Srinagar, Aug 06: In a major breakthrough and high-stakes operation, the Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) unit of Jammu & Kashmir Police struck deep into the financial underbelly of terrorism, conducting swift and surgical raids in a business unit titled ‘Shalimar Textiles’ Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi, aimed at dismantling a sophisticated cross-border terror funding syndicate.
The raids, conducted under FIR No. 02/2024 registered at Police Station CIK Srinagar, were backed by legal sanction through search warrants issued by the Hon’ble Special Judge designated under the NIA Act at Srinagar, and are part of a wider investigation under UAPA Sections 13, 38, 39, 40 r/w 120-B IPC, the statement said.
The case unravels a chilling conspiracy orchestrated by handlers and commanders of proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) from across the LoC, who in connivance with Pakistani nationals settled in Gulf nations and other foreign territories, are pumping terror money into the heart of Kashmir through a network of couriers disguised as pilgrims, businessmen, and expatriates, it said.
In a stunning revelation, it has come to light that Mohammad Ayoub Bhat, a resident of Budgam, who operated a business establishment titled ‘Shalimar Textiles’ in Lajpat Nagar, was masquerading as a legitimate trader while acting as a key financial conduit for LeT’s terror activities in the Valley. Working hand in glove with him was Mohammad Rafiq Shah, a resident of SDA Colony Bemina, Srinagar, both of whom were at the nerve centre of this covert financial operation.
Explosive digital evidence, including suspicious communications with Pakistani handlers, foreign remittances routed through underground hawala networks, and encrypted chats with terror affiliates, has been seized. The devices and documents recovered are being forensically analyzed and are expected to blow the lid off a larger, deeply entrenched funding web, it added.
Acting on confessions and technical leads, CIK teams along with Delhi Police teams searched premises in Lajpat Nagar, recovering vital documentary and electronic evidence that is expected to fuel the next stage of this high-profile investigation.
Initial interrogation of arrested individuals has already begun, peeling back layers of an international terror financing ring, involving foreign-based handlers, Gulf-based sympathizers, and local Over Ground Workers (OGWs); all connected through a covert cash pipeline aimed at fomenting unrest and bloodshed in Jammu & Kashmir, statement said.
