SRINAGAR: The Special Investigation Agency (SIA), on Saturday conducted a search at the residence of a key suspect in a narco-terror module case in the village of Karmara, situated near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district. Mobile phones and various items were recovered during the operation.
Mohammad Iqbal’s house in Karmara underwent scrutiny by the SIA team, aiming to uncover mobile phones and other evidence related to the narco-terror module case, The Daily Excelsior reported. Iqbal, who was apprehended last month in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, had been residing there since the revelation of the narco-terror finance case.
The SIA team, accompanied by Mohammad Iqbal, went to his residence in Karmara to identify mobile phones, collect additional evidence, and determine the LoC’s location from where arms, ammunition, explosives, and narcotics were smuggled from Pakistan, according to officials.
The case involves the cross-border smuggling of arms, explosives, and narcotics into Poonch. Three associates of Iqbal were captured with a substantial cache of weapons, explosives, and narcotics near the border fence in Poonch’s Karmara area on the night of May 30 and 31. Iqbal had been evading arrest and was eventually apprehended by the SIA in October in Mandi district.
Mohammad Javed, the module’s handler who had been on the run, was arrested on August 19 in Delhi by the SIA. This development led to the arrest of another suspect, Liyaqat, on August 25 in Poonch. The investigation revealed the involvement of individuals from other countries in the narco-terror module’s operations.
Six arrests, as per The Daily Excelsior report have been made in the case, and efforts are underway to establish both forward and backward linkages of the module. Six individuals remain at large, with three reportedly operating from Gulf nations and three in Pakistan. The SIA has communicated through appropriate channels, directing them to appear for questioning. Failure to comply may result in the attachment of their properties.
The Union Ministries of Home and External Affairs have written letters to relevant authorities, seeking the deportation of six narco-terror accused wanted by the SIA. Ongoing SIA investigations are delving into various aspects of the cross-border operations of the module, which facilitated the smuggling of arms, explosives, and narcotics.
In May, the arrests of Mohd Farooq (26), Mohd Riaz (23), and Mohd Zubair (22) resulted in the seizure of an AK assault rifle, two pistols, six grenades, a 10-kg IED, and 20 packets of suspected heroin. They were intercepted by Army personnel, leading to an exchange of fire that resulted in injuries to a soldier and a terrorist.
Following the recovery of seven kg of heroin, over Rs 2 crore cash, a pistol, and ammunition from the house of drug smuggler Rafiq Lala in Danna Doyiyan area of Sathra on March 3, the SIA conducted raids in Poonch for three consecutive days from July 26 to 28. Rafiq Lala was arrested under the Public Safety Act (PSA), and the SIA obtained his remand on July 1 for questioning regarding alleged cross-border links.
