Manoj Kumar Bhat, a narco-terrorist, was apprehended in Jammu by the State Investigation Agency (SIA) Kashmir on Monday. This arrest concludes a nearly four-year search linked to cross-border smuggling and terror financing activities. Bhat’s capture is a significant development in ongoing efforts to combat organized crime and terrorism in the region.
Acting on specific intelligence, an SIA team tracked and arrested him in Jammu. Further interrogation and raids are underway. Bhat had been evading arrest since the case was registered in 2022.
Bhat has been taken into custody and will be produced before the NIA court.
Manoj Kumar Bhat was wanted in a 2022 case registered by SIA for his alleged role in cross-LoC narcotics smuggling and using drug proceeds to fund terrorist activities in the Valley.
The investigation revealed that Bhat was working in close coordination with Pakistan-based handlers of the terrorist organisation Hizbul Mujahideen, according to official sources. Narcotics consignments were allegedly pushed across the Line of Control and distributed in J&K, with the money generated routed back to sustain terror infrastructure.
