April 24, 2025
Gujarat drug haul: NIA opposes accused bail, says proceeds used for funding terror
The ASG said one of the key witnesses in the case, a retired customs official, was found dead under suspicious circumstances.
The NIA on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that the proceeds of the 2,988-kg heroin consignment that was intercepted in Mundra port by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in September 2021 were “used…for funding terrorist activities of” the banned Pakistan-based “Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)”.
The agency also said a protected witness in the case had deposed that Lateef Rather, a slain operative of LeT proxy The Resistance Front (TRF), had told him that one “Md. Iqbal Awan and Afghanistan/Pakistan based drug smugglers in December 2021… discussed… Kashmir issue, Article 370” with him… “Lateef directed representative code name Malik to Delhi/Haryana border for collection of (`) 10 and 15 lakh” from one Haryana man… “the money was used for procuring weapons and ammunition for new recruits of Lashkar-e-Taiba”, the agency told the court.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati appearing for the NIA conveyed this to a bench of Justices Surya Kant and N K Singh while opposing the bail plea of a key accused, Harpreet Singh Talwar alias Kabir Talwar of Delhi, in the case. The law officer said the narcotics was trafficked to India “disguised as legal imports in the form of semi-processed talc stones and bituminous coal” and “the proceeds… were sent back to the consignors, who used these funds for funding terrorist activities of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)”.
She said “the legal export-import channel was used after finding loopholes and circumventing the system”. The ASG said a total of six consignments were imported to India, sent by the same consignors from Afghanistan. The sixth was intercepted at Mundra port. “The Narco-traffickers were located in Afghanistan and were sending heroin via Iran and Pakistan to India (with help of ISI and Iranian middle men),” Bhati said.
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Heroin consignment and terror funding
The NIA told the bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh that the seizure of 3,000 kg of heroin valued at ₹21,000 crore from Mundra port was part of LeT’s strategy. The drugs were smuggled into India from Afghanistan through Iran, concealed as talc powder, and imported using valid documents.
Additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati said, “Look what they did to India at Pahalgam by shooting innocent tourists,” while explaining the terror group's operations. According to the affidavit, the narcotics were routed through Iranian intermediaries and stored at warehouses in Neb Sarai and Alipur in Delhi. The funds from the sale were allegedly used to finance terror activities.
The NIA added, “This case is a case of largest intercepted consignment of narco-substance being brought to India through illicit means, which was to be used, not only, to wreak a havoc among public (which was the targeted user of the said narco-product) but also, to use the sale proceeds to fund terrorism.”
Suspected terrorists identified
Security agencies have released images of four suspected terrorists involved in the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, which killed 28 tourists. The individuals have been identified as Aadil Guree, Aasif Shaikh, Suleman Shah, and Abu Talha. They used the code names Moosa, Yunus, and Asif. Sources said Aadil Guree from Anantnag and Aasif Shaikh from Sopore are suspected to be locals.
Earlier in the day, sketches of the suspects were circulated, and a blurred image surfaced on television showing an armed man with an AK-47. While the image has not been verified independently, officials said it matches survivor reports describing attackers in Army uniforms.
Deadliest attack since Article 370 abrogation
The assault occurred at around 1:30 pm in Baisaran meadow, a tourist area near Pahalgam. Survivors recounted that six foreign terrorists in military uniforms targeted victims based on their religion. Eyewitnesses said the attackers asked people to reveal their names and recite Islamic verses before opening fire at close range.
Despite security arrangements in the area, including checkpoints and armed patrols, the assailants managed to enter the location and launch the attack. “The search operation is currently in progress, with all efforts focused on bringing the attackers to justice,” Chinar Corps of the Indian Army said in a statement.
Infiltration bid foiled at LoC
On the same day, the Army also reported an infiltration attempt at the Line of Control in Baramulla. “On 23 Apr 2025, approximately 2-3 UI terrorists tried to infiltrate through the general area Sarjeevan at Uri Nala, Baramulla (in north Kashmir),” the Chinar Corps said in a post on X. Alert soldiers challenged the intruders, leading to a firefight. The operation remains ongoing.
The incident underscores the continued threat of cross-border terrorism and highlights how drug trafficking is being used to fund such attacks.
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