In a significant operation against terror financing, the Uttar Pradesh Anti Terrorist Squad (UP ATS) has made a crucial arrest in the nation's capital. Mohammed Abdul Awwal, a 37-year-old individual with links to Assam's Goalpara, was apprehended on Tuesday, December 20, at New Delhi's bustling Nizamuddin railway station.

This arrest is not just a routine procedure. It's part of a larger, more complex investigation that has revealed over 500 bank accounts allegedly created in the names of illegal immigrants from the Rohingya and Bangladeshi communities. These accounts are suspected to be connected to terror funding activities, indicating a sophisticated network of financial transactions intended to support and fund terrorist activities.

Mohammed Abdul Awwal, the individual now in custody, is no ordinary suspect. He has a background as a former student of the esteemed Nadwatul Ulama in Lucknow. This detail adds a layer of complexity to his profile, suggesting that he has had access to education and resources that could have been utilized in the orchestration of these activities.

Since 2018, Awwal has been residing in Delhi, specifically in Shram Vihar, Jamia Nagar, Okhla. This period corresponds to the last five years in which these suspicious activities were observed. Interestingly, Awwal completed his Class 12 education under the Madrasa educational system, indicating that he has been part of a traditional educational structure.

The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad's (UP ATS) recent arrest of Mohammed Abdul Awwal in Delhi has unearthed a broader network of financial irregularities and potential terror funding. The scope of this investigation has now expanded to include the probing of foreign fundings allegedly funneled through over 500 'suspicious' bank accounts. These accounts, primarily based in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Delhi, are linked to a Delhi-based Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) that claimed its transactions were for social welfare activities.

This development sheds light on a concerning practice where NGOs, often seen as pillars of social good, may be exploited for nefarious purposes. The UP ATS's focus on these accounts hints at a complex scheme where funds meant for charitable causes could be redirected to support anti-national or terrorist activities.

The involvement of accused Abdul Awwal in this scheme is particularly alarming. According to the UP ATS, Awwal played a pivotal role in opening bank accounts in a private bank under the names of individuals who illegally migrated from Bangladesh and Myanmar. This method of using migrants' identities to create bank accounts raises serious questions about the security and verification processes of financial institutions.

The gravity of the situation is further amplified by the involvement of a Delhi-based NGO, which has been linked to these accounts through its FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) accounts. The FCRA is meant to regulate foreign donations to NGOs, ensuring that such contributions are not misused. However, in this case, the ATS suspects that approximately 20 crore rupees have been transferred to these accounts over the past four years, raising suspicions that these funds were not used for their intended purpose of social welfare but rather for supporting anti-national activities and terror funding.

In October 2023, the UP ATS registered an FIR against 10 individuals suspected of being involved in a network of terror-related activities. These activities include soliciting money from foreign sources for building mosques in India, settling Rohingya and Bangladeshi citizens in the country, and engaging in anti-national activities. The individuals named in the FIR are Adil ur Rahman Ashrafi, Abu Hurairah Ghazi, Sheikh Nazibul Haq, Mohammad Rashid, Kafiluddin, Azeem, Abu Saleh, Abdul Gaffar, Abdullah Ghazi, and the recently arrested Abdul Awwal.

The connection of most of these individuals to the Darul Uloom of Deoband, an Islamic school in Saharanpur, adds another layer to this complex case. Funds from abroad and other parts of India were reportedly channeled to Najibul Sheikh, a West Bengal resident who owns a cap and perfume shop near Darul Uloom Deoband. The method used for these transactions was hawala, an informal method of transferring money without any actual movement of cash, which is often used to bypass legal and regulatory scrutiny.

A critical breakthrough in the investigation came during the interrogation of the accused. It was disclosed that Abdul Awwal met Abdul Gaffar in Delhi during the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020. This was a period when the rules for opening bank accounts were relaxed to accommodate the challenges posed by the pandemic. Gaffar and his associates convinced Awwal to open bank accounts in the names of Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas. This facilitated the transfer of small sums of money into each account from the FCRA accounts of an NGO named 'Sun Shine Health and Social Welfare Trust.' Intriguingly, this NGO, which received funds from European countries, appears to have been a pivotal player in this elaborate scheme.

This development underscores the extensive and intricate nature of the terror funding network that the UP ATS is working to unravel. The involvement of NGOs in such activities is particularly alarming, as it suggests a misuse of channels typically associated with humanitarian and social welfare work. Moreover, the use of relaxed banking rules during a global crisis like the Covid-19 pandemic indicates a calculated exploitation of extraordinary circumstances for illicit activities.

According to the findings, Abdul Gaffar, a key figure in this network who is yet to be apprehended, played a crucial role in the distribution of funds. Gaffar is accused of depositing money into these accounts, after which the arrested accused, in collaboration with Gaffar, withdrew the funds and distributed them equally. This method of operation was not limited to a few accounts; the accused revealed that Gaffar had applied the same tactic to numerous other accounts managed by individuals in his network. The authorities are actively pursuing Gaffar, highlighting the importance of his capture in understanding the full extent of this network.

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The manner in which these funds were brought from abroad and distributed locally raises significant concerns. The UP ATS believes that this operation was designed to finance anti-national activities, blatantly violating the norms set by the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). The FCRA is designed to regulate the acceptance and utilization of foreign contributions or hospitality by certain individuals, associations, or companies. Violations of this act can lead to serious legal repercussions.

As part of their thorough investigation, ATS officials are meticulously examining the details of all the implicated bank accounts. This scrupulous approach is vital in uncovering the depth and breadth of this network and ensuring that all those involved are brought to justice. The focus on the systematic analysis of these accounts indicates the ATS's commitment to understanding every facet of this scheme.

The investigation's current phase is critical as it will likely provide insights into the operational dynamics of this terror funding network. The ATS's efforts to scan and scrutinize these bank accounts will play a pivotal role in piecing together the puzzle of how these funds were channeled and used for anti-national activities. This ongoing investigation underlines the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies in tackling complex and clandestine financial networks used for illicit purposes.

As the UP ATS continues its detailed probe, further revelations are expected, which will not only shed light on the modus operandi of this network but also potentially lead to more arrests.