Jammu, Nov 21: The National Investigation Agency has arrested an accused in a Pakistan-backed terrorism case involving the delivery of weapons through drones to militants active in Jammu and Kashmir, an official said on Tuesday.
Zakir Hussain (22), a resident of Kathua district in the Jammu region, is the eighth accused to be arrested in the case, a spokesperson of the federal probe agency said.
The case was taken over by the federal agency on July 30 last year.
The local police registered the case on May 29 last year following the interception of a drone and seizure of several rounds of Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL) along with magnetic bombs near the Dhalli area in Kathua.
The spokesperson said Hussain was arrested by an NIA team in Jammu on Monday. He was allegedly involved in collecting, receiving and transporting the weapons dropped from across the international border to militants active in Kashmir, the officials said.
One of the seven accused arrested earlier had died due to cardiac arrest while in judicial custody in August last year, while two Pakistan-based terror operatives are absconding, the spokesperson said.
The seven arrested accused and the two absconders were earlier chargesheeted by NIA on January 12 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Arms Act, the Explosive Substances Act and the Indian Penal Code.
Officials said the accused were working on the directions of their Pakistani handler identified as Sajjad Gul.
“The NIA is continuing with its investigations in the matter to unravel the bigger conspiracy of Pakistan-backed terrorist groups to carry out acts of terror and violence in Kashmir and across India,” the spokesperson said.
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