Funds dry up, strategy shifts: JeM operatives turn to crime networks in North India

New Delhi, March 28 : With the Jaish-e-Mohammad largely remaining in reset mode, its operatives within India have been told to find new ways of raising funds for operations in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Jaish-e-Mohammad was one of the hardest hit terror groups during Operation Indoor. Not only was its headquarters in Bahawalpur razed to rubble, but its chief Masood Azhar ended up losing several of his closest family members.

Although there are scores of Jaish-e-Mohammad operatives waiting in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to infiltrate into India, they have not been able to do so owing to very high security.

Now, the Jaish-e-Mohammad cadres in Jammu and Kashmir have been told to raise funds and recruit locals to carry out attacks.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that there are several overground workers (OWGs) in Jammu and Kashmir, and they have been told to run an extortion racket.

The official said that these OWGs have been preparing a hit list, not just in Jammu and Kashmir, but in Punjab, Haryana and New Delhi. The idea is to target rich individuals and extort money from them. Further, these operatives are also planning kidnappings in exchange for ransom, the official added.

In addition to this, the Jaish-e-Mohammad is also building a spy network at the behest of the ISI. The OWGs have been told to identify vulnerable people in the bordering states and trap them into joining the spy network, officials say.

The Jaish-e-Mohammad continues to nurture 100s of OWGs in Jammu and Kashmir. They have been instructed not to indulge in acts of terror in the Valley at the moment. Instead, they have been told to raise funds through kidnappings and extortions.

Another official said that there is a clear sign that the outfit is taking things slow, because it is very hard to operate now. Post the Pahalgam attack, security is high both at the borders and within Jammu and Kashmir. Not only have infiltrations become hard, but operating within the Valley is tough owing to heavy scrutiny.

Another major issue that the Jaish-e-Mohammad is facing relates to funding. The cash flow has almost stopped, and hence its operatives in the Valley have been told to fend for themselves.

Officials say that the Jaish-e-Mohammad realises that infiltrations have become extremely hard. This has led the outfit to change its strategy and think about completely localised operations.

However, for these operations to take off, there is a dire need of funds. Funds from across the border have stopped due to heavy security, and this has led the OWGs to raise money on their own. The Jaish-e-Mohammad-backed OWGs are spreading into Haryana and Delhi apart from Jammu and Kashmir.

Many OWGs have branched out in different directions and are looking to extort money from rich people.

Officials say that these persons would also look to kidnap the children of rich people and demand a ransom. All this money, which they intend to make, would be routed into setting up modules and funding operations of the Jaish-e-Mohammad in Jammu and Kashmir, the official also added.

The changing tactics of the Jaish-e-Mohammad were visible when the police busted one of its modules in Mohali, Punjab. Sahil Bashir (19) of Handwara Language in Jammu and Kashmir was arrested along with two others in a murder case. The police alleged that these persons had shot a driver, Anil Kumar.

The police say that this points to a case of carjacking and the accused had intended to raise funds. Bashir, who led the operation, was a wanted criminal under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The accused, after killing the driver, drove away with the belongings. It was a clear case of carjacking aimed at raising funds for terror activities.

The Intelligence agencies warn that this trend could spread into Haryana and Delhi as the Jaish-e-Mohammad has already planned major operations relating to kidnapping and extortion. The incident in Punjab is just a precursor to what the outfit has been planning in other states as well, officials say.