NEW DELHI: With preliminary probe pointing to the role of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in funding its agents to hit Indian railway infrastructure, Indian intelligence agencies have now mounted a massive surveillance on the Pakistan’s covert agency’s assets operating out of Nepal.
The probe has revealed that a number of Kashmiri businessmen based in Kathmandu and Pokhara could be laundering money at the behest of ISI for funding the latest terror plot to target Indian railways.
Joint teams of National Investigation Agency (NIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) have questioned three criminals arrested by Bihar Police and interrogation revealed that the ISI has put in place an elaborate network of terror funding for its agents in Nepal through Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai and Dhaka, sources said.
Sources added that the ISI has also set up training-cum-recruitment centres at Nepalganj (Nepal) facing Bahraich district (UP) Krishnanagar (Nepal) opposite Siddarthnagar (UP), Parsa Birganj (Nepal) opposite West Champaran (Bihar), Rautahaat (Nepal) opposite East Champaran and Sunsari in front of Purnia (Bihar).
The agencies are seeking to expose the ISI network in India and Nepal. The probe has also revealed that the ISI has adopted a new strategy of getting passports for radicalised Muslim youths from Nepal with Hindu names to send them to Pakistan for terror training.
Kashmiris are operating over 500 shops in Thamel area of Kathmandu and the ISI is suspected to be tapping them for furthering the terror agenda on the Indian soil. A sizeable section of the Kashmiris based in Nepal are engaged in hawala activities and they launder money at the behest of ISI by overinflating invoices of exports to the Himalayan country. Officials also said the ISI is suspected to be funding hotels based in Kathmandu.