In a major crackdown on narco-terrorism in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday arrested a narco operative named Laddi Ram. The case pertains to funding of subversive activities of terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen (HM). The money earned through narco-terrorism was used by the terror outfit, officials said on Tuesday.
He said that Laddi Ram has been identified as a resident of Kathua. An ED official said that on Tuesday, the Principal District and Sessions Judge (designated PMLA court) of Jammu sent Laddi Ram to four-day ED custody. This is the third arrest in such a case. Earlier, two other criminal masterminds Arshad Ahmed Ali and Fayaz Ahmed Dar have been arrested in the case.
The ED initiated the investigation on the basis of FIRs and charge sheets filed by Jammu and Kashmir Police against Arshad Ahmad Ali, Fayaz Ahmad Dar, Laddi Ram and other accused under the NDPS Act, 1985 and UA(P) Act, 1967. All these accused were involved in operating a narco-terrorism module. This module was busted by the police in 2019, following which drugs and illicit cash were identified and seized.
Accused Altaf Hafiz is a religious teacher. He smuggled heroin into India at the behest of his Pakistan-based handlers. Officials said that Arshad Ahmed Ali was involved in this business with the help of Fayaz Ahmed Dar. He used to collect heroin from Altaf Hafiz and distribute the drugs to other operatives at his shop ‘New Style Car Bazaar’ located in Bijbehara of Anantnag district. The same drugs were later supplied to Laddi Ram.
Laddi Ram sold drugs in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab and sent the money to Arshad. Arshad further sent this money to Latif Dar and Shafi Bhat, former Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists. Dar and Bhat used this money to sponsor terrorist activities. According to the ED official, all the accused were working on the instructions of Pakistan-based financiers and Hizbul Mujahideen handlers with the aim of promoting anti-India activities. The ED investigation unearthed a network of narco-terrorism financial transactions, finding a nexus between drug trafficking and terrorism.
Laddi Ram sent the money received from the sale of drugs to Arshad Ali through banking transactions. Transaction profiling of bank accounts in this case revealed huge cash deposits of crores of rupees, which were received through the sale of drugs. This money was sent through several suspicious interlinked transactions, thereby trying to hide the real source and nature of the funds. The Enforcement Directorate is investigating the case and is in the process of gathering new links and evidence.