NIA Breakthrough: Arrest Unveils Kashmir Narco-Terror Conspiracy

The National Investigation Agency has arrested Muneer Ahmad Banday, an accused involved in a Pakistan-based terror conspiracy to spread terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The conspiracy, linked to banned terrorist outfits, aimed to generate funds through narco-terrorism, revealed during a 2020 investigation in Handwara.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has made a significant arrest in connection with a conspiracy orchestrated by Pakistan-based terror outfits aimed at inciting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, according to an official statement released on Wednesday.

Muneer Ahmad Banday, who had been on the run for four years, played a pivotal role in the plot, which sought to generate funds to fuel terror activities in the Union Territory and other parts of India, the agency noted.

The NIA's investigations revealed the involvement of operatives from banned groups such as Lashkar-E-Taiba and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, which came to light when the Handwara Police uncovered 2 kg of heroin and ₹20 lakh in cash during a vehicle inspection in June 2020.

(With inputs from agencies.)