SIA crackdown on hawala operators
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 13: The State Investigation Agency (SIA) today conducted raids at 10 locations across Jammu region in connection with hawala racket originating from Pakistan and involving among others former Minister Babu Singh.Raids were carried out at four locations each in Jammu and Kathua districts and two in Doda.
An SIA team raided the residence of Mohammad Hussain Khateeb son of Abdul Khateeb at Masjid Mohalla in Bhaderwah tehsil of Doda district who is engineering militancy and hawala operations of Hizbul Mujahideen from Pakistan.
The raiding team was led by DySP SIA Mohammad Rafiq under the supervision of SSP SIA Jammu Shiv Kumar Sharma.
The SIA also raided shop of Khateeb’s son Abu Zareen Khateeb at Saddar Bazaar in Bhaderwah. Abu is president of Beopar Mandal Bhaderwah.
Police recovered mobile phones, laptop and other items during the searches.
Sources said Mohammad Hussain Khateeb is presently ranked as divisional commander of Hizbul Mujahideen in Pakistan. He routed hawala money to Mohammad Sharief Sartaj of Jammu who, in turn, delivered some part of money to Babu Singh.
The hawala money was being distributed among families of slain and arrested militants in Jammu and Kashmir.
Other places raided by the SIA include residence of Babu Singh and his associates Sidhant Sharma, Amrish Jasrotia and Shab Singh at Kathua; Mohammad Sharief Shah of Bajalta in Jammu besides Srinagar and Anantnag, Ashok Kumar Bali, cashier of Babu Singh at Jammu, Gurdev Singh alias Baba, close political aide of Babu Singh, a resident of Jammu and Himmat Singh of Sainik Colony.
Police said mobile phones, laptops, electronic items and incriminating documents have been recovered during the simultaneous searches carried out by the SIA today.
Raids didn’t conclude today and will continue tomorrow, they said, adding the seized documents will be scrutinized.
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