NIA arrests Pulwama cross-LoC traders’ body chief

SRINAGAR: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested the president of cross-LOC Traders’ Association, Tanveer Ahmad Wani, in New Delhi after disclosures by arrested DSP, Davinder Singh.
Tanveer is the sixth person to be arrested in the case after Davinder Singh was arrested last month on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway while escorting two Hizb terrorists.
The NIA also questioned Abdul Rashid Sheikh, former MLA (independent) from Langate, over terror funding.The NIA had raided the residences Tanveer Wani and another trader, Ghulam Ahmad Wani, in Pulwama district in July 2019, but let off both after questioning.
Tanveer is alleged to have funded Naveed Babu, operational commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, who was arrested along with Davinder Singh and three others in the DSP’s car on January 11, on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway near Qazigund.
Tanveer is believed to be involved in hawala transactions under the garb of cross-LOC trade and NIA suspects he was funding the Hizb outfit for carrying out terrorist activities in Jammu & Kashmir.
Official sources said Tanveer was summoned to Delhi from Pulwama and arrested there. Apart from Davinder Singh, Naveed Babu, Rafi Ahmad Rather, Irfan Shafi Mir, and Syed Irfan are in the NIA custody.
The government of India started cross-LoC trade in 2006, but the traders were mostly found involved in hawala transactions, which helped terror activities in J&K.
India stopped cross-LoC trade in February 2019, in the wake of the suicide attack on the CRPF convoy at Lethpora in Pulwama, which claimed the lives of over 40 CRPF jawans.