In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) apprehended three individuals from Jammu and Kashmir in connection with a money laundering case linked to terror financing associated with Pakistani handlers. The arrested individuals, identified as Mohammad Akabar Bhat and Fatima Shah from Srinagar, and Sabzzar Ahmad Shaikh from Anantnag, were taken into custody on Tuesday under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Their arrest is part of an ongoing investigation into a money laundering scheme where individuals involved in terror financing collaborated with Pakistani handlers, namely Manzoor Ahmad Shah and Altaf Ahmad Bhat. These handlers facilitated admissions in MBBS and other courses in Pakistani colleges for students from Jammu and Kashmir, the federal agency said.
Accused under ED custody till Feb 20
The accused individuals have been placed under ED custody until February 20 by a Special Judge ACB (CBI-Cases) in Kashmir, as confirmed by the federal agency. The ED launched a money laundering probe based on an FIR filed by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, which pertained to offences under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code, 1860. The FIR implicated Mohammad Akbar Bhat, Fatima Shah, Altaf Ahmad Bhat, Qazi Yasir, Syed Khalid Geelani alias Khalid Andrabi, and others allegedly involved in terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
What did ED probe reveal?
"ED investigation revealed that the arrested accused persons were hand in gloves with Pakistani Handlers in the guise of admissions in MBBS and other courses in the colleges of Pakistan for students from Jammu and Kashmir," said the agency.
"They had received money in their personal accounts and in the bank accounts of Al-Jabar Trust which was a charitable trust but it was being used for the purpose of receiving funds from students, which were further being ploughed into the terrorist activity in India in various ways such as given money to stone pelters, providing money to the persons/terrorist based in Jammu and Kashmir as per instructions of Pakistan handlers such as Manzoor Ahmad Shah and Altaf Ahmad Bhat, the agency added.
Earlier, the federal agency had provisionally attached properties worth Rs 5 crore approximately under the provisions of PMLA, 2002 in the form of various bank accounts and immovable properties.
(With inputs from ANI)
ALSO READ: Terrorist involved in killing of migrant labourers from Punjab in J-K's Srinagar arrested
