Terror funds: Salahuddin’s son Shahid held by NIA
Shahid received `4.5 lakh in installments According to the investigating agency, Shahid was receiving money which was routed through a wire transfer company based in the US from a man named Aijaz Bhat
The National Investigation Agency has arrested Syed Shahid Yousuf, son of Syed Salahuddin, chief of Hizbul Mujahideen. Yousuf was arrested in a 2011 terror funds case, when he allegedly got some payment from his father. The US state department has declared Salahuddin a specially-designated global terrorist.
Shahid, 42, works in the J&K government’s agriculture department. The NIA summoned him for questioning at its Delhi headquarters, after which he was formally arrested.
He will be produced in court on Wednesday.
The NIA says Shahid got money routed through a wire transfer company in the United States from Aijaz Ahmed Bhat, an accused in the case who is on the run.
National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Syed Shahid Yousuf, son of Syed Salahuddin the chief of terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen and United Jihad Council. Mr Yousuf has been arrested in connection with a case of terror funding of 2011 when he allegedly received some payment from his father Salahuddin.
The US State Department has already declared Mr Syed Salahuddin as a specially designated global terrorist.
Mr Shahid, 42, is presently working the agricultural department of Jammu and Kashmir government. He was summoned by the NIA for questioning on Tuesday at its headquarters following which he was formally arrested and would be produced in court on Wednesday.
According to the investigating agency, Mr Shahid had been receiving money which was routed through a wire transfer company based in United States from a man named
Aijaz Ahmed Bhat. Incidentally, Mr Bhat also happens to be an accused in the same case and is now on the run as he is suspected to be operating from Saudi Arabia now.
Mr Shahid, sources further added, was one of the many contacts that Mr Bhat had in the Valley with whom he was in touch on phone giving them instructions including the transfer codes for receiving the payments. It is suspected that Mr Shahid received as much as `4.5 lakh in installments through eight international wire transfers.
The National Investigation Agency had registered a case in April, 2011, related to an illegal transfer of money through hawala channels from Pakistan to the Valley which was used for funding terror activities in the region. So far NIA has filed two chargesheets against six people in connection with the case. These six people are G.M. Bhat, a close associate of pro-Pakistan separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mohammed Siddiq Ganai, Ghulam Jeelani Liloo and Farooq Ahmed Dagga. The other two, Mohammed Maqbool Pandit and Mr Bhat, have also been chargesheeted but are absconding and an Interpol Red Corner notice has already been issued against them.
The National Investigative Agency has also lodged two more cases related to terror funding in November 2011 and the second one in May this year.
In the 2011 case the National Investigative Agency A has chargesheeted 10 people inclu-ding Mr Salahuddin while in the May case the National Investigative Agency has arrested 10 people including some close relatives and associates of Mr Geelani.