DEHRADUN: A private school teacher in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar has been arrested for her alleged involvement in a cross-border financial racket linked to Pakistan, police said on Friday.
The accused, identified as Sonam, was taken into custody following a joint operation by the Jammu and Kashmir Police and Haridwar police. Investigators suspect she acted as a conduit for transferring illicit funds at the behest of handlers based in Pakistan.
Haridwar Senior Superintendent of Police Navneet Singh Bhullar said the arrest followed intelligence inputs gathered during the interrogation of a suspect arrested earlier in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir.
“During the joint interrogation, the accused confessed that she had transferred approximately Rs 20 lakh into various bank accounts,” Bhullar said during a press briefing. “In return for these transactions, she received a commission of Rs 2 lakh.”
According to police, the investigation has uncovered a sophisticated network used to channel funds across multiple accounts.
Police said Sonam came into contact with a man identified as Rahul Khan, whose arrest in Kathua led investigators to her. During questioning, it was allegedly revealed that Sonam was introduced to a person named Umar through a friend and was later connected to Umar’s cousin, Haseen.
“These handlers provided her with multiple SIM cards, ATM cards and bank passbooks through courier parcels,” Bhullar said. “She would receive cash in these accounts and then distribute the money into 20 to 25 other accounts, likely to obscure the trail.”
The joint operation was carried out on Thursday, when Jammu and Kashmir Police, assisted by local police, raided Sonam’s residence in the Kaliyar police station area.
Police said several incriminating materials, including bank passbooks and ATM cards, were seized during the raid.
Investigators are now examining the financial trail and scrutinising the bank accounts that allegedly received the suspicious transfers.
“We are currently investigating the backgrounds of the holders of these accounts,” the SSP said. “We are digging into the details of her friends and relatives to map out the entire network.”
Officials suspect the racket could be part of a larger network, and investigators are tracing the origins of the seized communication devices to identify other possible operatives in India.
Police said further arrests are likely as the investigation progresses.
“We are analyzing the digital footprint and transaction history,” an official associated with the probe said. “This is a complex web, and we are determined to dismantle the entire module.”
Sonam remains in police custody and is being interrogated to determine the ultimate destination and intended use of the funds, police added.