Srinagar, July 13: POONCH: The State Investigation Agency (SIA) of Jammu and Kashmir Police apprehended Rafi Dhana, also known as Rafi Lala, from Poonch Jail on Thursday, where he was detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA), according to officials.
A high-ranking officer from Poonch Police informed Rising Kashmir that Rafi Lala was taken into custody by the SIA team on Thursday to probe his involvement in terror financing and the proliferation of drug-related issues in the region.
“The primary accused in this case, Rafi Lala, was recently found in possession of 7 kilograms of heroin, amounting to nearly ₹2 crore, along with arms and ammunition, during a search conducted in March this year at his residence situated near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch,” stated the officer.
The officer further alleged that Lala had been in contact with narcotics smugglers based in Punjab, and this connection is also under investigation. The authorities are determined to ascertain the origin of the smuggled drugs in Jammu and Kashmir, exploring all possible angles, the officer added.
In March, ADGP Jammu Mukesh Singh referred to Lala’s arrest as a significant blow to narco-terrorism in the region. He revealed that a substantial quantity of heroin, cash, a pistol, and rounds of SLR were recovered from Lala’s residence during the raid conducted by a Poonch police team led by Inspector Sunil, in collaboration with the NCA and CRPF.
“The raid was executed based on credible intelligence inputs. After receiving specific information, the Poonch police team, along with the NCA and CRPF, carried out a thorough search at Rafi’s house,” explained ADGP Singh.
