NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has seized more than Rs 7.80 lakh in cash and a vehicle as “proceeds of terrorism” in a case related to the recovery of arms and explosives, smuggled from Pakistan by the proscribed Babbar Khalsa International, in Haryana last year, an official said on Friday.
The cash and the Innova vehicle were seized on Thursday under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, a spokesperson of the federal agency said.
On May 5 last year, police had intercepted the vehicle at Bastara Toll Plaza in Haryana and recovered three improvised explosive devices (IEDs), one pistol with two magazines, 31 rounds of ammunition, and Rs 1.30 lakh in cash which had been concealed in a specially designed cavity.
Four terror operatives — Gurpreet Singh alias “Gopi”, Amandeep Singh alias “Deepa”, Parminder Singh alias “Pinder” and Bhupinder Singh — who were on their way to Adilabad in Telangana were arrested, the agency said.
The spokesperson said the NIA investigations have revealed that multiple consignments of arms, explosives and drugs had been sent from Pakistan by designated terrorist Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda through drones to pre-decided locations near the India-Pakistan border.
“Gopi, Deepa, Akash, Sukhbeer Singh alias Jashan’ and Jarmalpreet Singh received the weapon and drug consignments. Gopi and others were tasked to collect the contraband and deliver part-consignments to…different places in the country to carry out attacks in the name of banned BKI (Babbar Khalsa International),” the NIA said.
It said the Innova car was used by the accused persons for transporting such consignments.
“Gopi had also amassed a large amount of cash through smuggling these contraband items. Investigations have exposed his modus operandi of depositing this money in bank accounts of others,” the spokesperson said.
The official said an NIA team seized Rs 5.5 lakh from one such account and recovered Rs 1 lakh that Gopi had stashed away, raising the total recovery to Rs 7,80,000 in this case, besides the seized Innova vehicle.
The NIA took over the investigation of the case on May 24 last year and filed the first charge sheet against six accused, including Rinda, in October. A supplementary charge sheet was filed against three more accused in March this year. (PTI)