Hizbul chief Syed Salahudeen, 10 others chargesheeted in cross-border narco network

In a major breakthrough against narco-terrorism, the Jammu and Kashmir State Investigation Agency (SIA) has filed a chargesheet against 11 individuals — including Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahudeen — for allegedly using cross-border drug trafficking to fund terror operations in the Union Territory.

The chargesheet, filed on July 5 exposes a well-structured terror financing syndicate that officials say has pumped narcotics into Jammu and Kashmir to raise funds for Hizbul Mujahideen, a Pakistan-sponsored militant outfit. Among the accused are Salahudeen and Basharat Ahmad Bhat, both operating from Pakistan, and nine others from various parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

According to officials, the FIR — originally registered in 2022 at SIA police station in Jammu — pertains to a deep-rooted narco-terror racket involving couriers, overground workers, and peddlers working in tandem with Hizbul operatives. The investigation revealed that this network not only smuggled drugs into India but also used the proceeds to radicalize local youth and sustain militant activities.

“Several accused have acquired disproportionate assets through drug money, despite lacking legitimate income sources,” officials noted. Some of them allegedly distributed narcotics to young consumers, while others were hired to peddle drugs on behalf of the key operatives.

The probe also uncovered a larger conspiracy to destabilize peace in Jammu and Kashmir by fostering terror via narcotics. "This narco-terror channel has emerged as a critical financial artery for Hizbul Mujahideen," an official familiar with the investigation said.

The Pakistan-based operatives named in the chargesheet include Syed Mohammad Yusuf Shah alias Syed Salahudeen, originally from Budgam’s Soibugh area, and Basharat Ahmad Bhat of Kremshore, also in Budgam. Both are top-ranking members of Hizbul Mujahideen and have long been under the radar of Indian intelligence.

The nine other accused named in the chargesheet include Khalid Hussain (Rajouri), Harpreet Singh (Jammu), Mohd. Shokit (Poonch), Javid Ahmed Rather (Budgam), Manzoor Ahmad (Srinagar), Chain Singh (Bishnah), Sahil Kumar (Jammu), Asif Rehman Reshi (Srinagar), and Sandeepak Singh (Jammu).

SIA officials said further investigation is underway to identify and apprehend additional members of the network, suggesting the scope of the conspiracy could be wider than currently known.