2 with links to Hizbul operational commander’s aide held in Amritsar

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Police have traced inter-state links of slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riaz Ahmed Naikoo, with the arrest of two accomplices of his close associate Hilal Ahmed Wagay from Amritsar on Wednesday.

DGP Dinkar Gupta said the duo was traced through investigations into the trail of Hizbul terrorist Hilal Ahmed Wagay, who was nabbed from Amritsar on April 25, where he had come to collect money on the instructions of Naikoo. They have been identified as Bikram Singh and Maninder Singh both residents of Guru Amardas Avenue in Amritsar.

He said the Centre has directed NIA to take over further investigations into the case .

“When the duo was arrested, police also seized one kg heroin along with ₹32 lakh from them , unveiling Pakistan-sponsored conspiracy to smuggle narcotics and weapons into the state,” the DGP said. The interrogation of the two accused further revealed that they along with their cousins, Ranjit Singh alias Cheetah, Iqbal Singh alias Shera and Sarwan Singh, were dealing in drugs and weapons s muggled from across the border. HTC