The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has made a significant arrest in connection with a 2020 narco-terror case in Kashmir. On November 20, 2024, the NIA apprehended Muneer Ahmad Banday, a key figure who had been evading capture for four years. He is linked to a conspiracy involving banned Pakistan-based terrorist organizations, which are accused of engaging in drug trafficking to finance terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and beyond.

The case initially came to light in June 2020 when local police seized 2 kilograms of heroin and 20 lakh rupees during a vehicle check at Kairo Bridge. This led to further investigations, revealing a larger network involving operatives from groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM). Subsequent interrogations uncovered an additional 15 kilograms of heroin and 1.15 crore rupees in cash.

The NIA has since re-registered the case as RC-03/2020/NIA/JMU and has filed multiple charges against 15 individuals. The agency continues its efforts to dismantle the narco-terror network and eliminate the funding sources for terrorism in the region.