Total arrests go up to 8
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 21: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today arrested an accused in a Pakistan-backed terrorism case involving the delivery of weapons through drones to militants active in Jammu and Kashmir.
Zakir Hussain (22), a resident of Kathua district is the eighth accused to be arrested in the case, a spokesperson of the NIA said this evening.
The case was taken over by the NIA on July 30 last year.
The local police had registered the case on May 29 last year following the interception of a drone and seizure of several rounds of Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL) along with magnetic bombs near Dhalli area in Kathua.
The spokesperson said Hussain was arrested by an NIA team in Jammu. He was allegedly involved in collecting, receiving and transporting the weapons dropped from across the International Border to militants active in Kashmir, the officials said.
One of the seven accused arrested earlier had died due to cardiac arrest during judicial custody in August last year, while two Pakistan-based terror operatives are absconding, the spokesperson said.
The seven arrested accused and the two absconders were earlier charge sheeted by NIA on January 12 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Arms Act, the Explosive Substances Act and the Indian Penal Code.
Officials said the accused were working on the directions of their Pakistani handler identified as Sajjad Gul.
“The NIA is continuing with its investigations in the matter to unravel the bigger conspiracy of Pakistan-backed terrorist groups to carry out acts of terror and violence in Kashmir and across India,” the spokesperson said.
Previously, there had been incidents of smuggling of weapons, narcotics and cash from Pakistan using drones along the International Border in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts.
Police had intercepted many consignments which were being transported to Kashmir by the terror operatives after receiving them along the International Border.
Though most of such attempts were foiled, the possibility of some of them being successful, wasn’t ruled out.
“The NIA has been pursuing all those responsible for receiving consignments sent through drones and then trying to transport them to either parts of Jammu or to the Kashmir division,” the officials said, adding that some more arrests in the case haven’t been ruled out.
However, during past quite some time now, no drone activities have been spotted along the International Border in the Jammu region. Drone activities have witnessed massive increase in neighbouring Punjab State where they are dropping narcotics, cash and weapons quite often.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
