Arrest of migrant from Valley in Jammu marks key moment in narco-terror network probe

A 35-year-old man from Jammu's Valley, Manoj Kumar Bhat, also known as Pintu, was arrested by the State Investigation Agency (SIA) for alleged involvement in a cross-border narco-terror financing network. This marks a significant development in the ongoing probe. SIA, a specialised anti-terrorism and law enforcement agency, had been searching for Pintu for four years without success.

He was known for frequently changing his hideouts and rarely carrying a mobile phone. Pintu was allegedly linked to the smuggling of narcotics from across the Line of Control and its subsequent sale proceeds being channelised towards financing terrorist activities. He was arrested on June 3, 2022, following the recovery of a kilogram of heroin from two individuals at Nowpora in Sopore district of Kashmir.

The arrest has left the Kashmiri Pandit community, descendants of those who migrated to Jammu from the Valley over 35 years ago, shocked. One resident expressed concern about the man giving their community a "bad name," while another admitted they had been trying to identify him but had met with limited success.