SIA nabs Hizbul narco-terror operative after four-year manhunt

The State Investigation Agency (SIA) Kashmir has arrested Manoj Kumar Bhat @ Pintu, a narco-terror operative of Hizbul Mujahideen, after a nearly four-year manhunt. The Greater Kashmir reports that Bhat was apprehended in a special operation in Jammu and was wanted in connection with FIR No. 13/2022 registered in June 2022. The case involves the smuggling of narcotics from across the Line of Control (LoC) and using the proceeds to finance terrorist activities in the Kashmir Valley.

The SIA said the investigation has uncovered a nexus where narcotics are trafficked into Jammu and Kashmir, distributed through a network, and the money funnelled into sustaining the terror ecosystem. The NDTV reports that Bhat was evading arrest since 2022. The probe has established links with Pakistan- and PoK-based Hizbul handlers, including Imtiyaz Ahmad Kandoo, against whom an Interpol Red Corner Notice has been issued. Earlier, 15 grams of heroin was recovered from Bhat's residence, and multiple chargesheets have been filed against six other accused. The arrest is expected to help trace the financial trail of the network.

SIA Kashmir has filed multiple chargesheets before a competent court against six other accused, including Zeeshan Ahmad Sofi and Waseem Ahmad Khan, in connection with the same case. The agency is continuing its investigation to dismantle the broader narco-terror support structures.