Srinagar/Faridabad: Eight people, including three doctors, were arrested and 2,900 kg of explosives seized with the uncovering of a “white collar terror module” involving the Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind and spanning Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, officials said on Monday.
Among those arrested following a 15-day operation were Kashmir’s Dr Muzammil Ganaie in Faridabad and Lucknow’s Dr Shaheen who was brought by air to Srinagar for custodial interrogation, officials said. An AK-47 rifle was found in her car.
The joint operation by the police forces of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana as well as central agencies have achieved a major breakthrough, officials said.
They did not divulge details of exactly when the arrests took place.
With this, the police said they have thwarted the destructive designs of both the terror groups, the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH), an offshoot of ISIS in India.
The 2,900 kg of explosive material includes ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate and sulphur. Of this, 360 kg of inflammable material suspected to be ammonium nitrate and some arms and ammunition were recovered from Ganaie’s rented accommodation in Faridabad, said a statement from the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
The recoveries from various places include a Chinese Star pistol with ammunition, a Beretta pistol with ammunition, an AK 56 rifle with ammunition, an AK Krinkov rifle with ammunition as well as explosives, chemicals, reagents, inflammable material, electronic circuits, batteries, wires, remote control, timers and metal sheets, it said.
Ganaie, a teacher at the Al Falah University in the Haryana town abutting New Delhi, was arrested after the Jammu and Kashmir Police named him as a wanted person in a case involving putting up posters supporting the Jaish-e-Mohammed in Srinagar.
Of the eight arrested, seven are from Kashmir — Arif Nisar Dar alias Sahil, Yasir-ul-Ashraf, and Maqsood Ahmad Dar alias Shahid from Nowgam in Srinagar; Maulvi Irfan Ahmad from Shopian; Zameer Ahmad Ahanger alias Mutlasha from Wakura area of Ganderbal; Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie alias Musaib from Koil area of Pulwama, and Dr Adeel from Wanpora area of Kulgam. Dr Shaheen is based in Lucknow.
Several Pakistani numbers were found on the phones of Ganaie and Adeel, officials said. They could be the possible handlers of the network.
On October 19, multiple JeM posters were found pasted at different locations in Bunpora Nowgam area of the city here, threatening and intimidating police and security forces. That was the starting point of the investigation, leading to the unravelling of the inter-state terror network.
“The investigation revealed a white collar terror ecosystem, involving radicalised professionals and students in contact with foreign handlers, operating from Pakistan and other countries,” said a statement from the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
It said the group has been using encrypted channels for indoctrination, coordination, fund movement and logistics.
“Funds were raised through professional and academic networks, under the guise of social/charitable causes. The accused were found involved in identifying persons, to radicalise, initiate and recruit them to terrorist ranks, besides raising funds, arranging logistics, procurement of arms/ammunition and material for preparing IEDs,” it said.
According to the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the “sophisticated terror module” allegedly “used professional and academic networks as a front, collecting funds under the false pretense of supporting social and charitable causes”.
The accused were allegedly involved in a wide range of illegal activities, including the crucial process of “identifying, radicalising, and recruiting new members for terrorist organizations”. Their role also involved managing logistics, collecting funds, and securing weapons and materials for IEDs, it said.
“In a major counter-terrorism success, Jammu and Kashmir Police has busted an inter-state and transnational terror module, linked with proscribed terrorist organisations JeM and AGuH. The operation has led to the arrest of key operatives and recovery of a massive cache of arms, ammunition and explosives, during coordinated searches in J&K and other states,” a police spokesperson said in Srinagar.
Briefing reporters in Faridabad earlier in the day, Commissioner of Police Satender Kumar Gupta said raids were conducted at Ganaie’s premises on Sunday.
“I want to clarify it is not RDX,” he said.
Besides, other material that can be used in terror activities was also seized from his room. This included 20 timers, four timers with batteries, 5 kg of heavy metal, a walkie talkie set, batteries, an assault rifle with three magazines and 83 live rounds, one pistol with eight live rounds, two empty cartridges and two additional magazines.
Gupta refused to give any more details.
“There are many other operational details and since the operation is ongoing, these cannot be shared at the moment,” he said.
Asked where the accused were intending to carry out the terror act, Gupta said, “The investigations are on.”
“Keeping in view national security, there are many details about this module and it is not appropriate to share these at the moment,” he said.
According to police in Srinagar, there could be more arrests in the case. The role of a few more individuals has surfaced who will be traced and apprehended.
During the ongoing investigation, searches were conducted at multiple locations by police in Srinagar, Anantnag, Ganderbal and Shopian districts.
J&K Police also conducted searches at Faridabad, in tandem with Haryana Police, and at Saharanpur, with the UP Police, he added.
Financial investigation, regarding the flow of funds, is on and all linkages are being traced and addressed expeditiously, the police statement said.
Police seeks bail cancellation of over 30 accused in UAPA cases
The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Monday initiated legal proceedings for the cancellation of bail to more than 30 accused persons facing trial under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
A police spokesperson said the action is aimed at dismantling terror ecosystem in the valley.
The legal proceedings have been started in Shopian, Anantnag, and Baramulla districts.
As part of its sustained efforts to dismantle the terror ecosystem and ensure strict enforcement of the law, police have filed applications for bail cancellation in cases registered under the UAPA, the spokesperson said.
He said the action was taken after it was found that several accused persons, who had been granted bail by the competent courts, were violating bail conditions and re-engaging in activities detrimental to public order and security.
These violations were meticulously documented during regular surveillance and review of UAPA cases by the police, he said.
In Shopian, police have filed applications against 13 such accused, while nine have been identified in Anantnag, and in Sopore area of Baramulla district, police identified 11 such individuals, the spokesperson said.
Strict legal action is being pursued to ensure that such individuals do not exploit legal relief to continue anti-national or unlawful activities, he added.
By moving for bail cancellation, the police aim to ensure that legal provisions are not misused to undermine public order or national security, the spokesperson said.
This step reflects the force’s unwavering stand against any attempt to revive or strengthen terror networks in the region, he said.
Police reiterated that bail is a legal concession, not an exemption from accountability. Any misuse or violation of court-imposed conditions will lead to immediate legal action, including the cancellation of bail and re-arrest, the spokesperson said.
Police intensify crackdown on Pak-based JK nationals, OGWs in Ramban
The police in Ramban district have intensified their crackdown on sympathisers and over ground workers (OGW) linked to Jammu and Kashmir natives based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, officials said on Monday.
In a bid to bolster security in the region, police have stepped up scrutiny of SIM card vendors and strengthened security measures along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, they added.
“District Police Ramban, under the supervision of Senior Superintendent of Police Arun Gupta has intensified its ongoing crackdown on the sympathisers and associates of Jammu and Kashmir nationals operating from Pakistan (JKNOPs), including their OGWs,” a police spokesperson said.
As part of the heightened security measures, police have launched cordon-and-search operations and special checking drives across Ramban, Banihal and Gool subdivisions, he said.
“Action is being initiated against individuals or entities suspected of providing logistical or communication support to anti-national elements,” the spokesperson said.
Police teams have also stepped-up inspections of SIM card vendors to ensure strict adherence to verification norms. “The aim is to curb any misuse of communication networks by criminal or anti-national elements,” the spokesperson said.
Simultaneously, coordinated vehicular checking along the national highway has been strengthened. Quick Response Teams of the Indian Army and CRPF have been deployed to reinforce the security grid.
The district police reiterated that strict legal action will be taken against anyone found aiding such elements. “Any person providing shelter, support or assistance to JKNOPs or their sympathisers will face stern action under relevant provisions of law,” the spokesperson said.
The public has been urged to remain alert and report suspicious activities to the nearest police unit or through emergency helpline numbers.
