In continuous crackdown on terror financing in Jammu and Kashmir, six government employees, including five policemen, have been dismissed from service under Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution of India. A top official told that the action was taken following an investigation that revealed their involvement in a narco-terror network operated by Pakistan’s ISI and terror outfits from across the border.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha approved the dismissal of these employees after a thorough investigation established their role in financing terrorism through the illegal sale of narcotics, he said , adding that the network was found to be deeply entrenched, with officials using their positions to facilitate the illicit trade.
Details of Employees Terminated
Farooq Ahmad Sheikh ( Head Constable)
Farooq Ahmad Sheikh was recruited as a constable in Police Department in 2000 and was posted in District Kupwara. He was a part of the infamous trio of Khalid Hussain Shah of Chanipora Tangdar Kupwara and Rehmat Shah of Haridal Karnah Kupwara (all employees of J&K Police, details will shared separately). The trio used deception and guise to carefully create a drug syndicate, with an effective and vast network which enabled them to not only satisfy their selfish desires but also be willing collaborators of the adversary. The trio played a pivotal role in the generation of funds derived from the narcotic trade that inevitably would be channelized to sustain terrorist-secessionist ecosystem in J&K.
Farooq used the cover and camouflage of police personnel to act as perfect conduit to supply the smuggled narcotics from across the border to the urban consumption belts of Srinagar, Budgam and its peripheral satellite areas. The uniform, which symbolized his honor and prestige, instead was used to serve as a disguise for his nefarious activities, ensuring that suspicion rarely fell on him.
Farooq was exposed, when one of his associates Rahmat Shah was arrested with around 806 grams of brown sugar on the way to Kupwara from Karnah. On further investigation, he confessed the names of two associates being involved in this syndicate, one of whom was Farooq Ahmad Sheikh.
During the subsequent search based on this confession, around 454 grams of brown sugar was recovered from Farooq Ahmad Sheikh who had hid it in the premises of his residential property. The quantity recovered is worth around Rupees 1.5 Crores in the international market. Narcotic trade originating from Pakistan is an intricate part of larger secessionist-terrorist campaign.
Sources said, Farooq Ahmad Sheikh and his associates had received huge consignment of brown sugar from drug smugglers across the LoC in Pakistan Occupied J&K and thereafter, they used to sell the contraband among peddlers in J&K and other parts of India.
“Being a resident of village Ibkoote in Tanghdar Karnah, Kupwara (the village is situated just about 5-6 Kilometers away from the Line of Control (LoC) and the area is hypersensitive in terms of national security), used his expertise of the local terrain and topography to establish contacts with narcotic drug smugglers across the border in PoJK and was at the fore-front of running Narco-terror network,” Sources said.
Khalid Hussian Shah ( Constable)
Khalid Hussian Shah was recruited as a constable in Police Department in the year 2009 and remained posted in District Kupwara, District Srinagar and Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK). He was a part of the infamous trio of Rahmat Shah of Haridal Karnah Kupwara and Farooq Ahmad Sheikh of Ibkote Karnah Kupwara. After becoming familiar with drug trafficking networks, Khalid Hussian Shah exploited his position in the police to facilitate the smooth transportation and sale of drugs. Being a man in uniform made him less likely to be suspected, allowing him to go unnoticed at police checkpoints. He used his police identity card to avoid detection and evade searches of his vehicle, including those of his passengers. As such, his criminal activities remained undetected over the period. The law eventually caught up with Khalid Hussian Shah, when one of his associates namely Rahmat Shah was arrested with around 806 grams of brown sugar on the way to Kupwara from Karnah. During further investigation, Rahmat Shah confessed the involvement of his two associates in this syndicate, one of whom was Khalid Hussian Shah. A subsequent search based on this confession led to the recovery of around 557 grams of brown sugar from him who had hid it in the premises of his residential property. The quantity recovered is worth around Rupees 1.5 Crores in the international market. Consequently, he was arrested under case FIR No. 176/2023 under sections 8/29 NDPS Act of Police Station Kupwara.The role of Khalid Hussian Shah being involved in an extensive narco-terror syndicate in particular is concerning because he was posted at one of the most vital locations in the security grid. His posting in Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) Branch of CID made him a perfect candidate for the adversary.
“His involvement with adversaries, facilitating and supporting the terrorist ecosystem, has caused a colossal damage to the reputation of the department, society, and the nation,” an investigator said.
Rahmat Shah (Constable)
Rahmat Shah, a constable in district Kupwara, became part of the Narco-terror module including Farooq Ahmad Sheikh of village Ibkote Karnah Kupwara and Khalid Shah (mentioned above). During the period of his prolonged service in Kupwara, he got acquainted with a number of hardcore and notorious drug peddlers in the adjoining areas of Kupwara and Karnah. Rahmat Shah got into drug business and would obtain brown sugar from across the border through unknown sources. According to sources, this rut of narco trade also extended deep into his family, as most of his family members got drawn by greed of easy money.
“In addition to Rahmat Shah, his brother Mir Hyder Shah was also involved in the illegal trade of narcotics as obtained across the border. He was arrested in Jammu with 04 Kgs of brown sugar in 2016 and was later detained under PSA as well. This indicates a propensity of the family in general and he in particular penetrating narcotic trade, long before it reared its ugly head in the present form and shape,” Sources said.
Being one of the early promoters of narcotic trade in the area as well as taking advantage of being a part of J&K Police, he enticed a number of other people who later turned into hardcore peddlers to be finally booked under law.
“The fact remains that heroin and brown sugar, which does not grow or is cultivated in Indian Territory, is inextricably linked with terrorism and every gram of it being peddled or consumed in India comes from Pakistan through several networks with the sole aim of destabilizing the security situation especially in J&K for larger design of secession of J&K from India,” Sources further added.
Irshad Ahmad Chalkoo (Constable)
Irshad Ahmad Chalkoo was recruited as a constable in Jammu and Kashmir Police in its Executive wing in 2009. After completing his training, he was posted in District Anantnag and in 2012 he was transferred to District Baramulla where from he was deployed as personal security officer (PSO) with the then Dy. Director Health Kashmir Bashir Ahmad Chalkoo (now retired).
Over a period of time he developed a close relationship with the terrorist associates of the area and started working as an Over Ground worker (OGW) with the proscribed terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Eventually, he graduated to be the point-man and logistics provider in Uri Baramulla for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) proscribed terror organisation.
Sources said, Irshad Ahmad Chalkoo got exposed on 03.04.2020, when Handwara Police along with other sister agencies cordoned off village Shalpora Langate, Handwara after receiving information regarding presence of terrorists in the house of one Abdul Razaq Bhat. During search operation, two terrorist associates of proscribed terrorist organization LeT, namely Azad Ahmad Bhat resident of Shalpora Langate and Altaf Ahmad Baba of Seelo Babagund Handwara were apprehended by security forces and during their search, huge cache of illegal arms and ammunition were recovered from them which led to a formal registration of the case.
“On their disclosure, five more terrorist associates of LeT terror outfit namely 1) Mohd Rafi Sheikh of Langate, 2) Burhan Mushtaq Wani of Tulwari Langate, 3) Parvaiz Ahmad Chopan of Shartpora Langate, 4) Mudasir Ahmad Pandith of Langate and 5) Irshad Ahmad Chalkoo of Silikote Uri, Baramulla were arrested during investigation.
The investigation agency recovered, 01 pistol, 02 pistol magazines, 08 rounds of pistol and 01 grenade from Irshad Ahmad Chalkoo. Further, it was found that he was in close contact with two Kashmiri origin terrorists based in PoJK namely Sultan Bhat of Kralpora and Javid Ahmad of Hathlanga of Uri through encrypted messaging application and had received arms/ammunition, which he was supposed to deliver to the terrorists of LeT terror outfit. The said adversary had promised Irshad that he would be paid Rs. 01 lac for delivering arms/ammunition,” said the sources.
During investigation, it has also come to fore that Irshad did not commit this illegal act solely for the greed of money but essentially due to his commitment and unrelenting drive towards terrorism, subscribing to it both as an ideology and also being a secret foot soldier in the enemy camp. He has come out to be a preferred mole of terrorists and was strategically planted at a critical point in the border area of Uri in district Baramulla, giving him access to adversaries based in PoJK.
“He provided effective support to the terrorists with precision, exploiting the system’s blind spots that he was supposed to safeguard. His uniform served both as a shield and a weapon, ensuring that suspicion seldom fell on him. He could arrange for transportation of illegal arms/ammunitions without fear of random checks, his police credentials offering a nearly impenetrable disguise. Rather than supporting his department in the fight against terrorism, which was his legal and professional duty, he chose to become a collaborator,” Sources said.
Nazam Din (Teacher)
Nazam Din is a resident of village Kirni, Poonch and has been working as a teacher in School Education Department. He was initially engaged as a teacher under the Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) scheme in 2014 and later got regularised as a permanent teacher in 2019. Nazam Din has exhibited a strong greed for monetary gains. Despite being a government employee, he resorted to various illegal and unethical means to generate a supplementary source of income. This greed manifested his joining and promoting a few organisations and crypto-currency applications while being actively on the payrolls of the state exchequer.
Sources said, it was this greed coupled with his infatuation towards secessionist-terrorist ideology that drew him towards using the narco-terror system for satisfying his endless hunger for more, and be a willing collaborator of the adversary by playing a pivotal role in the generation of funds derived from narcotic trade that inevitably would be channelized to sustain terrorist-secessionist ecosystem in J&K.
“Nazam Din and his associate Qamar Din (an Over Ground Worker of Hizbul Mujahidin (HM) terror Outfit) used to meet very frequently near Bus Stand Poonch. During one such meeting he received a total of Rs. 10 lac from Qamar Din, all derived from these illegal proceeds of narco-terror. These proceeds were ingeniously funneled and invested via one Rizwan Sheikh in a spice business, with the ultimate aim of making the terrorist–secessionist ecosystem a self-financing and self-sustaining campaign,” sources further disclosed.
The investigation further revealed that Nazam Din became key handler of narco-terror network run by PoJK based terrorists Mohd Bashir alias Tikka Khan and Mohd Latief.In September, 2022 Mohd Bashir and Mohd Latief (both J&K origin terrorists based in PoJK) sent a huge consignment of narcotics consisting of 15 Packets of Heroin weighing around 15 Kgs from across the LoC. Of these about 05 Kgs of Heroin was received by Nazam Din and was to be delivered to some Punjab based drug peddler on a commission of Rupees 02 lakh. He established contacts with Punjab based drug smugglers and called them to Poonch and was about to deliver the consignment of illegal narcotics to them but before he could do so he was arrested by Punjab Police party on 01.10.2022 along with 05 Kgs of Heroin at Main Town Poonch. Subsequently he was booked in case FIR No. 234/2022 under section 2-C/25/29 NDPS Act at Police Station Special Task Force (SPF) SAS Nagar Punjab. He was lodged in Central Jail Amritsar until he was shifted in Case FIR No. 203/2022 under sections 8(a)/21/22/29 NDPS Act of Police Station Poonch on the production of a warrant.
“Nazam Din being a teacher with unfettered access to a large number of young, immature, innocent and impressionable minds was a crucial asset for the narco-terror syndicate. It is evident that he is a highly motivated and committed drug peddler and an over ground worker (OGW) of terrorists of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) terror Outfit, whose activities are causing irreparable damage to the society, especially youth who are being tuned into drug addicts,” Sources said.
Saif Din (Constable)
Saif Din, is a resident of Gullu Shingani Gandoh, Doda and also has a residential house at Javid Nagar, Nikki Tawi, Jammu, where he currently resides. He was appointed as a Constable in J&K Armed Police in 1995.
Saif Din was a notorious drug peddler, a habitual offender and a mastermind who manipulated the very system that was meant to curb his kind. Over the years, he managed to evade serious consequences and significant repercussions despite multiple run-ins with the law.
As per the interrogation details, it came to fore that on the directions of ISI and their agents in Pakistan one Mohammad Sharief Shah had come from Kashmir to Jammu to hand over hawala money to one Jatinder Singh alias Babu Singh (EX-MLA) for the purpose of financing secessionist-terrorist activities in Jammu. During naka checking at Tawi Bridge Vikram Chowk, Sharief Shah was arrested and Rupees 6,90,000 were recovered from his possession.
During further course of investigation, the role of Saif Din was revealed and from the facts and other evidences it was established that he was part of network that conspired jointly with Hizbul Mujhahidin (HM) terrorists operating from Pakistan namely Javid Ahmad Chalkoo, Hamidullah Khuroo, and other accused for willfully and intentionally smuggling narcotics and generating and distributing narco-terror funds among the OGWs/other supporters, of terrorism on the directions and in connivance with terrorists and accordingly he was arrested in the instant case on 28.12.2023.
“He had generated a total amount of Rupees 2.04 Crore through narco-trade which was pumped into funding the secessionist and terror activities. The actions of Saif Din reveal him as a deeply motivated and committed Narco-Terror module, as well as an over ground worker (OGW) for the terrorists of the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) terror outfit,” Sources said.
The government has reiterated its zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism and its supporters, vowing to take stringent action against those involved in such activities, the official said.
The Lieutenant Governor has emphasized the importance of rooting out corruption and terror links within government ranks to ensure the safety and well-being of citizens. This decisive action is part of broader efforts to dismantle terror networks and cut off their financial lifelines.
Authorities have assured that investigations will continue to uncover any additional links and ‘collaborators within the network, he siad
The government has also called for increased vigilance and cooperation from the public in identifying and reporting suspicious activities, he added. (KDC)
