Bengaluru: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached Rs 6 lakh an amount that it suspect is used for terror financing linked to proscribed terror outfits
Students' Islamic Movement of India and Indian Mujahideen. The Union government had banned SIMI in early 2000s. Banned terror outfit Indian Mujahideen carried out series of attacks across multiple cities between 2005-2008. ED's money laundering case stems from an FIR registered against Dheeraj Sao and others under sections of anti terror law in Raipur.
"The FIR alleged that certain bank accounts were being used to receive funds from unknown persons in India on the instructions of one “Khalid of Pakistan”, and the amounts so received were being transferred to Zubair Hussain, Aysha Banu and Raju Khan, alleged members of the banned organizations SIMI and IM," ED said in a statement on Saturday.
ED probe revealed that on instructions of Khalid who was based in Pakistan Dheeraj Sao (alias Dheeraj Kumar) was illicitly layering funds received from overseas.
"Investigation revealed that Dheeraj Sao (alias Dheeraj Kumar), at the behest of Khalid, was engaged in misusing multiple bank accounts to divert funds received in the form of cash deposits from different sources. These funds were routed to accounts of Zubair Hussain, Aysha Banu and others, either directly or through multiple layering," said officials.
One of the important links of this terror financing chain was Raju Khan.
"Raju Khan was a key link in this entire network. He used to receive cash deposits in his bank and immediately with withdrew it. On instructions of Sao and Khalid, Khan used to distribute the money."
ED's probe revealed that in Raju Khan's bank account around Rs 48.82 lakh cash was deposited and around Rs 42.47 lakh was transferred in cash to individuals linked to SIMI and IM.
Khan retained a commission of 13% which was around Rs 6.34 lakhs.
The probe agency has provisionally attached properties worth Rs 9.15 lakh in this terror financing case.
Recently in August ED provisionally attached bank balance to the extent of Rs 29,176 of Syed Yasin, one of the main accused in the Mangalore autorickshaw Blast case of 2022.
ED probe revealed that auto rickshaw blast at Mangalore was a part of the plan of the ISIS, a terrorist organisation with the aim to spread terror and wage war against the Government of India and to threaten the integrity and sovereignty of India.
Investigations conducted revealed that the ISIS online handler named ‘Colonel’ had given training over Wicker app/ Telegram etc. to the main accused Mohammad Shariq alias Premraj and other accused persons, to make improvised explosive device (IED)/Bomb and also arranged funds through certain mule accounts and also through crypto currencies which were at times encashed by Syed Yasin and Mohammad Shariq, through PoS agents, for a commission and at some instances the encashed cryptocurrencies were routed through the fraudulently opened mule accounts in FINO Payments Bank.
"The said amounts were utilised for purchase of the items online to assemble the IED and for hiring hideouts in Mysuru city and other places and also for conducting recce at various places in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka and specifically the above said bomb was supposed to be planted at Dharmasthala Manjunatha Swamy temple," said ED.
