ED raids 9 premises in Punjab, J&K in narco-terror funding crackdown
Synopsis
The ED has cracked open a multi-layered narco-terror pipeline stretching from the Pakistan border through Kupwara to Punjab, freezing ₹49.9 lakh and seizing records across nine premises. The network allegedly funnelled heroin sale proceeds to fund terror activities, with Pakistan-based handlers tied to Hizbul Mujahideen coordinating the supply chain.
Key Takeaways
The ED Jammu Sub Zonal Office searched nine premises in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir on 24 July under the PMLA, 2002 .
Bank accounts cumulatively holding ₹49.9 lakh were frozen; incriminating financial documents were seized.
The network involved Pakistan-based handlers linked to Hizbul Mujahideen , Kupwara-based operatives Safeer Ahmed and Kafeel Ahmed , and Punjab-side handlers Satnam Singh and Manjit Singh .
Carriers Sarabjeet Singh and Honey Basra were intercepted at Banihal in September 2023 with 30 heroin packets weighing ~31 kg .
Multiple instances of heroin transportation involved consignments cumulatively weighing more than 60 kg .
Proceeds from heroin sales were allegedly used to fund terror activities , according to the ED.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted search operations across nine locations in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, 24 July, targeting a cross-border narco-terror funding network, recovering incriminating financial documents and freezing bank accounts cumulatively holding ₹49.9 lakh. The operations, carried out by the ED Jammu Sub Zonal Office under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, are part of an ongoing money laundering investigation linked to cases registered by both Jammu and Kashmir Police and Punjab Police.
The Network Uncovered
Investigators say the operation exposed a well-organised, multi-layered narco-terror funding network operating across state lines. On the Kashmir side, operatives Safeer Ahmed and Kafeel Ahmed, based in Kupwara near the Line of Control (LoC), allegedly coordinated the receipt of heroin consignments smuggled from Pakistan. The Pakistan-based handlers are reportedly linked to the proscribed terrorist organisation Hizbul Mujahideen, according to the ED.
On the Punjab side, the network was allegedly headed by Satnam Singh and his son Manjit Singh, also known as Maan. The ED said this group used forged documents, fake vehicle papers, concealed cavities in vehicles, and cash transactions to transport and distribute heroin across the border.
Key Seizure: 31 kg Heroin at Banihal
In one documented instance, 35 packets of heroin were retrieved after being smuggled through the Amrohi border/LoC area. Of these, five packets were distributed or retained locally, while 30 packets were concealed inside a truck tyre for onward transport to Srinagar. The consignment was delivered to Punjab-based carriers Sarabjeet Singh and Honey Basra, who were subsequently intercepted at Banihal in September 2023 with the 30 heroin packets weighing approximately 31 kg.
The ED also found multiple other instances involving heroin transportation from Srinagar and J&K to Punjab, with carriers and transporters deployed to collect consignments cumulatively weighing more than 60 kg from Kashmir-side operatives for further sale and distribution in Punjab.
Terror Financing Link
According to the ED, the proceeds of crime generated through heroin sales were channelled to fund terror activities. Investigators found banking transactions including high-value cash deposits in the accounts of Manjit Singh and cash deposits in the account of Sarabjeet Singh. Several incriminating documents and bank account records were seized under PMLA provisions, and multiple bank accounts with a combined balance of ₹49.9 lakh have been frozen.
Significance of the Operation
The ED noted that the searches — conducted particularly in border and LoC-adjoining areas — are significant because they target the source-side logistics and local facilitators of the cross-border narcotics supply chain, rather than merely intercepting consignments in transit. This comes amid sustained pressure on security agencies to dismantle the Pakistan-linked narco-terror pipeline that has long been identified as a funding mechanism for militant activity in J&K and Punjab. The latest action follows a pattern of coordinated ED-police operations against such networks in recent months, signalling an intensified enforcement posture ahead of any further cross-border escalation.
Point of View
If proven in court, would elevate this from a narcotics case to a national security prosecution — a distinction that will determine whether the ED can pursue asset attachment at a scale that genuinely hurts the network. Past such operations have struggled to convert search actions into convictions; the real test will be in the charge-sheets that follow.
NationPress
24 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the ED find during the narco-terror raids in Punjab and J&K?
The ED recovered incriminating financial documents and bank account records, and froze multiple bank accounts with a combined balance of ₹49.9 lakh. The searches, conducted across nine premises on 24 July, were part of a money laundering investigation under the PMLA, 2002.
Which organisations and individuals are named in the narco-terror network?
Pakistan-based handlers allegedly linked to Hizbul Mujahideen coordinated heroin smuggling with Kashmir-based operatives Safeer Ahmed and Kafeel Ahmed of Kupwara. The Punjab-side network was allegedly headed by Satnam Singh and his son Manjit Singh, with carriers Sarabjeet Singh and Honey Basra also named.
How was heroin being smuggled across the Line of Control?
According to the ED, heroin was smuggled from Pakistan through the Amrohi border/LoC area into India. In one instance, 30 packets were concealed inside a truck tyre for transportation to Srinagar, before being handed to Punjab-based carriers.
How is this narco-terror case linked to terrorism?
The ED says the proceeds from heroin sales were used to fund terror activities. The Pakistan-based handlers coordinating the supply chain are reportedly linked to Hizbul Mujahideen, a proscribed terrorist organisation.
Why are these searches near the Line of Control significant?
The ED noted that operations in border and LoC-adjoining areas target the source-side logistics and local facilitators of the cross-border narcotics supply chain — a more disruptive intervention than intercepting consignments already in transit deeper inside India.
