National Investigation Agency (NIA) – File Photo
New Delhi: The NIA on Thursday conducted searches in Punjab’s Amritsar and Gurdaspur in connection with a narco-militancy case of Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen and recovered Rs 20 lakh and 130 bullets from a Hawala operator, an official said.
The searches were conducted at the premises of suspect Manpreet Singh of Amritsar, a close associate of charge-sheeted accused Ranjit Singh in connection with the investigation of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) narco-militancy case, an NIA spokesperson said.
The case relates to the arrest of Hilal Ahmad Shergojri, an Over Ground Worker (OGW) of HM and a close associate of Riyaz Ahmed Naikoo, the then commander of HM who had come to Amritsar to collect funds to further the militant activities in Jammu and Kashmir, the official said.
According to the NIA official, Rs 29 lakh along with a truck was seized from the accused on April 25 last year by Punjab Police.
The case was originally registered by Punjab Police on April 25 last year under sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with the seizure of Rs 29 lakh which were drug proceeds, the official said.
Subsequently, sections of NDPS Act were added during investigation.
The NIA re-registered the case on May 8 last year and filed chargesheets against 11 accused in a special NIA court in Mohali.
Manpreet Singh, a hawala operator, had collected heroin, drug proceeds and weapons, and transported them in his cars as per directions of Ranjit Singh and Iqbal Singh, the NIA official said.
Manpreet Singh also delivered the drugs proceeds to the tune of Rs 35 lakh and weapons to chargesheeted accused Bikram Singh, a relative of Ranjeet in a March, 2020, the official said.
During searches conducted on Thursday, Rs 20 lakh of drug proceeds, 130 rounds of 9 mm, mobile phones, pen drive, one bunch of polythene bags used for packing heroin, a car, a two wheeler, documents related to properties and other incriminating documents have been seized from the house of the suspect, the NIA official said.
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