Srinagar, Jan 07: Continuing its efforts to eradicate the menace of drugs from the society, Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested three drug peddlers in Baramulla & Pulwama and recovered contraband substances from their possession.

According to the statement issued, a police party of Police Station Chandoosa at a checkpoint established at Faqir-Bagh intercepted and apprehended 02 suspicious persons. They have been identified as Nisar Ahmad Malla, son of Ghulam Mohammad Malla; and Mohammad Ashraf Malla, son of Ghulam Qadir Malla; resident of Doudbugh Chandoosa. Upon personal search, 467 grams of charas powder-like substance along with one mobile phone was recovered from the possession of Nisar Ahmad Malla. Additionally, 33 grams of charas-like substance, net cash Rs 7,240, and one mobile phone was recovered from the possession of Mohammad Ashraf Malla. Accordingly, a case vide FIR No. 01/2026 under relevant sections of law has been registered at Police Station Chandoosa and investigation has been set into motion.

Moreover, acting on specific and credible information, at about 2100 hours, Police Post Wagoora received an input that one individual, namely Farooq Ahmad Chopan @ Beta, son of Ghulam Hassan Chopan, resident of Watergam, had illegally stored a charas-like substance at his residence. Accordingly, a case FIR No. 02/2026, U/S 8/20 of the NDPS Act has been registered at Police Station Kreeri. During the course of investigation, SHO Police Station Kreeri and Executive Magistrate Wagoora, accompanied the police team to the spot to ensure due legal procedure. During search operation, a charas-like contraband weighing 7.212 kilograms was recovered and seized on the spot in the presence of the Executive Magistrate Wagoora and independent witnesses, including Numberdars, former Sarpanches, and police officials of Police Post Wagoora. The accused person is yet to be arrested, and further investigation is underway.

In Pulwama, a police party of Police Station Litter during routine patrolling at Kulpora area, intercepted and apprehended a suspicious person. During search, 4.5 kilograms of Charas powder-like substance was recovered from his possession. He has been identified as Parvez Ahmed Dar, son of Ali Mohammad Dar, resident of Kulpora. Accordingly, a case vide FIR No. 04/2026 under relevant sections of law has been registered at Police Station Litter and further investigation has been taken up to ascertain the source and intended supply chain of the recovered contraband.

Police urged the general public to report drug peddling or any other crime in your locality to the nearest police establishment or dial 112. They also requested people to cooperate with police in curbing the menace of drugs from society, and reassured the community members that police will act tough against criminals as per law.

Srinagar, Jan 07: In a decisive blow to organised cybercrime and its sinister linkage with terror financing, Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) has intensified its crackdown on an extensive criminal network operating mule bank accounts to launder proceeds of cyber frauds, illegal online gaming, betting rackets and other unlawful activities.

According to a statement, issued to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), acting on credible and specific intelligence inputs, FIR No. 06/2025 under Sections 66 (C) and 66 (D) of the Information Technology Act, 2000; Sections 303, 308, 314, 316 (2), 318 (4), 336 (3), 340 (2) and 61 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 has been registered at Police Station Counter Intelligence Kashmir, unveiling a sophisticated and well-entrenched financial crime syndicate that posed a serious threat to national economic security and digital safety.

A Hidden Financial Machinery Behind Cyber Crime

Investigations so far have exposed a carefully orchestrated conspiracy in which accused persons, in active connivance with local and outside operatives, exploited bank accounts of innocent, vulnerable and economically weak individuals, converting them into “mule accounts”.

These accounts, the CIK said, were used as temporary conduits to route massive volumes of illicit money generated from: Cyber frauds and online scams, banned online gaming and betting platforms, Fake investment and trading applications

“Alarmingly, the illegally generated funds are suspected to have been channelled further into terror financing and other activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of the nation,” it said.

The syndicate functioned through gross violations of banking norms, abuse of KYC procedures, registration of non-existing business establishments on UDHAYAM portal subsequently used for opening of accounts, allotment of Virtual Account Numbers, identity theft, impersonation, and complex money-laundering techniques, deliberately designed to mask the origin and destination of criminal proceeds.

What is a Mule Account and Why It Is Dangerous

A mule account is a bank or digital payment account used by criminals to receive, transfer, and camouflage illegally obtained money. The account holder—known as a money mule—may be: Complicit, Wilfully ignorant, or completely unaware that their account is being misused.

Mule accounts are a critical component of cyber-enabled crimes, facilitating the layering stage of money laundering by distancing the actual criminals from the victim and law-enforcement agencies. Such accounts are widely used in: Phishing and impersonation scams, online trading and investment frauds, Fake loan apps, Illegal payment gateways or Online gaming and betting frauds.

How Cyber Frauds Trap Victims

The CIK said criminals typically initiate frauds through: Phone calls, SMS, WhatsApp or Telegram messages or Social media and search-engine advertisements.

They impersonate police officials, bank/RBI officers, loan agents, job recruiters or investment advisors. Common scams include: Fake online shopping offers, bogus trading and investment apps, online gaming and betting traps, “Digital arrest” threats or Fake KYC or SIM-block warnings.

Victims are coerced into transferring money via UPI, net banking or cards to so-called “safe” or “verification” accounts. In many cases, victims are tricked into sharing OTP, PINs or passwords, enabling fraudsters to take complete control of their accounts.

The Money Trail: From Victim to Crime Syndicate. A typical cyber-fraud money flow follows this pattern

Victim Account: Money is transferred or siphoned off.

First Mule Account: Receives the funds; retains a small commission.

Layering Stage: Money is split and rapidly moved through multiple mule accounts across banks and states.

Consolidation Stage: Funds are pooled into shell companies or fake payment processors using bogus invoices or gambling/trading labels.

Final Destination is either Cash withdrawals via ATMs and couriers or Conversion into crypto-currency or Transfers to overseas accounts.

This complex layering ensures that only disposable mule account holders surface initially, while the masterminds remain concealed.

How Mule Account Holders Are Recruited

The CIK further said investigations reveal a repeated and systematic recruitment model, particularly targeting vulnerable sections:

Identification: Students, unemployed youth, small shopkeepers, daily wage earners, villagers.

Attractive Lures: “Work from home”, “payment processing jobs”, “foreign remittance handling”, “and easy commission income”.

Trust Building: Fake websites, documents, registration numbers; assurances of legality.

Account Takeover: Sharing of SIMs, ATM cards, UPI PINs, internet banking credentials, or opening fresh accounts under syndicate control.

Commission Fixing: Small pay-outs per transaction or monthly payments.

Rapid Replacement: Accounts are abandoned once flagged and swiftly replaced with new recruits.

This method creates both ‘witting mules’, who knowingly participate for money, and ‘unwitting mules’, which unknowingly become part of serious financial crimes.

Massive Valley-Wide CIK Operations

During the preliminary investigation, 22 suspects operating within the Kashmir Division were identified. After obtaining search warrants from the Special NIA Court, Srinagar, CIK conducted simultaneous searches at 22 locations: (17 locations in District Srinagar, 03 locations in District Budgam, 01 location each in Districts Shopian and Kulgam).

The searches resulted in the seizure of substantial incriminating material, including digital devices and financial records critical to the investigation.

Detentions and Ongoing Investigation

It said so far, 22 individuals have been detained for questioning to establish their precise roles and linkages with cyber frauds, illegal online gaming, betting platforms and suspicious financial transactions.

The investigation is at a nascent stage, and the evidence collected is expected to open floodgates in identifying a much wider network, both within the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and across other parts of the country.

CIK’s Firm Message

Counter Intelligence Kashmir reaffirms its unwavering resolve to dismantle organised criminal syndicates, choke their financial pipelines, and act firmly against all economic offences and activities that endanger national security.

Those who misuse banking systems—whether knowingly or unknowingly—will face strict legal consequences.

The public is urged to remain vigilant, safeguard their financial credentials, and report any suspicious offers or transactions to the authorities.

Crime in cyberspace is not victimless—it fuels organised crime and terror. CIK stands resolute in protecting the nation’s financial and digital integrity.

Bijbehara, Jan 07: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday said her father and party founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed consistently placed the dignity of Kashmiris above political power, even when opportunities to rule were within reach.

Speaking at Bijbehara on the death anniversary of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Mehbooba went emotional and broke down while recalling her father’s political legacy, pausing several times as she addressed party workers and supporters.

“Here, people often choose power, but my father always chose his people over power,” she said. “I followed Mufti Sahib’s path because I believed he had a foresight that very few leaders in Kashmir possessed.”

She said Mufti Mohammad Sayeed envisioned a Kashmir where people could live with dignity and freely express their views.

“He believed in dialogue and outreach – whether within Kashmir or across the border,” she said.

Mehbooba said she travelled “to every village, forest and mountain” to carry forward her father’s vision.

“People did not understand him then, but today they realise that had he been alive, we would not be in a situation where people are jailed for speaking the truth and dissent is silenced,” she said.

Warning that unemployment and alienation among the youth in Jammu and Kashmir have reached alarming levels, Mehbooba said growing frustration was pushing young people toward despair.

“Our youth feel depressed and disconnected. That frustration is driving some to extreme choices,” she said.

Referring to recent incidents, she cited the Red Fort blast case, saying a doctor from Pulwama died after carrying out the attack, while another man from Qazigund self-immolated following the arrest of his son.

“These are not isolated incidents; they reflect deep despair in society,” she said.

She also said hundreds of Kashmiri youths are lodged in jails both within and outside the Union Territory.

“When I approached courts seeking their transfer to jails in Kashmir and the release of those detained without justification, I was mocked,” she said. “If I do not speak for these poor people, who will?”

Mehbooba launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, accusing him of remaining silent on issues affecting ordinary people, particularly land acquisition and orchardists.

“He has an absolute majority and representation in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, yet he remains silent on issues that hurt the poor,” she said. “Instead of addressing public concerns, he is focused on attacking the PDP.”

She said the chief minister does not understand the economic and emotional value of land and orchards for poor families.

“Land here means survival. That is why silence on these issues is unacceptable,” she said.

Mehbooba urged the government to ensure employment and rehabilitation for locals before acquiring land for railway and other infrastructure projects.

“Before taking even an inch of land, the government must guarantee jobs for affected families,” she said.

Earlier, Mehbooba Mufti, along with PDP leaders and workers, paid tributes to Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and offered Fateha Khwani at his ancestral graveyard at Darashikoh garden in Bijbehara town.

Pulwama. Jan 07: Pulwama Police on Wednesday arrested a drug peddler and recovered about 4.5 kilograms of Charas powder-like substance from his possession during a routine patrolling in the Kulpora area of the district, police officials said.

A police spokesperson said in press statement that, during the operation, police apprehended one individual identified as Parvez Ahmed Dar, son of Ali Mohammad Dar, resident of Kulpora, from whose possession the contraband substance was recovered. The accused was immediately taken into custody and the seized material was confiscated as per legal procedure.

In this connection, the statement reads, Case FIR No. 04/2026 under Sections 8/20 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act has been registered at the police station Litter, and further investigation has been taken up to ascertain the source and intended supply chain of the recovered contraband.

Pulwama Police remain committed to its mission of making the district drug-free and appeals to the general public to cooperate and share any information related to drug trafficking for collective societal well-being.