More NIA raids in Jammu and Srinagar, foreign currency found

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) probing the funding of subversive activities in Kashmir on Sunday conducted fresh raids in the residences of separatists leaders and other locations in the state and seized foreign currency, NIA officials said.

“During the searches, a few thousand Pakistani rupees and currencies belonging to the UAE and Saudi Arabia as well as incriminating documents were found and seized,” an NIA spokesperson said.

Raids took place in the residence of Ayaz Akbar, spokesperson of the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, and Peer Saifullah, another of Geelani’s close aides, the officials said.

A similar exercise was undertaken at the Jammu residence and warehouse of a businessman, who the NIA sleuths believed was involved in a cross-border trade scam.

The NIA alleges that since the Cross-Line of Control trade, at Uri in Kashmir and Chakan-dabad in Jammu, was based on a barter system, some businessmen “under- or over-invoiced” their bills, and the difference in payment was later used for promoting subversive activities in the valley.

An NIA spokesman in Delhi said in continuation of Saturday’s searches at multiple locations in Kashmir, Delhi and Haryana, the NIA launched fresh searches on Sunday at locations belonging to secessionist and separatist leaders and traders, suspected of hawala activities and terror funding in Jammu and Kashmir.

“The searches are continuing and the concerned people are being questioned,” the spokesman said.

In its effort to clamp down on separatist groups allegedly receiving funds for subversive activities in the valley, the NIA on Saturday raided 29 locations.

They recovered unaccounted account books, Rs 2 crore in cash and letterheads of banned terror groups such as the Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen.