The Hindu : Jaish running narcotics to fund operations?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 19, 2003

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Jaish running narcotics to fund operations?

By Praveen Swami

Bandipora (Baramulla) Sept. 18. Raids carried out last week by the Jammu and Kashmir police suggest the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad may be financing its operations by trafficking in narcotics across the Line of Control.

In a little-publicised September 10 operation, the State police arrested a medical-store owner, Ghulam Qadir Sofi for harbouring three kg of high-grade heroin on behalf the Jaish-e-Mohammad.

Jeevan Sharma, a resident of Pathankot in Punjab, was picked up while allegedly finalising purchase terms with Mr. Sofi. An associate of Mr. Sofi, Nizam-ud-Din Bhat, was also arrested.

"This is the first major narcotics seizure I can recall in the Kashmir Valley," says the Inspector General of Police, K. Rajendra, adding that it "has very disturbing implications."

Police officials in Bandipora, a frontier region of the Kashmir Valley hard-hit by terrorism, said the heroin was shipped across the border by the Jaish-e-Mohammad some time last summer.

The shipment was organised by the Bandipora-area commander of the Jaish-e-Mohammad, known only by his code-name "Saifullah".

It was then driven to Mr. Sofi's shop by an intermediary, police have identified, but are yet to apprehend. The narcotics were then left in Mr. Sofi's shop in the village of Aithmula.

Narcotics smuggling is almost unknown along the Line of Control in Kashmir, and the Bandipora case is the first documented instance of terrorists seeking to liaise directly with drug-dealers.

"We believe there have been several such shipments across the LoC over the past two years," says a local police chief, Manzoor Ahmad. "The Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Lashkar-e-Taiba are using their regular arms and personnel shipments to move narcotics as well."

The Intelligence officials in Srinagar suggested possible reasons for this new trafficking.

The Jaish-e-Mohammad has been under financial pressure after its assets were frozen in the wake of the events of September 11, 2000.

At the same time, New Delhi hawala dealers moving funds for terrorists have been under pressure.

On August 30, for example, the Delhi Police arrested alleged hawala dealer, Rajendra Prasad, for passing on an estimated Rs. 200,000 to Jaish-e-Mohammad operative, Noor Mohammad.

Although reports from Pakistan have suggested the organisation is now again able to operate with freedom, it may have turned to narcotics to ensure units operating on the field were not financially choked.

Unlike large-scale hawala transactions, the sale of narcotics can be calibrated to meet the immediate cash needs of terrorist groups, making detection difficult.

Heroin is freely available in much of northern and north-western Pakistan, the heartland from which the Jaish-e-Mohammad draws its cadre.

Officials also speculate that some members of Jaish-e-Mohammad fidayeen may use heroin before their attacks. The drug numbs the human body's pain reflexes, and also provides protection against fatigue and cold.

A section of police officials in Jammu and Kashmir have been arguing for tests to be routinely carried out on terrorists killed in fidayeen operations, but these requests have been shot down on the grounds that adequate forensic resources are not available.

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