Transporting Arms Through Drones: Absconding Terrorist Arrested After 18 Months [details]

Months after filing a chargesheet in the sensational drone arms drop case of Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested the eighth terrorist involved in collecting and smuggling ammunition dropped by a Pakistani hexacopter near the International Border.

The arrested terrorist has been identified as 22-year-old Zakir Hussain of district Kathua. He is the 8th accused to be arrested in the case (RC-06/2022/NIA/JMU), registered by the NIA on 30th July 2022 after taking over the case from Kathua Police. One of the seven accused arrested earlier had died due to cardiac arrest while in judicial custody while two Pakistan-based terror operatives are absconding.

Chargesheet was filed in January this year

Earlier in January this year, NIA filed a chargesheet in the case pertaining to the interception of drone and recovery of drone and rounds of UBGL and Magnetic Bombs from near the Dhalli area under the jurisdiction of PS Rajbagh, District Kathua.

The case was initially registered as FIR No. 114/2022 dated 29.05.2022 at Police Station Rajbagh, Kathua, and re-registered by NIA on 30.07.2022.

The spokesman said investigations revealed that on directions of the Pakistan-based terrorist Sajjad Gul the arrested terrorists used to collect, receive, and transport the weapons, dropped over drones, to the terrorists active in Kashmir for the commission of terror activities in J&K, as part of the conspiracy of wage war against the Government of India.

Seven terrorists have already been arrested in this case

One of the seven terrorists arrested earlier had died due to cardiac arrest during judicial custody in August 2022, while two Pakistan-based terror operatives are absconding.

The seven arrested accused and the two absconders were earlier chargesheeted by NIA on January 12 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Arms Act, the Explosive Substances Act, and the Indian Penal Code.

"The NIA is continuing with its investigations in the matter to unravel the bigger conspiracy of Pakistan-backed terrorist groups to carry out acts of terror and violence in Kashmir and across India," the spokesperson of NIA said.

Previously, there had been incidents of smuggling of weapons, narcotics, and cash from Pakistan using drones along the International Border in Jammu, Samba, and Kathua districts.
Police had intercepted many consignments which were being transported to Kashmir by the terror operatives after receiving them along the International Border.