In the name of Muslim welfare, a defence fund that controls India’s terror, hawala network

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Sep 28: The ease with which the operatives of the Falah-e-Insaniyat was able to bring in money to India only goes on to show the strength of the hawala network in India.

The National Investigation Agency busted a module of the FIF which is the financial wing of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba. The module members were bringing in money through hawala operatives based out of Dubai and Delhi. They were in touch with a Dubai based Pakistan national and the money was being used to further the activities of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba in India.

Kashmir bound:

Most of the money was meant to be pumped into Kashmir, where the Lashkar-e-Tayiba operates on a large scale. Once the money landed in Delhi, it was moved by the operatives to Kashmir.

FIF module busted: The hawala headache in Chandini Chowk

In many cases we have seen the innovative manner in which the operatives of the FIF have moved money to Kashmir. In some cases, they were filled into empty gas cylinders and then transported to the Valley. In another case it was found that the money was stitched into a salwar kameez and then transported to the Valley.

The money for terror related activities in most cases lands in Delhi either from Dubai or Saudi Arabia. All these transactions are made through hawala operatives who are found in large numbers in Chandini Chowk.

Intelligence Bureau officials tell OneIndia that the network is controlled by the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Each one of these outfits have appointed four people each to coordinate with each other and ensure that the money flow is constant into the Valley.

The Muslim Defence Fund:

One would need to revisit the interrogation report of a Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative, Ahmed Ashfaq. On being questioned, he had said that Riyadh had become a major hub for hawala transactions.

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He said that the main operating hub for hawala transactions in India is at Chandini Chowk in Delhi. He said that the money was generated in Pakistan and then sent to Riyadh. From there it is moved by the operatives into India.

He also spoke about a key operative by the name Basheer, who ran an outfit called the Muslim Defence Fund. This was set up by in the late 1990s, with an intention of moving around dirty money generated through illegal arms and drug trade. This outfit at the outset appears to be an NGO and claims to collect charity for the welfare of Muslims.

However the outfit has several key operatives, who ensure that the money generated is pumped into India to fund terror related activities.

Money from the MDF has moved into India over the years and has been used to fund the activities of not just the Lashkar-e-Tayiba, but also groups such as the SIMI and Indian Mujahideen.

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Officials say that the name of this outfit may have changed several times to avoid detection. However organisations such as these run a major racket. The Lashkar-e-Tayiba had set up several such groups in Saudi Arabia under the pretext of raising money for Muslim welfare. However in reality, what they did was route money in from Pakistan and later pumped it into India. This money has not only filled the coffers of terror groups, but has also been used to fund separatist activities in Kashmir, officials say.