CTD nabs 4 LeJ militants in Karachi for terror financing

KARACHI: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on Sunday claimed to have arrested four suspected militants from Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) over allegations of terror financing through bank robberies, kidnapping for ransom and extortion.

The arrested were identified as Zakir alias Qari, Affan, Muzamil and Abdul Hafeez alias Haji, according to CTD Additional Inspector General (AIG) of Police Dr Sanaullah Abbasi. The AIG said the suspects were considered to be ‘facilitators’ of terrorism, adding that the CTD was now paying special attention to cases involving funding and financing of terrorist organisations.

“Though we have been arresting operatives involved in smaller rackets, efforts are now being made to look into cases where larger sums of money are involved,” said the CTD Sindh head. He revealed that “in every interrogation of terror suspects, there is a special focus on the ‘economics of terror’.”

Meanwhile, CTD Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Junaid Ahmed Shaikh said that during the initial probe, the arrested militants revealed that they had been generating funds for terrorism in Karachi since 2014. According to the SSP, the suspects had confessed to the generation of around Rs150 million, which was subsequently handed over to militants for carrying out acts of terrorism.

SSP Shaikh added that the arrested suspects were affiliated with the Naeem Bukhari-led LeJ group. The SSP said that the group was still active in Karachi despite the arrest of their ringleader, Bukhari, with a certain Samiullah having taken the charge.