NIA carries out searches in J&K's Handwara, police raids various places in Srinagar

Srinagar (The Uttam Hindu): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday carried out searches in J&K’s Handwara town in connection with a major drug case while the police raided various in Srinagar city under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Sleuths of NIA, accompanied by the police and the CRPF, carried out searches in Handwara town in connection with a high-profile, multi-million drug racket case being investigated by the agency.

J&K Police carried out searches at different places in the Batmaloo locality and in the HMT area of Srinagar in connection with a UAPA case. A police statement said that the searches were in connection with the ongoing investigation against some persons, who are engaged in a criminal conspiracy with others to orchestrate false and malicious narratives through the dissemination of fabricated information to provoke people to resort to violence. Police obtained search warrants from the designated court and conducted searches in the houses of Obais Riyaz Dar, son of Riyaz Ahmad Dar, resident of Bonpora Batmaloo, and Sahil Ahmad Bhat, son of Noor Mohammad, resident of HMT, Zainakot.

The statement said electronic devices and incriminating material were seized during searches at these places, adding that more houses belonging to suspects engaged in seditious propaganda are on the police radar for similar action in the near future. Police have again cautioned people to exercise restraint while using social media to ensure that they don’t get involved in anything connected with the sharing and dissemination of false propaganda to create an anti-national narrative at the behest of the enemy. It needs to be mentioned that the terrorists have started increasing their activities in J&K after they failed to disrupt the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, which were peaceful and people participative. Enemies of peace and tranquillity sitting across the border have directed overground workers (OGWs) and sympathisers to help disseminate malicious propaganda to vitiate peace in the UT, it warned.