NIA raids nine sites, seizes digital devices, arrests ultra

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, July 31

The anti-terror federal probe agency — National Investigation Agency (NIA) — today said it had conducted searches at nine locations in Shopian, Anantnag and Jammu districts and arrested a militant in connection with its probe into a case relating to conspiracy by Lashkar-e-Mustafa (LeM) operatives to boost terror activities.

LeM worker

• Irfan Ahmed Dar of Anantnag is said to have worked for Lashkar-e-Mustafa to carry out terrorist activities
• During search, several booklets containing incriminating materials, mobile phones, laptops, etc., were seized

NIA officials said the searches were conducted along with personnel of the J&K Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) during which “many digital devices, including mobile phones, hard disks, memory cards, pen drives, laptops, and several booklets containing incriminating materials” were seized from the premises of the arrested person and some suspects.

IED defused on Jammu-Rajouri highway

• A major tragedy was averted with timely detection of a powerful IED at Bathooni-Dilogra on the Jammu-Rajouri highway
• The traffic here remained suspended for three hours. Officials say a search operation is on to arrest the culprits

“Irfan Ahmed Dar, a resident of Batingoo area in Anantnag district, has been arrested. A preliminary investigation suggests he has been involved in the conspiracy of carrying out terrorist activities in collusion with other persons already arrested,” a senior official of the National Investigation Agency said.

The case was initially registered by the Jammu and Kashmir Police in Jammu relating to the conspiracy by Lashkar-e-Mustafa (LeM), working at the behest of Jaish-e- Mohammed, to carry out terrorist activities in J&K with an intention to threaten the sovereignty, integrity and security of the country.

Later on March 2, 2021, the National Investigation Agency took over the case by re-registering a first information report (FIR) and started a probe, which is continuing, the officials said.