Key Absconding Accused in Narco-Terror Nexus Case Linked With Pakistan Based Terror Outfits Held

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday arrested a key absconding accused, carrying a reward for his arrest, in a narco-terror nexus case of Jammu & Kashmir, linked with Pakistan-based terrorist outfits, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM). The terror suspect, identified as Syed Saleem Jahangir Andrabi alias Saleem Andrabi, a resident of district Kupwara, had been on the run since June 2020.

According to the NIA, the accused had subsequently been chargesheeted under various sections of NDPS Act, IPC and UA(P) Act in a case filed in Jammu. Now, his arrest marked a major success in NIA’s efforts to destroy the narco-terror nexus and dismantle the ecosystem created in India by terrorist organisations based across the border.

15 Accused Have Been Chargesheeted So Far In The Case

NIA had taken over the investigation in the case on June 26, 2020 from the local police. During investigation, the central agency found that Saleem Andarbi was part of a deep-rooted conspiracy for procuring and selling narcotic drugs and generating funds in J&K and other parts of India.

The conspiracy was hatched by drug smugglers in close association with operatives of banned terrorist outfits, LeT and HM, based across the border in Pakistan. Funds generated through the narcotics racket were pumped into J&K through a network of overground workers (OGWS) for promoting terrorist violence, NIA’s investigations revealed.

The case was originally registered at the Handwara police station following the arrest of one Abdul Momin Peer, after his car was intercepted by the police and 2 kg of heroin along with over Rs 20 lakh cash were seized.

During interrogation, accused Abdul Momin Peer had led the police to the recovery of another 15 kgs of Heroin and Rs 1.15 crores cash.

NIA has so far chargesheeted a total of 15 accused, through various chargesheets filed between December 2020 and February 2023, in the case.

Further investigation into the case is underway.