Pulwama, July 23: National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday carried a raid at Achgoza village of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on a prominent businessman’s house dealing with the cross LoC trade.
A police official confirmed the reports and said NIA sleuths raided the house of Tanveer Ahmad Wani at around 7 am in Achgooz village.
An official said his house was thoroughly searched in connection with militant funding case.
Tanveer Ahmad, is a former militant and now deals with cross LoC trade and is the president of Salambad cross LoC traders association, added the official.
Ahmad’s father Ghulam Ahmad Wani alias Bardana is a prominent fruit and fertilizer trader of the valley.
Official sources also revealed that NIA also carried out raids in different areas of Srinagar city on Tuesday morning.
Meanwhile, sources in NIA confirmed that on Tuesday NIA carried out searches at seven locations in Pulwama and Srinagar against some businessmen in connection with the cross-LoC trade, which is allegedly used by terror groups to send money for spreading trouble in Jammu and Kashmir.
Among those raided were Tanveer Wani, president of cross-Line of Control (LoC) traders’ association at Pulwama in south Kashmir, they said.
The searches in Srinagar were conducted as Safakadal, Bemina and Parimpora fruit markets.
NIA officials said that the people concerned were being questioned.
Teams of the National Investigation Agency, along with state police and paramilitary forces, swooped on the locations this morning to gather evidence, the officials said.
During the searches, NIA recovered incriminating documents including photographs and documents relating to cross LoC trade, sources said, adding, besides, electronic devices and other material have also been seized.
The NIA had earlier said in a statement that reliable information was received that a large scale transfer of funds from Pakistan to India has been taking place through the import of California almonds via the cross-LoC trade mechanism.
“This is in gross violation of the state policy of prohibition on trade in ‘third-party origin goods’ through this mechanism and information indicated that these funds are being used for fomenting terrorism and separatism in the state of Jammu and Kashmir,” the agency had said.
