The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is conducting raids at multiple locations across Jammu & Kashmir. According to the media reports, the raids were being carried out in connection to the case of various terror groups hatching conspiracies against India by radicalising youth to join the Terror ranks to carry out other terror-related activities.
The raids were learned to be conducted mainly at suspected locations in Kathua, Budgam, Anantnag, Bandipora, Pulwama, Baramulla, and Srinagar with the assistance of J&K Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.
NIA raids across J&K
Earlier on Monday, NIA carried search in the Union Territory in connection with a case pertaining to an attack on the security forces on March 11 this year in Darasgarh, Pulwama. A few suspects were also picked from their residence for questioning in the case. Prior to this, the NIA conducted raids in three locations in Baramulla and one in Handwara district in the cross LoC Trade and terror financing case.
The case pertains to the generation of additional profits through a cross LoC trade mechanism between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and using funds so generated for fomenting terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
In the year 2008, the trade was started via two Trade Facilitation Centres (TFCs) located at Chakan-da-Bagh in Poonch district and Salamabad, Uri in Baramulla District.
Following reports that cross-LoC trade was being “misused” by elements from across the border to smuggle weapons, narcotics, and fake currency, India indefinitely suspended it on April 18, 2019, at two points along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.
On December 16, 2016, the case was registered suo-moto by NIA.
The LoC trade across Chakan-Da-Bagh in the Poonch district of the Jammu region and Salamabad in the Baramulla district of north Kashmir was intended as a confidence-building measure (CBM) for the population living in Jammu and Kashmir and across the LoC in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (Pok).