NIA searches 7 locations in J-K, arrests 2 in LeT-TRF conspiracy case

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 10

The anti-terror federal probe agency NIA on Sunday said it has conducted searches at seven locations Kulgam, Srinagar and Baramulla districts of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and arrested two persons in connection with its probe into Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) – The Resistance Front (TRF) conspiracy case.

A senior NIA official said during the searches, which were conducted with active support from J&K Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, two TRF operatives -- Tawseef Ahmed Wani of Baramulla and Faiz Ahmed Khan of Anantna -- have been arrested for their involvement in the conspiracy.

The officials said the searches also resulted in recovery of many digital devices, including mobiles, pen drives, data storage devices and other incriminating materials.

The case was initially registered by J&K Police in Jammu on June 27, 2021 after recovery of an IED from a LeT terrorist, which the NIA took over later on July 19, 2021. Earlier, three LeT terrorists were arrested in this case.

“Investigation has revealed that Pakistan based handlers of proscribed terror outfit LeT and their associates based in J&K had conspired to cause extensive terror activities for harming the general public. They had planned that responsibility for the terrorist acts so committed would be taken by the pseudo-acronym TRF so as to maintain plausible deniability and evade law enforcement agencies,” the official said.