NIA files charges against 3 in terror funding case

Story by IANS | Posted by Tripti Nath | Date 23-12-2022

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New Delhi

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday filed a charge sheet against three accused persons in the cross-border LoC trade and terror funding case.

The accused identified as Tanveer Ahmad Wani, Peer Arshad Iqbal and Bashir Ahmad Sofi, all residents of Jammu and Kashmir were charge-sheeted under sections 120B of the Indian Penal Code and sections 17, 20, 21, 39 and 40 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The case was registered on December 16 in 2016 for profiteering and generation of funds through cross Line of Control (LoC) trade between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and using of those funds for the promotion of terrorist activities in the Union Territory, the agency in a statement.

After scrutinizing several documents, the NIA said, it has come to notice that extraordinary profits were generated by excess import and under-invoicing of imported almonds by the traders.

"It has also been found that some of the cross-LoC traders of PoK are crossed-over terrorists and were backed by the terrorist outfit, Hizb-Ul-Muzahideen (HM). The trade was suspended in April 2019," the counter-terror agency said.

The NIA said that the trade was based on a barter system and no money transaction was involved.

Investigation showed that accused persons Tanveer Ahmad Wani and Peer Arshad Iqbal were Cross-LoC traders and were handling several Cross-LoC trade firms, registered in the names of themselves and their friends, relatives, employees etc.

"Both of the accused raised terror funds by excess import than the export and by under-invoicing of imported Almonds from PoK based cross LoC traders. Investigation has established that both of the accused were also in a trading relationship with PoK-based cross-border Hizb-Ul-Muzahideen terrorists," the NIA said.

"After raising the terror funds, accused Tanveer Ahmad Wani had provided funds in cash to different terrorists of HM and Jaish-e-Mohammad," the agency said, adding "Peer Arshad Iqbal was providing funds to accused Bashir Ahmad Sofi, an ex-militant of HM".