A direct terror funding link from Pakistan has emerged after the probe into the activities of Falah-e-Insaniyat, an offshoot of the Pakistan-based terror group Jamat-ud-Dawah, by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The probe has also revealed that the outfit was aiming at recruiting people through a new modus operandi by winning the hearts of the gullible youth of a particular community.
The Falah-e-Insaniyat is Jamat-ud-Dawah's charity wing headquartered in Lahore but operations in India were being managed from Dubai to evade from the radar of the security agencies here. The Pakistani outfit had spread its tentacles to Jammu & Kashmir, Gujarat, Mumbai (Maharashtra) and Rajasthan.
The new modus operandi of the Falah-e-Insaniyat entailed sponsorship of marriages of girl children and building houses of poor people through the local agents with a hidden agenda to develop a cadre of motivated youth who would eventually be recruited for the insidious agenda of the outfit.
Top NIA sources said there is a direct Pakistan link that has emerged during the probe into the case. The Falah-e-Insaniyat has several centres in Pakistan but operations for India were managed from Dubai. The outfit was operating in a clandestine manner in India to avoid the gaze of security agencies.
"During the preliminary questioning of the accused in the case, it has emerged that the money that was coming in as "zakat" was being used to distribute it among the families of terrorists, "a senior official said adding the NIA is suspecting Srinagar hawala route was also active for movement of cash by the outfit in various States.
The flow of money started from Pakistan and travelled to Dubai through which it came to Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Mumbai and the network could be present in other States.
The NIA cracked the case after the agency put surveillance on the suspects following receipt of actionable inputs that money was coming into India from Dubai for "charitable purposes".
The original input that NIA received was that a Pakistani national based in Dubai was in touch with a person in India who turned out to be one of the accused in the case, Salman, based in Delhi who was directly reviving funds from Dubai.
The Pakistani national in Dubai was in direct contact with the deputy chief of JuD's charity wing.
"The Central Government has received information that a Delhi-based individual Mohd Salman is in regular touch with one Dubai based Pakistani national Mohd Kamran, who in turn is connected with Shahid Mehmood, Dy Chief of Falah-I-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), Pakistan, a front end NGO of terror group LeT and a proscribed terrorist organisation under the UA(P) Act. Md Salman has been receiving funds from outside the country sent by FIF operative Mohd Kamran and his associates through hawala operators. Mohd Salman has connections with persons in various countries including Pakistan, UAE, Canada, Sweden, Croatia etc which prima facie indicates that FIF is trying to attract group of sympathisers to its cause of creating unrest in India by collecting funds for terrorist activities in India," reads the FIR.
The FIR has named Lashkar-e-Tayyaba/JuD chief Hafiz Mohammad Sayeed, Shahid Mehmood, Deputy Chief of Falah-I-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) Pakistan, Mohammad Kamran, Dubai-based Pakistani national Mohammad Salman, Indian national
The NIA conducted searches at the residence of Ajaz Ahmad Hakak in Srinagar's Nowhatta last week in connection with the terror funding case.
Out of the three arrested person in Falah-e-insaniyat terror funding case, one J&k resident Sajad Ahmed Wani has received Rs 80 lacs from Aizaz Ahmed Hakak through hawala channels. The NIA has arrested three persons in connection with the case.