JOIN USThe National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday raided the residence of Shahid Yousuf, son of PoK-based Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, at Soibugh in Budgam district.
Yousuf was arrested by the probe agency on Tuesday in New Delhi. Sources said the NIA team raided the house of Yousuf at around 4.30 am and seized cellphones and a laptop during the two-hour search.
The NIA says Yousuf used to receive funds through a US-based international wire transfer company from Aijaz Ahmed Bhat, another suspect in the case based in Saudi Arabia.
The NIA has arrested 10 people, including seven second-rung separatist leaders, a renowned businessman and a photo-journalist in the terror funding case so far.
The NIA launched preliminary enquiry (PE) into hawala funding to separatist leaders to fuel protests and violence in Kashmir.
The PE was launched following a 'sting operation' by a New-Delhi based news channel, after which three separatist leaders Nayeem Khan, Farooq Ahmed and Gazi Javed Baba, who were receiving funds from 2008 Mumbai terror attacks mastermind and LeT chief Hafiz Saeed, were grilled by the NIA in Srinagar and Delhi.
The NIA has converted the PE into an FIR against Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed and Pakistan-based militant agencies.
The FIR has been registered under legal provisions dealing with waging war or attempting to wage war against India, criminal conspiracy and under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The separatists claimed the raids being conducted by NIA and the hype and sensationalism around them just go to show the "desperate attempt by the government to vilify and discredit the leadership and, in turn, discredit the people's freedom movement."