Two arrested in Delhi as J&K CIK targets terror finance syndicate

The Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) unit of the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday claimed to have "struck deep into the financial underbelly of terrorism" following raids at a business establishment in Delhi.

According to an official statement, the operation led to the arrest of two individuals and was aimed at dismantling a "sophisticated cross-border terror funding syndicate."

Raids were conducted at Shalimar Textiles located in Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi, under legal sanction via search warrants issued by the Special Judge designated under the NIA Act in Srinagar.

The CIK revealed that the case exposes a "chilling conspiracy" orchestrated by handlers and commanders of the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) from across the Line of Control (LoC). These individuals, in collusion with Pakistani nationals based in Gulf countries and other foreign territories, are allegedly pumping terror funds into Kashmir through a network of couriers posing as pilgrims, businessmen and expatriates.

Investigations identified Mohammad Ayoub Bhat, a resident of Budgam and proprietor of Shalimar Textiles, as a key financial conduit for LeT’s activities in the Valley. Working closely with him was Mohammad Rafiq Shah, a resident of Bemina, Srinagar. Both individuals were allegedly at the centre of this covert financial network.

The agency said it has seized critical digital evidence, including suspicious communications with Pakistani handlers, foreign remittances routed through underground hawala channels, and encrypted chats with terror affiliates.

“All seized devices and documents are undergoing forensic analysis and are expected to expose a wider, deeply entrenched terror funding web,” the statement said.

Preliminary interrogation of the arrested suspects has begun, with officials claiming it is already "peeling back layers of an international terror financing ring involving foreign-based handlers, Gulf-based sympathisers and local Over Ground Workers (OGWs), all linked through a covert cash pipeline aimed at fomenting unrest and bloodshed in Jammu and Kashmir.”