ED Cracks Down on Terror Funding Network in Kashmir, Seizes Assets Worth Rs 5 Crore

Press Trust of Kashmir

NEW DELHI : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) announced the attachment of immovable assets and bank deposits totaling Rs 5 crore in an investigation targeting Jammu and Kashmir-based operatives involved in financing terrorist activities and stone pelting.

Under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the ED provisionally attached seven immovable assets and two bank accounts. The individuals implicated include Salvation Front’s chief, Mohd Akbar Bhat, along with Fatima Shah, Qazi Yasir, Mohammad Abdullah Shah, and Iqbal Mir, as stated in the ED’s official statement.

The roots of the money laundering case trace back to a Jammu and Kashmir Police FIR and a subsequent charge sheet filed against several individuals, including Akbar Bhat, Fatima Shah, Altaf Ahmad Bhat, Qazi Yasir, Syed Khalid Geelani alias Khalid Andrabi, and others. The charges include collusion with Pakistan-based handlers, facilitating admissions for J&K students in Pakistani colleges, with fees ranging from Rs 10-15 lakh per seat.

ED’s investigation revealed that the funds were channeled into personal accounts of the accused and the accounts of Al-Jabar Trust, originally meant for charitable purposes. These funds, however, were diverted to support terrorist activities in India, including financing stone pelters and providing funds to terrorists in J&K as per instructions from handlers in Pakistan, such as Manzoor Ahmad Shah and Altaf Ahmad Bhat.

This significant crackdown showcases the ED’s determination to dismantle networks supporting terrorism and highlights the misuse of charitable funds for nefarious activities. The attached assets serve as a stark reminder of the stringent measures being taken to curb terror funding in the region.