The National Investigation Agency on Saturday carried out raids at 14 places in Kashmir and eight places in Delhi & Haryana hoping to uncover militancy funding sources linked to Pakistan. The NIA has so far found Rs 1.25 crore in the raids, reported The Times of India. “Raids are being conducted at eight locations in Delhi-Haryana and 14 locations in Kashmir,” NIA officials told ANI.

Searches were conducted early on Saturday at the homes of the close aides and relative of separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and other members of the Hurriyat Conference. Around eight hawala leaders and traders in Delhi were also raided. Reports said the raids were being conducted in Greater Kailash, Pitampura and Ballimaran in Chandni Chowk in Delhi. Two places in Sonepat were also being searched by the NIA, reported PTI.

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Three Kashmiri separatists leaders – Farooq Ahmad Dar alias ‘Bitta Karate’, Nayeem Khan and Javed Ahmed Baba alias ‘Gazi’ of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat – were questioned by the NIA in New Delhi last week, in connection with the funding of militancy and subversive activities in Jammu and Kashmir. The separatists were allegedly receiving funds from Hafiz Saaed, the chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba, to carry out their activities in the Valley.

In a sting operation aired on a news channel, Khan had allegedly confessed to receiving money from Pakistan-based militant groups through hawala channels for funding violent activities.