NIA conducts searches in J-K, Punjab in narco-terror case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday conducted searches at six places in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab in connection with its probe into a narco-terror case.

The case was registered after the busting of a narco-terror module and seizure of 61-kg heroin and a cache of arms and ammunition along the International Border (IB) here last year.

The raids were conducted at five locations in Jammu district and one in Tarn Taran in Punjab, leading to the seizure of digital devices and other incriminating documents having financial details and bank account numbers for further scrutiny and analysis, a spokesperson of the NIA said.

He said the searches were conducted at the residences of six accused -- the module's kingpin Gurpartap Singh of Tarn Taran and his Jammu-based associates Jasraj Singh, Sham Lal, Bishan Dass, Ajeet Kumar and Gurbaksh Singh.

''All the six accused were arrested for hatching a criminal conspiracy for carrying out anti-national and unlawful activities, and to help the terrorist organisations by collecting funds and channelizing the proceeds of drugs for furthering the activities of such terrorist organisations like Babbar Khalsa International (BKI)," the spokesperson said.

He said a case under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act was registered at Arnia police station in Jammu district near the International Border on September 20 last year, following the seizure of a huge cache of narcotic substance along with arms and ammunition amid unprovoked firing by Pakistan on a police patrolling team to provide cover for the smuggling activity.

The NIA re-registered the case on November 26, 2020 and took up the investigation, the spokesperson said.

In the second week of September, he said, Gurpratap Singh had received 10 kg of heroin from Pakistan-based handlers through his associates.

The consignment in the instant case was also intended to be received by him to fund the activities of BKI in Punjab, the spokesperson said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)