Continuing with its crackdown on terror funding in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday conducted raids in multiple locations in the Union Territory.
As per initial reports, raids were conducted at 15 locations in Jammu, Srinagar, Budgam, Kulgam, and Anantnag districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
Raids were also conducted in the Gujjar Nagar area of Jammu City where sleuths of the NIA searched the house of a cashier of an Islamic school that the proscribed Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) ran.
NIA has, in recent days, been tightening the noose around terror funding activities by groups involved in anti-India activities, while strengthening the security apparatus in Jammu and Kashmir.
Rs 20 lakh seized during raids
According to NIA in the raids, incriminating documents and digital devices connected with the activities of banned JeI and its related Trusts in Jammu and Kashmir were seized along with the recovery of over Rs 20 lakh in cash.
The NIA had already filed a chargesheet in the case (RC-03/2021/NIA/DLI) in Special Court, Patiala House, New Delhi, on May 12, 2022, against four accused in this case.
Banned JeI was still collecting funds
During the investigation, the NIA found that despite being declared as an unlawful association under the UA(P) Act on February 28, 2019, the Jamaat-e-Islami activists were still involved in collecting funds through different modes and money was utilized to fund terror groups active in Jammu and Kashmir.
JeI members had been collecting funds domestically and from abroad through donations, particularly in the form of Zakat, Mowda, and Bait-ul-Mal as well as for purported charitable purposes like promotion of education and health.
Funds collected for the promotion of education were diverted to terror activities.
The NIA investigations have revealed that funds collected for the promotion of education and health were used for terror and secessionist activities in J&K.
These funds were diverted to proscribed terrorist outfits, such as Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and others through well-organized networks of JeI cadres.
