Srinagar: The State Investigation Agency (SIA) has filed a chargesheet against seven individuals, including a Pakistan-based operative, in a narcoterrorism case in Jammu and Kashmir, officials confirmed on Saturday.
The chargesheet was submitted in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Srinagar, under the jurisdiction of the Special Judge designated under the NIA Act. The case pertains to a narcoterrorism module allegedly run by Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, also known as Khalid Bhai, a handler associated with the Pakistan-based terror outfit Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen.
Authorities said the investigation began earlier this year following the seizure of nine kilograms of heroin from a vehicle in Parimpora on January 6. An FIR was lodged at the Parimpora police station in connection with the seizure.
The chargesheet names seven accused: Anas Aijaz, Zahid Ahmed Sheikh, Tanzeer Ahmed Nazar, Basit Ashraf Malik, Arsalan Mushtaq Bangri, Mushtaq Ahmed Khan (headquartered in Pakistan), and Bilal Shabbir Awan, who remains absconding.
The accused have been booked under multiple provisions, including Sections 13, 18, 20, 38, and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Section 61(2) of the Indian Penal Code, and Sections 8, 21, and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
Officials highlighted that the case underscores the link between narcotics trafficking and terrorist activities in the region, emphasizing the role of cross-border networks in funding and sustaining militancy in Jammu and Kashmir.
Punjab and central security agencies have vowed to continue dismantling such modules to curb the financing of terrorism through illegal drug operations.
