Centre acts on terror funding in Jammu and Kashmir; Properties worth crores belonging to terror financiers seized
GOI has started seizing properties belonging to terror financiers in a big way. 13 persons and their properties have so far been identified by National Investigation Agency in this connection and further action is continuing.
Enforcement Directorate (ED) has already zeroed in on proceeds of such crime and has begun action to freeze and seize such assets.
Ongoing investigation in the first phase have determined and quantified assets valued at over Rs 7 Crs as proceeds of terror funding crimes.
Individuals identified during these investigations have been found to be providing money to all major terrorist groups like LeT and Hizbul Mujahideen as also Hurriyat leaders, separatists and stone-pelters in J&K.
Funds have been provided to the leadership of valley based terrorist groups for providing the means for misguiding, motivating and recruiting local youth to terrorist ranks including from Madrasas and Mosques financed from such funds.
In addition, operational activities of terror groups are also being financed including attacks on Security forces personnel, camps and convoys.
Money obtained through these channels is also being used by major secessionist formations, particularly All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC).
These funds are used for maintaining top APHC leadership and also the massive propaganda machinery being used to arouse disaffection among the people of J&K against the Government of India.
It is also being utilized to sustain the spreading of false information through media contacts, newspapers and social media.
These are in turn used to instigate and lure misguided youth to resort to anti-India activities, violent street protests, demonstrations and stone pelting on security forces at encounter sites for fomenting further violence.
Extensive use of such funds is also being made to finance institutions focused on subverting the local population including through selected Mosques, Madrasas and organization like recently banned Jamat-e-Islami (J&K).
These then form a fertile pool of vulnerable young minds, which can be poisoned and exploited as gun fodder for violent activities aimed at destabilization the State.
In the first strike, action has been initiated to attach a plush bungalow of Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali in Gurugram, near Delhi. Watali is presently lodged in Tihar Jail.
Watali is a major conduit for funneling terror finances in India. Incriminating documents seized by ED clearly indicate that he has been receiving money from Hafiz Saeed, Syed Salahuddin, ISI and the Pakistan High Commission at New Delhi directly.
He is known to have important sources of Hawala financing operating out of Dubai also.
Apart from Watali, another 10 top leaders have also been brought into the dragnet of terror funding and multi-agency surgical strikes on terror funding have been launched against them in a concerted manner for the first time.