The recently formed State Investigation Agency (SIA ) conducted overnight raids at ten different locations in various districts of south and central Kashmir and arrested ten persons.
“These raids were primarily focused on the network of Jaish e Muhammad (JeM). Ten identified persons who were part of OGW modules and taking instructions from Jeish commanders have been arrested,” a press release said.
The SIA said that the module whose members were organized into sub-modules, in the form of verticals so that in the event of detection of one member the bigger network does not get compromised had been painstakingly discovered through discreet surveillance in which corroborative intelligence capable of being converted to admissible evidence in court was used to ascertain and confirm the Jaish OGW membership of the individuals.
“The module could be connected to other modules through higher levels of JeM leadership. Their discovery is likely as the investigation rolls out in coming days,” the statement read.
The module had been active in recruiting other young persons, arranging finances, transporting weapons in south and central Kashmir besides providing other logistic support.
The SIA claimed to have recovered cell phones, SIM cards, records to show the use of banking channels, and even a dummy pistol were seized.
“Among arrested persons, there is one at whose house four militants had been killed on 4th of April 2020,” SIA said.
The module was working towards furthering militant activities in south and central Kashmir.
The digital records seized is being sent to FSL for evidence analysis and the arrested persons would be presented before the NIA court in Srinagar seeking permission for custodial questioning.