NIA Takes Over LeT Interstate Module Probe, Gets Custody of 5

Overview

• The NIA, which took charge Monday, produced five suspects before a special court in Jammu and secured custody for interrogation.
• Those held include Pakistani nationals Abdullah alias Abu Hureira and Usman alias Khubaib, plus Srinagar residents Mohammad Naqeeb Bhat, Adil Rashid and Ghulam Mohammad Mir alias Mama, with officials saying Abdullah evaded arrest for about 16 years.
• Raids at 19 sites across Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab recovered AK‑series rifles including a Krinkov, pistols, grenades and extensive digital and paper records.
• Investigators say the network relied on forged Indian identities and travel documents, and one operative, Umer Harris alias Khargosh, is believed to have reached Saudi Arabia after transiting Indonesia using fake papers.
• The probe grew from a March 31 arrest that led to an April 7 sweep, and investigators now plan wider financial and digital forensics to map facilitators, safe houses and routes that could lead to more arrests.