Textiles Storefront Used by ‘Lashkar Module’ Busted in Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar; 2 Held
Raids at a textiles shop have exposed a cross-border terror funding network linked to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which was allegedly channeling funds into Kashmir for terror-related activities.
The Counter-Intelligence Kashmir wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Police claimed on Wednesday that it had busted a Lashkar module that was operating under the guise of a textiles store in Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi.
The probe unearthed a cross-border terror financing network connected to Pakistan-based LeT, which had been routing funds into Kashmir using couriers posing as pilgrims, businessmen, and NRIs, according to the police.
Police said that they conducted raids at a business unit called ‘Shalimar Textiles’ in Lajpat Nagar, which was operated by Mohammad Ayoub Bhat, a resident of Budgam. He was pretending to be a trader, while actually serving as a key financial link for LeT’s terror operations in the Valley, officials stated. His associate, Mohammad Rafiq Shah, was also an important player in this covert financial setup, they added.
The police recovered digital evidence, including conversations with suspected handlers based in Pakistan, foreign fund transfers via hawala networks, and encrypted chats with terror operatives. These devices and documents are currently being sent for forensic examination, the police added.
They further said that Counter-Intelligence personnel, along with the Delhi Police, searched the premises in Lajpat Nagar on the basis of warrants issued under the NIA Act. The crackdown forms part of a larger probe under a case registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
According to police, the initial interrogation of the accused points to the involvement of an international terror financing network, with handlers based abroad, supporters in Gulf countries, and local overground workers (OGWs).
