IED, narcotics, pistol recovered
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 7: Police today busted a module behind smuggling of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and huge quantity of narcotics with the arrest of five terror associates in Poonch district.
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Besides the IED, six kgs of suspected heroin worth crores of rupees in international market and a pistol were recovered from the arrested accused, police officials said.
They said the IED was smuggled in from across the Line of Control (LoC) and recovered from 35-year-old woman Zaitoona Akhter, a resident of Qasba, by a joint team of police and security forces earlier, thus thwarting militants attempt to carry out an explosion.
The woman was apprehended and a case under relevant sections of Explosive Substances Act (ESA) was registered against her, the officials said.
They said the woman revealed that her husband Mohammad Azad provided the IED to her and, accordingly, he was picked up and subjected to sustained questioning, leading to the busting of the whole module.
Azad’s maternal uncle Bashir Ahmad alias “Tika Khan” who is associated with Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen terror groups across the border, sent the IED for subversive activity which was received by Azad and Qamardin.
Both Azad and Qamardin, a resident of Kirni, were in touch with their relatives in Pakistan who are involved in terror activities, the officials said, adding two brothers of Qamardin – Najim din alias Naja and Latief – are living in Mangbajri camp in Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) and are associates of Tika Khan.
During the course of investigation on the disclosure of Qamardin, one pistol, two magazines and 43 rounds were recovered from Keerni, the officials said.
Two more persons, Wajahat Khan and Kamal Din of Kirni, who were aiding them in carrying and transporting consignment up to Poonch were also arrested, they said.
They added that Qamardin was arrested along with his associate Sajad Ahmad of Pawan-Qasba during a chance operation at Qasba village on Tuesday. Over six kilograms of heroin-like substance was recovered from their possession.
During routine patrolling, the police noticed two persons acting suspiciously upon seeing them and tried to flee. However, they were overpowered after a brief chase. It later turned out that one of the two is Qamardin, who was wanted in the IED recovery case, they said.
As per them, different sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act were added to the already registered FIR following the recovery of the IED and further investigation is on.
In addition, Qamardin and Sajad were also booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the officials said.
They added that the arrested accused are involved in subversive activities and are the main handlers behind the smuggling of explosive material and narcotics into this side.
Responding to a question on the target of the IED, the officials said the “enemy nation” always tried to disturb peace in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The police and security agencies are fully alert to the threat and our alertness and synergy is not allowing them to succeed,” they said.
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