Hizbul Mujahideen chief, 10 others named in cross-border narco-terror case

The State Investigation Agency (SIA) has filed a chargesheet against 11 individuals in a major cross-border narco-terrorism case involving Pakistan-based terror outfits and their operatives in Jammu and Kashmir. Among those named are two terrorists based in Pakistan, including Syed Mohammad Yusuf Shah, also known as Syed Salahudeen, the chief of Hizbul Mujahideen.

The case, originally registered at Police Station SIA Jammu in 2022, pertains to a well-organised network aiding Hizbul Mujahideen by smuggling narcotics and channeling the proceeds to fund terrorist activities in the region.

Investigators found that the accused had amassed significant wealth from drug trade, despite having minimal legal sources of income.

The network, as revealed in the chargesheet, functioned as a key financial conduit for terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Drugs were smuggled from Pakistan and distributed locally, with profits deposited into the account of one of the accused on the instructions of Hizbul Mujahideen operative Basharat Ahmad Bhat, who is currently based in Rawalpindi.

The accused include couriers and dealers who were actively involved in distributing narcotics, particularly targeting local youth. Some of them reportedly employed others to expand their drug operations.

Those named in the chargesheet include residents from Jammu, Srinagar, Budgam, Poonch, and Rajouri, with connections to Hizbul Mujahideen’s network abroad.

The SIA said this network was part of a broader conspiracy sponsored by Pakistan to destabilize Jammu and Kashmir by funding terrorism through narcotics trade.

The agency has reaffirmed its commitment to dismantling such terror-financing operations, and further investigation is ongoing to trace and apprehend other members of the network.

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