra profits through the cross-LoC trade mechanism between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and using those funds for fomenting terror activities in the Union territory.

This mode of trade started in 2008 via two Trade Facilitation Centres (TFCs) located at Salamabad in Baramulla district and Chakan-da-Bagh in Poonch district.

As per the SOP of the trade mechanism, 21 articles were allowed to be traded between POK and J&K, based on the barter system. During the investigation, it has been revealed that extra profit was generated by over-invoicing export articles and under-invoicing import articles by the traders.

The NIA has registered a case on December 16, 2016, and the trade has been suspended since April 2019.

Also Read Story

INSV Tarini triumphs: Women officers make history at sea

TISS suspends student for screening controversial documentaries

Kejriwal calls out Tihar Jail’s lies on his insulin need

ECI forms heat watch task force for elections