SIA raids house, recovers electronic gadgets
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 2: The State Investigation Agency (SIA) has arrested a Head Constable of police, posted in Kupwara district, for his involvement in narco-terror financing case. After arrest, the Agency conducted raid at his house at Belicharana in Satwari area in search of more evidence.
He has been identified as Head Constable Saif-ud-Din, presently posted in 4th battalion of Indian Reserve Police (IRP) headquartered at Kupwara.
Saif-ud-Din is originally a resident of Doda but is now settled at Belicharana. Earlier also he had been arrested in connection with smuggling of narcotics at Pathankot and was arrested. Later, he was bailed out. A case of cheating has also been registered against him at Crime Branch.
Sources said during investigations of narco-terror financing case involving former Minister Jatinder Singh alias Babu Singh, ex MLA Kathua, the name of Saif-ud-Din in transportation of narcotics, cash and other items surfaced.
“After gathering evidence against him, he was arrested when he had come to his house at Belicharana,” the officials said.
After the arrest, the SIA sleuths conducted raids at his house this morning and recovered some electronic gadgets and other items.
The arrested police constable is being subjected to sustained questioning to ascertain how deep his involvement was in narco-terror smuggling case including source of obtaining narcotics and the persons to whom he supplied the consignments.
Proceeds from the narco-terror case were reportedly used to finance terrorism, the officials said.
Babu Singh, Chairman of Nature-Mankind Friendly Global Party, was arrested on April 9, 2022, within days of going underground following the arrest of his worker Mohammad Shareef Shah, a resident of south Kashmir’s Kokernag, along with Rs 6.90 lakh hawala money in Jammu.
The former Minister along with two others was subsequently charge sheeted by the SIA in September, 2022.
Mohd Sharief Chechi, a key-accused wanted in the case, was arrested by the SIA Jammu from the border township of Uri in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district in September last year
After taking over the investigation of the case, the official said the SIA busted the modus operandi adopted by the accused including Chechi who used to collect narcotics from across the Line of Control to generate proceeds for terror-funding.
The case was initially registered at the Gandhi Nagar Police Station in Jammu following the arrest of Shah on specific information that he along with the former Minister were working under the directions of Pakistan’s ISI and their agents to fund Jammu-based separatists to carry out subversive activities, the officials said.
They said the investigations revealed that there was a well organised drug syndicate including Mohd Rafiq Najar and Farooq Ahmad Naikoo operating from Dubai who were infusing narcotics into the Indian territory for generating terror funds, to fuel subversive activities challenging the sovereignty, integrity and security of India.
Further investigation into aspects of cross-LoC operation of this narco smuggling and terror funding syndicate is ongoing at SIA Jammu, the official said.
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