SIA arrests key accused from Delhi in narco-terror case in J&K’s Poonch

Jammu, Aug 19 (PTI) The Special Investigation Agency (SIA) of Jammu and Kashmir Police has arrested from Delhi a key accused in a case linked to smuggling of arms, explosives and narcotics from across the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district, officials said.

Mohammad Javed, a resident of Poonch, had fled the scene after his three accomplices were arrested along with a huge cache of arms, explosives and narcotics near the border fence in Karmara area of Poonch on the intervening night of May 30 and 31, the officials said.

They said the SIA, after taking over the case on July 6, located the presence of the absconding accused in Delhi and he was subsequently arrested by its special team.

Earlier, Mohd Farooq (26), Mohd Riaz (23) and Mohd Zubair (22) were arrested by the Army along with an AK assault rifle, two pistols, six grenades, a 10-kg IED and 20 packets of suspected heroin while they were trying to smuggle the material from across the LoC into this side.

The investigation of the case is on and some more arrests are expected on the disclosure of Javed, the officials said.

Last month, the SIA conducted raids at several places in Poonch for three consecutive days from July 26 to 28 following recovery of seven kilograms of heroin, more than Rs 2 crore and a pistol along with some ammunition from the house of notorious drug peddler Rafiq Lala in Danna Doyiyan area of Sathra on March 3.

Lala was arrested under the Public Safety Act (PSA) early this year. However, the SIA had taken his remand on July 1 for questioning over his alleged links across the border.