ED chargesheets 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed & others for terror-financing in PMLA probe

Cracking down on terror-financing, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday, filed a charge sheet against Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed, his deputy Shahid Mehmood, a Delhi-based hawala dealer Mohammad Salim, Dubai businessman Mohammad Kamran and others in connection with a money-laundering probe. The agency had initiated a probe against Mohammad Salman and Mohammad Salim based on a 2018 NIA probe. Both Salman and Salim have been arrested.

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ED chargesheets Hafiz Saeed

The ED released a statement saying that Salman was involved receiving funds from the Pakistan-based Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FiF) through 'hawala channels', helping LeT raise funds and build a network. Salman allegedly received  Rs 4.69 crore through FiF and its members, stated the ED. The agency said it has attached three properties of Salman in New Delhi worth Rs 73.12 lakh. While UN has designated FiF as a terrorist organization in 2012, India followed it in 2016.

"Investigation under PMLA revealed that funds were re-routed from Pakistan to Dubai and further to India through Hawala channels. Mohd. Salman was the recipient of funds sent by Mohd. Kamran and his associates Abdul Aziz Behlim and Arif Gulambashir Dharampuria, in Dubai. Mohd Salman used the funds received from abroad for the construction of Masjid at Uttawar, Distt. Palwal, Haryana and marriages of poor girls of in and around area of village Uttawar," said ED.

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Earlier on August 18, Pakistan imposed sanctions on 88 terrorists complying to the new UNSC's list, including Dawood Ibrahim, Hafiz Saeed, Masood Azhar, ordering the seizure of all of their properties and freezing of bank accounts. Previously in July, bank accounts of 26/11 mastermind - Hafeez Saeed who has been lodged in Kot Lakhpat jail for terror financing was restored. Ahead of the FATF plenary meet, on February 12, Saeed was convicted under ATA Section 11-F (2) and 11-N. 

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Hafiz Saeed conviction and FATF meet

Ahead of the FATF plenary meet, on February 12, the 26/11 mastermind, Hafiz Saeed was convicted under ATA Section 11-F (2) and 11-N. Additionally, he has been slapped with a fine of Rs15,000 in each case. This came even after the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore accepted his plea to club all the pending cases against him and then announce the verdict. The 26/11 mastermind and UN-designated terrorist - Hafiz Saeed had pleaded not guilty but was convicted and sent to high-security Kot Lakhpat jail in Pakistan.

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Saeed's JuD is the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Taiba which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans. Saeed, an UN-designated terrorist also has a 10 million USD bounty placed on him by the American government in 2012. He was listed as a terrorist under the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008. 

(Image: PTI)