New Delhi, July 24: Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Jammu Sub Zonal Office has conducted search operations under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 on July 23 at 09 locations in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir near Line of Control (LoC) in connection with an ongoing money laundering investigation relating to Narco-Tenor Funding, involving cases registered by Jammu and Kashmir Police and Punjab Police.
According to a press release, the investigation revealed a well-organised and multi-layered narco-terror funding network operating between Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, involving Punjab-based handlers including Satnam Singh and Manjit Singh alias Maan, and Kupwara, Kashmir (near LoC) based operatives including Safeer Ahmed and Kateel Ahmed.
Heroin consignments were smuggled from Pakistan through Pakistan based handlers linked with terrorist organization, Hizbul Mujahideen, who coordinated with Kashmir-based accused induding Safeer Ahmed and Kafeel Ahmed for smuggling heroin through the Amrohi barder/LoC adjoining areas into India, in one instance, 35 packets of heroin wars retrieved out of which five packets were distributed/retained locally and 30 packets were concealed in a truck tyre for transportation to Srinagar.
As per the release, the consignment was delivered in Srinagar to Punjab-based carriers Sarabjeet Singh and Honey Baara, who were later intercepted at Banthal in September 2023 with 30 packets weighing about 31 kg of heroin. The Punjab-side network, headed by Satnam Singh and Manjit Singh alias Maan, used forged documents, fake vehicle papers, concealed cavities, multiple vehicles and cash transactions to transport and distribute heroin.
Multiple other instances were found relating to transportation of heroin from Srinagar/JSK to Punjab through an organised network headed by Satnam Singh and Manjit Singh alias Maan, wherein camens and transporters were deployed to collect heroin consignments, cumulatively more than 60 kg from Kashmir-side operatives and deliver the same in Punjab for further sale and distribution The Proceeds of Crime so generated via heroin sales were used to fund terror activities.
According to the release, ED investigation revealed banking transactions, including high-value cash deposits in accounts of Manj Singh Maan and cash deposits in the account of Sarabjeet Singh. The searches conducted by ED, particularly in border/LoC-adjoining areas, against the narco-terror funding network, are significant as they target the source-side logistics and local facilitators linked with the cross-border narcotics supply chain.
“During the searches, several incriminating documents and bank account records were recovered and seized under the provisions of the PMLA, 2002. Also, several bank accounts cumulatively having an amount of Rs 49.9 lakh approximately have been frozen,” the ED statement said.