Hizbul Mujahideen Narco-terror Case: NIA Recovers Rs 20 Lakh, 130 Live Rounds in Searches Across Punjab

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday recovered money amounting to Rs 20 lakh and 130 live rounds of 9 mm pistol during searches conducted in Amritsar and Gurdaspur in a narco-terror case. The agency believes the cash recovered is proceeds of drug trade.

The searches were conducted at the premises of suspect Manpreet Singh of Teja Khurd village in Batala. According to the NIA, Singh is a hawala operator and a close associate of Ranjeet Singh Cheetah and Iqbal Singh, who have been chargesheeted in the Hizbul Mujahideen Narco-terror case.

The lid was blown off this case in April, 2020 when Riaz Naikoo had allegedly came to Amritsar to collect funds for terror activities. The NIA, in a statement on Thursday, said, “The case relates to arrest of Hilal Ahmad Shergojri, an Over Ground Worker of HM and a close associate of Riyaz Ahmed Naikoo, the then commander of HM who had come to Amritsar to collect the funds to further the terrorist activities in J&K. Rs 29 lakhs along with a Tata truck was seized from the accused on 25.04.2020 by Punjab Police.”

The recovery had led to a case by Punjab Police under sections 10, 11, 13, 17, 18, 20 and 21 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 in connection with seizure of Rs 29 lakhs which were believed to be drug proceeds. Subsequently, sections 21, 29, 29A and 32 of NDPS Act were added during investigation. The NIA took up the case in May, 2020 and filed a chargesheet against 11 accused in the special NIA court in Mohali.

Further investigations revealed the role of Manpreet Singh. “During investigation, it was revealed that Manpreet Singh had collected heroin, drug proceeds and weapons and transported them in his i20 and Verna car as per directions of accused Ranjit Singh @ Cheetah and Iqbal Singh @ Shera. Further, Manpreet Singh delivered the drugs proceeds to the tune of Rs. 35 lacs and weapons to the charge-sheeted accused Bikram Singh @ Vicky, relative of Ranjeet Singh@ Cheeta during the month of March, 2020,” the NIA statement said.

One of the cars was also recovered during searches on Thursday. Mobile phones, a pen drive, one bunch of polythene bags allegedly used for packing heroin, a two-wheeler, documents related to properties, and other incriminating documents have been seized from the house of the suspect, NIA said.

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