Abid Bashir
Srinagar (NVI): The main source of funding for militancy in Kashmir is the illegal drug trade through which narcotics worth crores of rupees is being transferred from across the LoC (Line of Control) to be sold in Punjab, New Delhi, Mumbai, and the proceeds are distributed among terrorist organizations in the Valley, the Jammu and Kashmir Police said today.
Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said that recently narco material worth Rs 5 crore was sold in these three states and so far Rs 3.5 crore has been distributed among militants in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley.
Addressing a press conference at police control room (PCR) Srinagar, the IGP Kashmir said that a narco-terror module was busted recently in Handwara area of Kupwara where heroine worth Rs 100 crore and cash Rs 1.35 Crore was seized from the kingpin of the module- Abdul Moomin Pir of Handwara.
“So far, four persons have been arrested and further probe is on,” said Kumar, who was accompanied by General officer Commanding (GoC) of south Kashmir based Army’s Victor Force, A Sengupta and Inspector General of CRPF (Operations) Rajesh Yadav.
He said that narco-terror module is run by Lashkar terrorists based in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) of which many are Kashmiris, who have been there for some time now.
“With the help of local cadre of Lashkar, Pakistan army cultivates opium in large quantities and the end product is then kept ready at the LoC and pushed into this side with the help of militant handlers. The militant supporters in Kashmir get the material and through a chain it is transported to New Delhi, Punjab and Mumbai,” the IGP said. He said the money generated from the drug trade is later distributed among militant organizations in Kashmir for sustaining militancy.
He said that it was clear that the main source of funding for the militancy in Kashmir is narco- trade. “Since people in other states are also involved in it, we may hand over the case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA),” the IGP said.
He said that today three militants were killed in Turkwanga area of South Kashmir’s Shopian district. “Militancy has almost been wiped out from South Kashmir though there may be a few militants still present. Our focus will now shift to north Kashmir from next month,” he said, adding that all the operations so far in the recent past including the one conducted today were “clean in nature and there was no collateral damage which has been widely appreciated by the people.”
On the recent killing of a Kashmiri Pandit Sarpanch Ajay Pandita in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district, the IGP said that those behind the killing have been identified and one terrorist of Hizbul Mujahideen- Umar and another one, whose name was coming up during investigation, were killed recently in Shopian encounter. “To complete the investigations, we are waiting for the ballistic report from the forensic laboratory,” he said.
Kumar also said that police took the cognizance of the woman sarpanch who was kidnapped by militants from Bomia area of Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, and found that one newly recruited terrorist of Lashkar-e-Toiba Waleed and his another associate were involved in the act.
“We have shifted the woman sarpanch and her husband who is also a sarpanch to Srinagar and provided them accommodation and security. My appeal to Sarpanchs and Panchs is that if some of them are facing threats from militants, they should contact us and we will provide them with security,” the IGP added.
