SRINAGAR: The National Investigation Agency in coordination with State Investigation Agency of Jammu and Kashmir, Thursday raided 22 locations in Kashmir and New Delhi including the houses of a police officer and top businessman to seize and analyse the property documents and incriminating papers used in commission of money laundering across the country.
Local news agencies quoting an official of the SIA said that SIA today conducted searches of houses and offices at 22 locations including 18 in Srinagar, one each in Anantnag and Pulwama, besides two in Delhi.
The pre-dawn searches were carried out simultaneously by special teams of the SIA. He said that during the search operation incriminating material in the shape of bank documents, cash books, credit cards, debit cards, cheque books, invoices, mobile phones, SIM cards, passports etc. were seized which will be analysed for further investigation, local news agencies said.
The official said that the case pertains to illegal raising, layering and laundering of illegal proceeds of crime by the accused persons which subsequently might have been used in unlawful activities including secessionism and terrorism.
The official said that the case was registered in Police Station SIA Kashmir on the basis of an enquiry.
He said that during enquiry it has been found that funds to the tune of Rs 85 crores have been raised and laundered in a short span of less than two years.
“The transactions have mostly taken place in cash to evade detection of law enforcement agencies. Based on the findings of the enquiry, case FIR No 08 of 2023 was registered under relevant Sections of law,” he was quoted by the news agencies as having said.
The official said that the raids were conducted on the strength search warrant issued by the Special Designated NIA Court to collect evidence relevant to the ongoing investigation in the case.
“SIA reiterates its commitment to dismantle the terror ecosystem in J&K by choking terror financing channels be it hawala, human cash couriers or banking channels,” he said.
The raids were conducted at the residence of Superintendent of Police Parvez Ahmad Dar who is presently posted as Deputy Commandant Women’s Battalion 2nd Srinagar. He was earlier SP Operations in Anantnag district and has actively taken part in counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir.
The others including leading Kashmiri businessman Imtiyaz Ahmad Kawoosa, lawyer Uzair Ahmad Ronga, Ishfaq Ahmad Wani son of Nazir Ahmad Wani of Degdehar Zoonimar, Sabir Ahmad Qazi son of Nazir Ahmad Qazi of Naiddoori Milli Staff Srinagar and Irfan Bashir Mir son of Bashir Ahmad Mir of Hawal.
Houses of two of them were also raided in the national capital by the SIA in the morning.
The local news agencies said that the houses of Shabir Ahmad of Panzgam Kokernag in district Anantnag who is a real estate dealer and Rafiq Ahmad Mir of Kadalbal Pampore in Pulwama district who is a saffron trader were also raided.
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