NIA launches manhunt for kingpin involved in arms proliferation for terrorists

"We are conducting search and raids in different places in India to nab the culprits involved in arms proliferation business," a senior NIA official told ETV Bharat in New Delhi.

New Delhi:Following the fact that Pakistan-backed terrorist organization is using illegal arms being supplied to them by kingpins from across India, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is on the hunt for those people involved in this murky business.

"We are conducting search and raids in different places in India to nab the culprits involved in arms proliferation business," a senior NIA official told ETV Bharat in New Delhi.

The development took place following the interrogation of four persons who conspired to procure and transport weapons from Bihar to Jammu & Kashmir.

The NIA has found that the people identified as Mohd Arman Ali alias Arman Mansuri, Mohd Ehsanullah alias Guddu, Imran Ahmad Hajam, and Irfan Ahmad Dar were attempting to transport arms and weapons from Bihar to J&K via Punjab and Haryana for Pakistan-backed terrorist organization.

"We suspect that people in Punjab, Haryana, and a few other states are directly involved in such kind of arms proliferation," the official said.

The NIA filed chargesheet against all the four accused persons. The investigation agency has expressed concern following the fact that the arms are meant for Pakistan-backed terrorist organisation.

"An offshoot of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) known as Lashkar-e-Mustafa (LeM) is the sole receiver of such consignment of weapons being procured from across India," the NIA official said.

When asked about the reason that promoted the Pakistan-based terrorist organization to get arms and weapons through supply route from mainland India, the official said that the stringent measures being adopted by the Indian security agencies in J&K have forced the terrorist organization to opt for a different supply route for arms.

On many previous occasions, security forces have found arms and ammunition in different places of Punjab.

Like The Resistance Front (TRF), NIA said, Lashkar-e-Mustafa is also trying to create sabotage in J&K and other parts of the country.

During the course of the investigation, the NIA has found that LeM was formed to evade security forces at a time when JeM was facing international pressure after the Pulwama attack in 2019.

The official said that the handlers of LeM have also started recruiting people from Bihar, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and J&K on the pretext of arms smuggling.