In a significant move to dismantle terror financing infrastructure, the State Investigation Agency (SIA) Kashmir on Friday conducted simultaneous search operations across Jammu, Doda, and Handwara, targeting suspected nodes of a cross-border conspiracy involving cryptocurrency-based funding for terrorism, said an SIA spokesman.
The coordinated operations, part of an ongoing investigation under FIR No. 12/2022 registered at Police Station CI-SIA Kashmir, are aimed at unravelling a sophisticated network accused of channelling illicit funds to fuel militancy and incite unrest in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
These well-planned raids were carried out under stringent legal provisions, including Sections 18, 38, and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and Sections 120B, 121, and 121A of the Indian Penal Code, the spokesman said.
Investigators are probing a broader nexus suspected of leveraging cryptocurrency transactions to bypass traditional financial scrutiny and sponsor acts of terror.
The searches also aimed to expose individuals allegedly involved in radicalizing youth and promoting anti-national narratives, posing a direct threat to national unity and internal security.
The operations have led to the seizure of critical evidence, including electronic devices and documents, which are expected to play a pivotal role in identifying key operatives, co-conspirators, and enablers of this underground financial web.
Sources within the agency describe the seizures as a “breakthrough” in efforts to neutralize the clandestine funding streams that sustain militancy in the region. The investigation also seeks to trace the digital footprints and transnational links involved in these financial transfers.
With militant groups increasingly turning to blockchain-based currencies to evade detection, agencies like the SIA are adapting their investigative tools to monitor, trace, and disrupt such digital channels.
The use of cryptocurrency presents unique challenges to law enforcement, particularly in cases involving cross-border funding with little to no paper trail.
Reaffirming its resolve, the State Investigation Agency reiterated its unwavering commitment to uprooting not only terrorism but also its enablers—be they individuals, ideology, or infrastructure.
The agency emphasized that it will continue to pursue every lead to protect the sovereignty, integrity, and security of the Union Territory and the nation at large.