Srinagar, Nov 1, KDC: In a major breakthrough against Pakistan-sponsored narco-terror networks, the State Investigation Agency (SIA) Kashmir on Friday arrested a key handler of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT)-linked module from Srinagar’s Bemina area, marking yet another success in its ongoing crackdown on cross-border narcotics and terror financing operations.
According to a statement issued by the SIA Kashmir, the accused, identified as Basharat Ali, son of Mohammad Sadeeq, a resident of Tad Karnah, Kupwara, had been evading arrest for nearly three years in connection with FIR No. 19/2022, a narco-terror case registered by the agency.
“The accused was apprehended today by a special team of SIA Kashmir after years of unrelenting efforts. He had been absconding since the registration of the case and was finally traced and arrested from Bemina area of Srinagar,” the agency said in a statement.
The case, according to investigators, pertains to a Pakistan-sponsored narco-terror module of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, which was involved in the smuggling of narcotics and weapons from across the Line of Control (LoC) in the Karnah sector of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
The proceeds from the sale of narcotic substances, the SIA said, were channeled to finance terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir, sustaining the militant ecosystem under Pakistan’s proxy terror machinery.
“The case pertains to a narco-terror module sponsored by Pakistan-based handlers of Lashkar-e-Toiba, who were engaged in smuggling of narcotics and arms from across the border. The proceeds generated were pumped into terror financing networks to sustain militancy in J&K,” the statement added.
The SIA said that Basharat Ali’s arrest makes him the fourth proclaimed absconder to be apprehended in the case, and further investigations are likely to unravel more linkages of the cross-border network.
“With this arrest, the SIA is confident of unearthing further connections and financial conduits used by the narco-terror syndicate,” it said.
The agency added that the arrest follows a series of successful operations conducted this year under its drive to dismantle the nexus between drug trafficking and terrorism, which has emerged as a key focus area for security and investigative agencies in the region.
“SIA Kashmir has carried out several successful operations this year to dismantle narco-terror networks operating under the garb of cross-border trade. These operations have led to the arrest of multiple key operatives associated with proscribed terror organisations,” the statement noted.
The SIA reiterated its commitment to continue its offensive against narco-terrorism, which it described as one of the most dangerous hybrid threats facing Jammu and Kashmir’s internal security. (KDC)
