Illicit trade activity across cross-LoC yet to be trialled

By AH Nizami in Express Tribune, Mar 24

MIRPUR: A report from India on Saturday revealed that cases regarding exchanging hawala money along with other unlawful activities of misusing cross-line of control (LoC) trade had not reached their conclusion till date.

“Though, 18 people have reportedly been booked in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) for exchange of hawala money and indulging in other unlawful activities by misusing cross-LoC trade facility between IHK and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), none of the five cases could be taken to logical conclusion till date,” the report said.

Investigation was ongoing in the four cases while for the other a charge sheet had been submitted to the IHK government.

Ever since the initiation of cross-LoC trade on October 21, 2008 at Tatrinote-Chakan Da Bagh and Chakothi-Uri crossing points on the Rawalkot-Poonch and Muzaffarabad-Srinagar routes as confidence building measures between Pakistan and India, five incidents of unlawful activities came to notice of the authorities.

The first case was registered on October 4, 2009 under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act against five people from whom the authorities recovered Rs1.385 million of money moved through hawalas. Investigation in the cases had been completed but further legal action was awaited by the IHK government. The alleged accused are Mushfiq Ahmad Lone, Vipin Kumar, Suraj Prakash, Sanjiv Kumar Tandon and Zahoor Ahmad Dar, the report said.

The second case was registered in 2011 when accused Bashir Ahmad Wagay was arrested for violating the Arms Act. The investigation had not been completed till date. Moreover, during the same period Manzoor Ahmad Mir and Mushtaq Ahmad Lone were booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, but the case has not been concluded.

In 2012, two more cases were registered in New Delhi and Awantipora, IHK in the months of January and May respectively. The New Delhi special cell managed to recover Rs22.4 million from five people charged, whereas five more people were booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. However, investigation was still underway for both cases.

The reported quoted IHK Minister for Industries and Commerce Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo as saying that the value of goods traded via Tatrinote-Chakan Da Bagh and Chakothi-Uri routes during October 21, 2008 and February 28, 2013 was Rs1.04 billion and Rs1.76 billion respectively.

The minister said that no item from any third country of origin had been allowed to be traded at LoC. http://tribune.com.pk/story/525392/illicit-trade-activity-across-cross-loc-yet-to-be-trialled/