Terror funding case: ED attaches assets worth Rs 7.32 lakh of Aijaz Hussain Khawaja

Representational Image: ZeeNews

New Delhi: In a terror funding case of 2006, Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday (June 30) attached assets worth Rs 7.32 lakh of Aijaz Hussain Khawaja, a resident of Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).

The special cell of Delhi police had arrested Aijaz Hussain Khawaja with one bag containing 2.05 KG RDX and Rs 49 lakh in cash during 2006. Khawaja was convicted with a sentence of imprisonment for a period of 7 years under section 5(b) of Explosive Substances Act, 1908 along with Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. 

The seized amount was also confiscated by the trial Court. 

Investigation under PMLA revealed that the accused was operating as a Hawala operator for financing various terror-related illegal activities in Jammu and Kashmir. 

Out of such illegal hawala operation, he had generated proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs 8.50 lakh during that period. As a Hawala operator, Khawaja was in touch with Muktiar Ahmed Bhatt alias Ahmed- a Pakistan-based LeT operative in league with Pakistan ISI, to undertake Hawala transactions/dealings for various separatists and militant activities. 

After the identification of these assets in the form of house and bank balances, a provisional attachment order has been issued under the PMLA.