NCB probes wider terror-funding network after woman’s arrest

The arrest of Lakhwinder Kaur from Gurdaspur with 700 grams of heroin has led the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) to uncover a wider nexus involving drug trafficking, hawala operations and terror funding.

During interrogation, Lakhwinder Kaur reportedly revealed that drug money was being routed to Pakistan via Ugandan hawala operators, allegedly contributing to terror financing.

"When NCB officials examined her mobile phone data, they found evidence indicating that a network operating across Rajasthan, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh was involved in narcotics, hawala and terror-linked money transfers," said an NCB official wishing not to be named.

He said more arrests are likely to be made soon. These accused were allegedly facilitating payments to Pakistan through Ugandan intermediaries. Investigators believe that Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI has been using this drug money to push explosives and sophisticated weapons into India through Punjab.

The NCB has also named Lakhwinder Kaur's son, Harnek Singh, in the case. Harnek, who runs a private clinic in Kalanaur, is suspected of managing the drug operations on behalf of his mother. He reportedly fled after learning of his mother's arrest, but digital evidence recovered from Lakhwinder's phone has provided multiple leads to investigators. A manhunt has been launched to trace and arrest Harnek Singh.

Lakhwinder Kaur was arrested on Thursday with 700 grams of heroin, marking a significant breakthrough in what authorities now suspect is a larger narco-terror network spanning multiple states.