ED attaches LeT terror funds amounting to Rs 3 lakh

New Delhi [India], Mar 22 (ANI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 14 attached proceeds of crime of Rs three lakh in cash associated with terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

The cash was to be delivered to Mohd. Hussain Dar alias Raju, by another associate Abdul Hamid Lone. The attached amount was meant for terror activities.

An investigation under the PMLA was taken up on the basis of an FIR dated December 1, 2009 registered with Srinagar's Sopore Police, under sections 13, 17, 21 and 40 of ULP Act against Manzoor Ahmad Sheikh and Mohammad Hussain Dar.

As per the FIR, the police had recovered and seized Indian currency of Rs.3,00,000/- from bakery shop of Manzoor Ahmed Shaikh near the Plaza Hotel, Sopore during a search operation on specific information that certain terrorists were assembling there for some illegal activities. The said amount seized and recovered from the bakery shop was to be delivered to Dar.

Investigation conducted by the police revealed that one of the brothers of Abdul Hamid Lone namely Abdul Majid Lone had joined terror outfit sometime back and had illegally gone to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK) for obtaining training and handling of arms and ammunition. He is reported to be staying in POK and is provoking terror activities there.

During the relevant period, he asked his brother, Abdul Hamid Lone to transfer the value of his share of property to him utilizing terrorist channels. Abdul Hamid Lone was supposed to hand over the value of property in installments to the terrorists operating in the valley and in lieu of that the same amount was to be provided to his brother in POK by the handlers of the terrorist operating in POK. The amount seized in the instant case was one of such installment, which was supposed to be handed over to the terrorists operating in Sopore for promoting terror activities through Dar.

After the investigation, the charge-sheet was filed by the police against Mohammad Hussain Dar and Abdul Hamid Lone on July 7, 2017.

During investigation under PMLA, the accused Abdul Hamid Lone had admitted that his younger brother Abdul Majeed Lone left India some 25 years back and settled in Pindi, Pakistan. During investigation, Abdul Hamid Lone claimed that the seized amount was related to his fruit business but he could not produce any documents in this regard. The accused persons did not submit any reply to the queries raised during investigation with regard to purpose of handing over the same to the Mohd. Hussain Dar at Manzoor Bakery. He pleaded that he will submit his defence before the relevant court.

During investigation, Mohammad Hussain Dar was examined, wherein he interalia stated around 9 PM, one Muzammil Ahmad Nayakoo (known dreaded terrorist and Over Ground Worker of LeT) approached him at Mumkak Masjid and pressurized him to collect Rs.3,00,000 from one Abdul Hamid Lone at Sopore Bus stand and hand it over to him (Muzammil Ahmad Nayakoo) in the evening. Muzammil Ahmad Nayakoo gave the bakery address of Manzoor Ahmed Shaikh to collect the money on his behalf, which was subsequently seized by the police. The investigation conducted by the police and ED had established that the seized money was acquired out of crime scheduled to the PMLA. (ANI)