Srinagar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Muneer Ahmad Banday, a key accused in a 2020 narco-terror case linked to Pakistan-based terrorist organizations. Banday, who had been on the run for four years, was allegedly involved in a conspiracy to fund terrorism through the drug trade. The case, which emerged in June 2020, involved banned terrorist outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM). These groups were using the drug trade to finance their operations in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of India, as well as to support their network of over-ground workers (OGWs). The case began when Handwara police in Kupwara district intercepted a vehicle driven by Abdul Momin Peer. The vehicle was found carrying 2 kilograms of heroin and Rs. 20 lakhs in cash. Further investigation led to the recovery of an additional 15 kilograms of heroin and Rs. 1.15 crore in cash. The NIA took over the case, registering it as RC-03/2020/NIA/JMU on June 23, 2020, and has since filed charges against 15 individuals involved in the operation.
NIA officials confirmed that they are continuing investigations to dismantle the narco-terror network and eliminate its links to terrorism funding in Kashmir and beyond. The arrest of Banday marks a significant step in the agency’s ongoing efforts to combat narco-terrorism.
