Centre warned about JuD fund- raising spree
In a classified note to the government, intelligence agencies have warned that Hafiz Saeed- led Jamaat- udDawa is on a major fundraising spree through its operatives, particularly in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia.
Importantly, according to the intelligence note, details of which have been accessed by this newspaper, the Jamaat is even raising money by way of donations through its “underground network”’ in the United States and Canada.
The main reason behind the intelligence agencies sounding the alert is that normally Jamaat’s fund raising activities is directly linked to a major terror strike in India. Thus, it may imply that often these funds are used for financing subversive activities in India.
This trend was also witnessed during the 26/ 11 Mumbai terror attack and was confirmed during the questioning of key Lashkar- e- Tayyaba militant Abu Jundal.
Jundal, during his custodial interrogation, had disclosed that LeT cadre raised money in Saudi Arabia and Middle East for funding the Mumbai serial attack. Highly placed government sources said the issue will be with the concerned countries where the Jamaat and LeT seem to have again started collecting donations.
Indian security agencies have had “good working relations” with their counterparts in these countries and are hopeful of a crackdown.
Sources said that the Indian intelligence agencies have received concrete information through “human intelligence” about JuD’s fund raising activities in some countries.
Security agencies also suspect that the present regime in Pakistan was going “soft” on Hafiz Saeed and the Jamaat, leading to an increase in their activities.
“There is a growing view that the present Nawaz Sharif government is going soft on JuD. This is not a good sign and the government must take this up with Pakistan at an appropriate forum,” a senior security official said.
Following these inputs, various Indian agencies have further mobilised their resources to ascertain the exact purpose for the Jamaat raising more finances.
Efforts are being made, sources said, to confirm whether Hafiz Saeed was again masterminding another strike against India.