SRINAGAR: The Counter-Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) unit has detained five individuals suspected of orchestrating a clandestine operation to smuggle SIM cards into Central Jail, Srinagar, for use by jailed terrorists and individuals linked to narco-terrorism.
The arrests were made as part of an ongoing investigation into FIR No. 06/2023 under Sections 153-A, 505, 121, and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, read with Sections 13 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The detainees are accused of being part of a broader conspiracy involving anti-national elements who facilitated the procurement and illegal transportation of SIM cards into the high-security prison.
According to officials, investigations revealed a network in which inmates, in collusion with external operatives, managed to acquire and use SIM cards for various terror-related communications. Investigators are also examining the role of Point-of-Sale (PoS) agents and telecom service providers who may have issued these SIM cards. More arrests are likely as the probe continues.
The detained suspects hail from different parts of Kashmir, including Dawoodpora (Anantnag), Qamarwari (Srinagar), Nathpora, Kaloosa (Bandipora), and Kursu Padshahibagh (Srinagar).
In December 2024, the CIK wing of Jammu and Kashmir Police conducted searches at Central Jail, Srinagar, as part of a larger probe into a conspiracy linked to banned terrorist outfits operating in J&K and across the Line of Control (LoC).
Authorities believe Pakistani intelligence agencies, in coordination with their local Over Ground Workers (OGWs) and sympathizers, are actively working to establish new terror modules in the valley. These networks allegedly exploit social media to radicalize and recruit Kashmiri youth into terrorist ranks through various forms of indoctrination.
A senior police official told The New Indian, “During the investigation, it was found that mobile phones and other digital communication devices were being used inside the jail premises by under-trial terrorists and their associates to establish contact with active terrorists. Instructions were being relayed from handlers across the border to operatives on the ground in Kashmir to further terror activities.”
The official added that searches were carried out in multiple blocks and barracks of the Central Jail, leading to the recovery and seizure of SIM cards, mobile phones, and other digital devices crucial to the case.
Authorities are also probing security lapses that allowed these communication tools to enter the prison and are identifying individuals who facilitated the breach. The crackdown aims to dismantle the terror support structure in Jammu and Kashmir by neutralizing underground operatives and enforcing stringent legal measures against those aiding terrorist activities.
