SIA arrests key operator in 2022 narco-terror case

Srinagar : The State Investigation Agency on Tuesday apprehended Abdul Rashid Bhat, a significant figure in the 2022 narco-terror case in the Awantipora area of Pulwama district.
Reports said that the accused Bhat had been evading arrest for over two years and was declared a proclaimed offender by the court in connection with FIR 19/2022 of SIA Kashmir. His arrest represents the third capture of an absconder in this case, which is a substantial setback for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operated narco-terror module that is reportedly supported by handlers based in Pakistan. This module has been implicated in the smuggling of narcotics and arms through dead drop consignments near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Karnah sector, with the illicit goods being transported and sold throughout the Kashmir Valley. The proceeds from these narcotics sales have been used to finance ongoing terrorism activities in Jammu and Kashmir. The SIA has filed multiple charge sheets in this case, and with Bhat’s arrest, the agency aims to uncover critical links and gather additional evidence to strengthen the ongoing trial.