ED raids nine locations in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir in narco-terror probe
India's Enforcement Directorate searched nine locations in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday in connection with an alleged narco-terror funding case. The searches were carried out in areas including locations near the Line of Control, according to the agency. Investigators say the case involves a cross-border network that moved heroin into India and used the proceeds to support terror activity.
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The agency said its probe has identified what it described as a well-organised and multi-layered network operating across Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. It named Punjab-based handlers Satnam Singh and Manjit Singh, also known as Maan, and Kupwara-based operatives Safeer Ahmed and Kafeel Ahmed. The ED said heroin consignments were allegedly smuggled from Pakistan through handlers linked to Hizbul Mujahideen and coordinated with Kashmir-based accused through the Amrohi border and adjoining LoC areas.
According to the ED, the Punjab-side network used forged documents, fake vehicle papers, concealed cavities, multiple vehicles and cash transactions to move and distribute heroin. The agency said it found multiple instances of heroin being transported from Srinagar and other parts of Jammu and Kashmir to Punjab through an organised chain. It also said carriers and transporters were allegedly used to collect consignments cumulatively weighing more than 60 kg and deliver them for further sale and distribution.
The case matters because it links narcotics trafficking with alleged terror financing in a border region that has long been sensitive for security agencies. The ED said proceeds from heroin sales were used to fund terror activities, and that it found banking transactions including high-value cash deposits in accounts linked to Manjit Singh alias Maan and cash deposits in the account of Sarabjeet Singh. Searches in border and LoC-adjoining areas also point to the logistical challenge of policing routes that can be used for both smuggling and covert movement.
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The investigation also highlights the role of local facilitators in moving goods from source areas in Jammu and Kashmir into Punjab. The agency's account suggests a supply chain that depended on handlers, transporters and cash-based settlement rather than a single route or one-off shipment. That structure, if confirmed, would make the case relevant not only as a narcotics inquiry but also as part of wider counter-terror enforcement.
What remains unclear is the full scale of the network, whether any arrests have followed the searches, and how far the alleged financing trail extends. The ED has not yet detailed any court action arising from the raids, and the allegations remain under investigation. Further updates are likely to focus on seized material, banking records and whether additional suspects are identified.
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