Property of PoK-based terror associate attached in Valley

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday said continuing their stringent action against individuals involved in anti-national activities and in pursuance of the ongoing crackdown on terror funding, Kupwara police in north Kashmir attached a property belonging to a terror associate under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The police said the FIR was registered at Kupwara police station and the investigation revealed that Mutwali Piswal, a resident of Batpora Hyhama Kupwara, had illegally gone to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) a few years ago for arms and ammunition training.

“It has come to light that he is affiliated with proscribed terrorist outfits Al-Bark and Lashkar-e-Toiba and currently operates as a commander actively facilitating infiltration of terrorists across the LoC,” Kupwara police said.

They said further evidence indicates that Mutwali Piswal is deeply involved in radicalising local youth and recruiting them into terrorist ranks, posing a grave threat to the peace and security of the region.

The police said the accused was found attempting to sell his immovable property – a land situated at Hyhama, Kupwara. The proceeds of this intended sale were meant to be funnelled into terror-related activities thereby directly supporting and financing terrorism, the police said.

According to the police, as the property in question falls under the “proceeds of terrorism” under UAPA, in accordance with powers conferred under Section 25 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Kupwara police have “formally attached the land as part of the investigation in FIR No. 276/2022.”

The attachment of property is a significant step in disrupting the financial networks of terrorist operatives and serves as a stern warning to those who attempt to fund or facilitate terrorism in the Union Territory, Kupwara police added.

J & K