VIF News Digest: National Security – Defence Studies & Terrorism, 01-15 March 2022

DEFENCE

  • 19th edition of India-US Military Cooperation Group.
  • Sea Phase of MILAN 2022.
  • Four projects offered to the Indian Industry for design & development under Make-I category.
  • Virtual summit of Quad leaders.
  • Postponement of DefExpo 2022.
  • Four-day Indo-Pacific Military Health Exchange (IPMHE) conference.
  • Ninth Edition of India – Sri Lanka Bilateral Maritime Exercise SLINEX.
  • Chief of Army Australia along with four member delegation is visiting India from 08 to 11 March 2022.
  • Exercise Dharma Guardian-2022 Culminates at Belgaum (Karnataka).
  • 5th NSA Level Meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave.
  • 18 platforms identified for industry led Design & Development.
  • Accidental firing of missile.
  • 15th round China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting.
  • Chair of Excellence in memory Gen Bipin Rawat at the United Service Institution of India (USI).

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Africa
Guinea
  • US sanctioned two Hizbu’llah financiers in Guinea.
Nigeria
  • Former Boko Haram terrorists graduated from de-radicalisation programme: Nigerian authorities.
Afghanistan
  • IS-KP terrorist of Indian origin killed in Afghanistan.
Pakistan
  • At least 56 people died in a suicide bomb attack during Friday prayers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir
  • Unidentified terrorists killed a village Sarpanch in Srinagar.
  • NIA official searched different locations in Kashmir in connection with terror-funding.
  • Two people killed in a grenade blast in Srinagar.
  • One killed in an explosion outside district court complex in Udhampur.
Left-Wing Extremism
  • Police unearthed explosive dump in Telangana.
  • Police arrested a Maoist from Bihar.
  • Police arrested two Maoists, including a key leader, from Assam.
Khalistan-inspired Extremism
  • NIA filed charge-sheet against six Khalistani terrorists in Punjab bomb blast case.
  • NIA filed charge-sheet against five Khalistani terrorists in case of smuggling of narcotics, weapons and explosives across the India-Pakistan International Border.
Islamic Extremism
  • NIA filed charge-sheet against two IS terrorists in ‘Voice of Hind’ case.
  • NIA searched a location in connection with IS-KP case.
  • NIA filed charge-sheet against two HuT terrorists in ‘Madurai Iqbal HuT’ case.
Narcotics Trafficking
  • NIA filed charge-sheet against 16 Narcotic traffickers in ‘Mundra Port, Gujarat’ case.
  • Police arrested drug trafficker from Poonch.
Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) Cases
  • NIA arrested a FICN trafficker from IGI airport, Delhi.
DEFENCE
19th edition of India-US Military Cooperation Group.

The 19th edition of India-US Military Cooperation Group (MCG) meeting was held in Agra, Uttar Pradesh on March 01-02, 2022. The meeting was co-chaired by Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC) Air Marshal BR Krishna from the Indian side and Deputy Commander, US Indo-Pacific Command Lieutenant General Stephen D Sklenka from the US side. The discussions focussed on strengthening the ongoing defence engagements between the two sides and mulled on new initiatives under the ambit of existing cooperation mechanism.
The India-US MCG is a forum established to progress defence cooperation between the countries through regular talks at the strategic and operational levels between Headquarters, Integrated Defence Staff and the US Indo-Pacific Command.
For more information: Click here to read…

Sea Phase of MILAN 2022.

The sea phase of the 11th edition of MILAN which witnessed participation of 26 ships, one submarine and 21 aircraft, culminated on 04 Mar 22. A series exercises were undertaken in all three dimensions of naval operations to enhance compatibility, interoperability, mutual understanding and maritime cooperation amongst the partner Navies.
For more information: Click here to read…

Four projects offered to the Indian Industry for design & development under Make-I category.

Ministry of Defence (MoD), has offered four projects to the Indian Industry for design & development under Make-I category of Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020. The industry will be provided financial support for prototype development of these projects. The list of projects which were accorded ‘Approval In-Principle (AIP)’ by Collegiate Committee of MoD is as follow:

  • Indian Air Force: Communication Equipment with Indian Security Protocols (Routers, Switches, Encryptors, VoIP Phones and their software)
  • Indian Air Force: Airborne Electro Optical pod with Ground Based System
  • Indian Air Force: Airborne Stand-off Jammer
  • Indian Army: Indian Light Tank
  • In addition, AIP has also been accorded to following five projects under industry-funded Make-II procedure:
  • Indian Air Force: Full Motion Simulator for Apache Helicopter
  • Indian Air Force: Full Motion Simulator for Chinook Helicopter
  • Indian Air Force: Wearable Robotic Equipment for Aircraft Maintenance
  • Indian Army: Integrated Surveillance and Targeting System for Mechanised Forces
  • Indian Army: Autonomous Combat Vehicle

For more information: Click here to read…

Virtual summit of Quad leaders.

Prime Minister participated on 03 March 2022, at a virtual summit of Quad leaders, along with US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The meeting reviewed the progress on Quad initiatives since the September 2021 Quad Summit. The leaders agreed on accelerating cooperation, with an objective to achieve concrete outcomes by the summit in Japan later this year.

Prime Minister underlined that the Quad must remain focused on its core objective of promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. He called for concrete and practical forms of cooperation within the Quad, in areas like Humanitarian and Disaster Relief, debt sustainability, supply chains, clean energy, connectivity, and capacity-building.

Developments in Ukraine were discussed in the meeting, including its humanitarian implications. The Prime Minister emphasised the need to return to a path of dialogue and diplomacy.

The leaders also discussed other topical issues, including the situation in Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean region and the Pacific Islands. Prime Minister reiterated the importance of adhering to the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
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Postponement of DefExpo 2022.

Due to logistics problems being experienced by participants, the DefExpo 2022 proposed to be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat from March 10th till March 14th was postponed. The new dates would be communicated in due course.
For more information: Click here to read…

Four-day Indo-Pacific Military Health Exchange (IPMHE) conference.

Raksha Mantri (RM) virtually inaugurated, on March 07, 2022, the four-day Indo-Pacific Military Health Exchange (IPMHE) conference co-hosted by Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) and US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). The theme of the conference is ‘Military Healthcare in a Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA) World’. The conference, which will continue till March 10, 2022, aims to enhance cooperation and jointmanship in military medicine. It will cover many important topics including operational/combat medical care, tropical medicine, field surgery, field anaesthesia, aviation & marine medicine emergencies etc.

The conference is attended by more than 600 Indian and foreign delegates from over 38 countries. A delegation of 20 members from the organising committee of the USINDOPACOM is in New Delhi to co-host the conference. The delegates and speakers will interact and share experiences over the four days on 110 topics.
For more information: Click here to read…

Ninth Edition of India – Sri Lanka Bilateral Maritime Exercise SLINEX.

SLINEX was conducted from 07 to 10 Mar 22 at Visakhapatnam. The inter-operability achieved over the years as a result of such exercises has proved to be operationally beneficial for both the navies. The present edition of the exercise has further strengthened ties between the two Maritime neighbours and helped in improving interoperability.
For more information: Click here to read…

Chief of Army Australia along with four member delegation is visiting India from 08 to 11 March 2022.

Chief of Army Australia along with four member delegation is visiting India from 08 to 11 March 2022. On 09 March 2022, the Australian Army Chief laid a wreath at the National War Memorial and received a ceremonial Guard of Honour at the South Block. Lt Gen Richard Burr called on the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Chief of Air Staff and other senior military officers. Both Chiefs exchanged views on the current global situation and the situation in Indo-Pacific in addition to discussing measures for enhancing defence cooperation between both armies. The General also addressed the faculty and participants of the prestigious National Defence College and later interacted on regional security perspectives with the Vice Chief of Army Staff and the Director at Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), New Delhi. The visiting Australian Army Chief will be visiting Indian Army formations and units deployed along Western Borders on 10 and 11 March 2022.
For more information: Click here to read…

Exercise Dharma Guardian-2022 Culminates at Belgaum (Karnataka).

Ex DHARMA GUARDIAN-2022, an annual exercise between Indian Army and Japanese Ground Self Defence Force which commenced on 27 February 2022 at Foreign Training Node, Belgaum successfully culminated on 10 March 2022 after twelve days of intense joint military training, providing an unique opportunity of achieving synergy between Armed Forces of both the Nations which is focused towards strengthening the timeless bonds of India – Japan friendship.
For more information: Click here to read…

5th NSA Level Meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave.

Delegations of the founding members of Colombo Security Conclave; Maldives, India and Sri Lanka, and the newest member of the Conclave, Mauritius, successfully concluded the 5th National Security Adviser level meeting held on 09 – 10 March 2022 in Maldives. Delegations from Bangladesh and Seychelles participated as Observers. Key areas of cooperation to enhance and strengthen regional security wereidentified in the following five pillars:
• Maritime Safety and Security
• Countering Terrorism and Radicalisation
• Combating Trafficking and Transnational Organised Crime
• Cyber Security, Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Technology
• Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief
For more information:
Click here to read…

18 platforms identified for industry led Design & Development.

In-sync with the announcement in the Union Budget 2022-23 that allocated 25% of Defence R & D Budget for industry led R & D, 18 major platforms have been identified by the Ministry of Defence for industry led Design & Development under various routes. Some of them on the systems on the list are:

Make-I
  • Hypersonic Glide Vehicle
  • Directed Energy Weapons (300 KW and more) [High Powered Electromagnetic Devices and High Powered Laser Devices]
  • Naval Ship Borne Unmanned Aerial System (NSUAS)
  • Light Weight Tank
  • Self-Healing Mine Fields
  • Unmanned Autonomous AI Based Land Robot
  • 127 mm Naval Gun
  • 127 mm Guided Projectile
  • Electric Propulsion (Engines) for Ships
  • Standoff Airborne Jammer
  • Li-ion Cells/ Li-Sulphur Cells [Portable High Capacity Energy Systems replacing the Conventional Hydrocarbons
  • Communication System (AFNET System Switches, routers, Encryptors& VOIP phones)
  • Electro Optical (EO) Pod (with subsequent upgrade to EO/IR) with high resolution sensing
  • ‘Plug and Play’ Housing/ Infrastructure for soldiers posted at extreme altitudes.

For more information: Click here to read…

Accidental firing of missile.

On 9 March 2022, in the course of a routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile.
The Government of India has taken a serious view and ordered a high-level Court of Enquiry.
It is learnt that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan. While the incident is deeply regrettable, it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident.
Citation: Click here to read…

15th round China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting.

The 15th round China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting was held at Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Indian side on 11th March 2022. The two sides carried forward their discussions from the previous round held on 12th January 2022 for the resolution of the relevant issues along the LAC in the Western Sector. They had a detailed exchange of views in this regard, in keeping with the guidance provided by the State Leaders to work for the resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest.
For more information: Click here to read…

Chair of Excellence in memory Gen Bipin Rawat at the United Service Institution of India (USI).

On the eve of the 65th birthday of late Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, the Indian Army has dedicated a Chair of Excellence in his memory at the United Service Institution of India (USI). A cheque of Rs 5 lakhs was handed over to Maj Gen BK Sharma (retd), Director, USI which will be paid as honorarium to the nominated Chair of Excellence.
For more information: Click here to read…

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Africa
Guinea
US sanctioned two Hizbu’llah financiers in Guinea.

On 04 March 2022, the United States (US) Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated two Hizbu’llah financiers and prominent Lebanese businessmen— Ali Saade and Ibrahim Taher under Executive Order (EO) 13224. The EO-13224 targets terrorists, leaders, and officials of terrorist groups, and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism.

Ali Saade, connected with Hizbu’llah supporter Kassim Tajideen, initiated money transfers from Guinea to Lebanon. Taher has been identified as one of the most known financiers of Hizbu’llah and believed to employ several people affiliated with the terror group within Guinea. According to the US Department of Treasury’s statement, “the new sanctions are aimed at disrupting Hizbu’llah’s business network in West Africa and exposing businessmen who support Hizbu’llah’s destabilising activities through bribes and other corrupt methods.”
For more information:
Click here to read…

Nigeria
Former Boko Haram terrorists graduated from de-radicalisation programme: Nigerian authorities.

According to the Nigerian authorities, 559 former Boko Haram terrorists have graduated a military-run de-radicalisation programme and likely to re-integrated into society. The graduates pledged their allegiance to the Nigerian authorities. The military-run de-radicalisation programme was introduced in 2015 by the Nigerian government and became operational in 2016 as part of counter-terrorism (CT) strategies.

Boko Haram terrorists who voluntarily lay down their arms and surrender to the authorities are given special training, including vocational skills, religious re-orientation and psychological support to de-radicalise them before being reintegrated into the society. So far, total of 1,629 former Boko Haram terrorists have been graduated from the programme.
For more information: Click here to read…

Afghanistan
IS-KP terrorist of Indian origin killed in Afghanistan.

In a recent issue of a Islamic State (IS) publication— Voice of Khurasan, the terror group informed that an operative of Islamic State-Khurasan Province (IS-KP)— Najeeb al-Hindi (nom de guerre) has died fighting in Afghanistan, apparently in a suicide attack. The publication described “Najeeb” as a 23-year-old “engineering (M. Tech) student from Kerala” in an article about his death.

The article did not provide any further details about the death, including timeline when he was killed. According to the article, “Najeeb” had come to Khurasan “all the way from India” on his own when it was difficult to do hijra on those days. He met with other fighters who came from his hometown and lived as a bachelor in a guest room.
For more information: Click here to read…

Pakistan
At least 56 people died in a suicide bomb attack during Friday prayers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

On 04 March 2022, at least 56 people were killed and 194 were injured in a suicide bomb attack inside a Shia Muslim Mosque during Friday prayers in Peshawar district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility and threatened more such attacks against Pakistan’s Shia minority. “Before the explosion, the attacker opened fire on police personnel deployed outside the mosque. A police officer was martyred and other was injured during the gunfight. The attacker ran inside the mosque and detonated his explosive vest,” said Peshawar Police Chief— Muhammad Ejaz Khan.
For more information: Click here to read…

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir
Unidentified terrorists killed a village Sarpanch in Srinagar.

On 09 March 2022, unidentified terrorists killed a village chief or Sarpanch – Sameer Ahmad Bhat, Sarpanch of Khanmoh village in Srinagar district of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Bhat is the second Panchayat member killed by terrorists in a week. Bhat was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to injuries during his treatment.
For more information: Click here to read…

NIA official searched different locations in Kashmir in connection with terror-funding.

On 09 March 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials carried out searches at various locations in Baramulla and Srinagar districts of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), in connection with terror-funding investigation. In a joint search operation with police and CRPF personnel, the NIA officials raided premises of several members of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) organisation. The JeI is a banned organisation under Section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

“The JeI members have been collecting funds, domestically and internationally, through donations particularly in form of Zakat (charity), Mowda and Bait ul-Mal, to further charity and other welfare activities; however, these funds are instead being used for violent and secessionist activities. The funds raised by JeI are also being channelised to terror groups, including Hizbul-Mujahideen (HM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), through well organised networks of JeI cadres,” said the NIA spokesperson.
For more information: Click here to read…

Two people killed in a grenade blast in Srinagar.

On 06 March 2022, two people, including a 19-year-old girl, were killed, while 33 others were injured in a grenade blast at the Hari Singh Street in Srinagar. “At about 04:20 pm, terrorists hurled a grenade upon police and security forces personnel deployed at the Hari Singh Street,” said a police official. The area had been cordoned off and a hunt operation was launched to nab the perpetrators.

“Three-four cells were busted in last few days. Those involved in the grenade attack have been identified and the case will be solved soon. In 2021, 85 such modules involved in civilian killings and grenade-throwing incidents, were busted; while six modules were neutralised in Jammu and Kishtwar area in Jammu,” said Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Director-General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh.
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One killed in an explosion outside district court complex in Udhampur.

On 09 March 2022, one person was killed, and 13 others were injured in an explosion outside the district court complex in Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) and Jammu & Kashmir police personnel reached the incident site and started the investigation. The primarily investigation revealed that it was an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast.
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Left-Wing Extremism
Police unearthed explosive dump in Telangana.

Acting on reliable inputs, a joint team of police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel carried out a search operation on 05 March 2022 and found explosives concealed in a drum, which belongs to Maoists, in the reserve forest area of Medaram village in Mulugu district of Telangana. The security forces personnel recovered 74 gelatine sticks, four detonators, one wire bundle, and three plastic sheets from the drum.
For more information: Click here to read…

Police arrested a Maoist from Bihar.

In a joint operation, on 07 March 2022, the Aurangabad police, CRPF, and the Composite Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), arrested a Maoist— Mithilish Mehta, from Gaya district in Bihar. “Mithilish was involved in several gun-battles between Police and Maoists in Jharkhand in 2001. He was involved in blowing up a government school building in February 2020 at Sondaha village in Gaya. Mithilish was also involved in an attack on police patrol team at Jhajhi village in Gaya district in April 2020,” said Gaya Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Harpreet Kaur.
For more information: Click here to read…

Police arrested two Maoists, including a key leader, from Assam.

On 06 March 2022, the Assam police arrested two Maoists, including a key leader— Kanchan Da (72-year-old), from Patimara tea garden area in Cachar district in Assam. “For the last two months, police have been running operations to arrest Kanchan Da. On 06 March, police officials managed to trace and arrest Kanchan Da. There are about 200 cases registered against Kanchan Da in different parts of India, with rewards of about ₹ 3 crore,” said Guwahati City Police Commissioner— Harmeet Singh. Police recovered a laptop, mobile phone, Maoist literature, and ₹ 3.60 lakh from Kanchan’s possession.
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Khalistan-inspired Extremism
NIA filed charge-sheet against six Khalistani terrorists in Punjab bomb blast case.

On 15 March 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed chargesheet against six Khalistani terrorists— i) Sukhwinder Singh, ii) Parveen Singh, iii) Gurpreet Singh, iv) Ranjit Singh, v) Habib Khan (Pakistani national), and vi) Lakhbir Singh Rode, under Sections 3, 4, 5, and 6 of Explosive Substances Act, Sections 21B, 27A, and 29 of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, Sections 16, 17, 18, 18B, 20, 38, and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA(P)A], and Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The case—RC-24/2021/NIA/DLI pertains to bomb blast in Jalalabad town in Fazilka district of Punjab on 15 September 2021. The case investigation revealed that Lakhbir Singh Rode, a self-styled chief of International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) and his associates carried out multiple explosions in various locations in Punjab. Following directives from Rode, Habib Khan had radicalised and recruited other two Khalistani terrorists—Balwinder Singh and Sukhwinder Singh, and motivated them to plant bombs using IEDs (tiffin-bombs) smuggled from Pakistan. Prior to the blast in Jalalabad town, the chargesheetKhalistani terrorists had set ablaze few shops in Ferozepur city in Punjab.
For more information: Click here to read…

NIA filed charge-sheet against five Khalistani terrorists in case of smuggling of narcotics, weapons and explosives across the India-Pakistan International Border.

On 04 March 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed charge-sheet against five Khalistani terrorists— i) Harmesh Singh, ii) Darvesh Singh, iii) Gurmukh Singh, iv) Gagandeep Singh, and v) Lakhbir Singh Rode, in connection with smuggling of narcotics, arms, and explosives from Pakistan via drones.

The case—RC-31/2021/NIA/DLI, investigation revealed that charge-sheeted terrorists had smuggled illegal consignments of narcotics, arms, ammunition, and explosives from Pakistan to carry out terrorist activities in India. Till now, five terrorists in the case have been arrested while Lakhbir Singh Rode is absconding.
For more information: Click here to read…

Islamic Extremism
NIA filed charge-sheet against two IS terrorists in ‘Voice of Hind’ case.

On 11 March 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a supplementary charge-sheet against two Islamic State (IS) terrorists— i) Afshan Parvaiz Jarabi, and ii) Tawheed Latief Sofi, before the NIA Special Court, Delhi, under Sections 120B, 124A, 153A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Sections 18, 38, and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA(P)A].

On 29 June 2021, the NIA registered case—RC-14/2021/NIA/DLI regarding a conspiracy by Islamic State (IS) to radicalise Muslim youth from India to wage jihad against the State. To further the objective, an online campaign was launched which was supplemented by on-ground terror financing activities. The case was registered against cyber entity Qasim Khurasani and his associates.
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NIA searched a location in connection with IS-KP case.

On 07 March 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials carried out a search operation at the residence of Talha Khan, a suspect in ‘Islamic State-Khurasan Province (IS-KP)’ case, in Pune, Maharashtra.

The case—RC-11/2020/NIA/DLI relates with the arrest of Jahanzaib Sami Wami and his wife—Hina Bashir Beigh, from OkhlaVihar, Jamia Nagar in Delhi. Till now, six Islamic State (IS) operatives have been charge-sheeted in the same case for conspiring to disseminate ideology of IS, establishing modules, making IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices), and execute target killings. During the search, the NIA officials recovered incriminating documents and digital devices for further examination.
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NIA filed chargesheet against two HuT terrorists in ‘Madurai Iqbal HuT’ case.

On 14 March 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed supplementary charge-sheet against two Hizbut-Tahrir (HuT) terrorists— i) Bava Bahrudeen, and Ziyavudeen Baqavi, in ‘Madurai Iqbal HuT’ case.

The case—RC-08/2021/NIA/DLI, investigation revealed that the duo are HuT operatives which is affiliated with Islamic State (IS). Both terrorists were engaged in radicalising and recruiting youth, and to enforce a draft constitution written by radical Islamic preacher—Taqi al-Din al-Nabhani, founder of HuT. Both terrorists had also conspired to formed new modules in various districts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala through social media platforms, in order to spread the ideology of HuT.
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Police arrested drug trafficker from Poonch.

On 09 March 2022, the district police arrested— Kamlesh Kumar, a drug trafficker, from Mendhar area in Poonch district, and recovered 1.9 kg of marijuana from his possession. District police are taking effective measures against those involved in network of narcotic substances. The police have also requested general public of Poonch district to come forward and report the illegal business/network of drugs.
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Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs) Cases
NIA arrested a FICN trafficker from IGI airport, Delhi.

On 04 March 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials arrested a FICN (Fake Indian Currency Note) trafficker—Abdul Wahid aka Saddam, from Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport in Delhi.

The case— RC-05/2022/NIA/DLI pertains to the seizure of FICNs worth ₹ 10 lakhs and 175 grams gold worth ₹ 8.5 lakhs, at Terminal-3 of IGI airport, Delhi by Customs officials from another accused— Mohammad Shahjan on 12 January 2022. Initial investigation revealed that Abdul Wahid is an active operative of a network involved in smuggling of FICNs and gold into India. Earlier, two people have been arrested by the NIA in same case.
For more information: Click here to read…