Mirpur raid: Drone, weapons recovered from JAAC leader's house

MIRPUR: Law enforcement agencies conducted a raid on the residence of Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) leader Mehran Arshad Khawaja in Dadyal tehsil of Mirpur district, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and recovered a drone, weapons, and other suspicious items.

According to officials, the raid was carried out following reports of suspected activities linked to the premises. During the operation, Shahid Aslam, an employee of Mehran Arshad Khawaja, was taken into custody for questioning.

Authorities said that a drone, a 12-bore shotgun, a pistol, and a police helmet – snatched from Islamabad Police – were recovered from the house, along with other items being examined by investigators.

The detained employee said in his statement that two ambulances were brought to the residence to transport equipment ahead of a sit-in protest.

The employee told investigators that weapons, ammunition, and other materials were secretly transported to Muzaffarabad using the ambulances.

Read More: AJK govt announces Rs10 million reward for arrest of JAAC leaders

The employee further alleged that Mehran had taken five Kalashnikov rifles, two 12-bore shotguns, and a large quantity of ammunition with him. He also said that stones, glass bottles, and slingshots were used during the protest.

According to the employee’s statement, a substantial amount of cash, including funds provided by another JAAC leader, Latif Dar, was also transported.

The employee said that police shelling guns – seized during the September 29 long march – were moved to Muzaffarabad through the ambulances. He further claimed that approximately two kilograms of hashish had been taken to the protest site.

Investigators are also examining claims that several individuals with links to criminal and narcotics networks were present with Mehran during the protest activities.

Earlier, AJK government  on Tuesday announced a reward of Rs10 million for information leading to the arrest of four wanted leaders of the JAAC.

According to an official notification, the reward will be granted to any individual who provides information resulting in the arrest of the wanted persons. Authorities also assured that the identity of the informant would be kept strictly confidential.

The four individuals named in the notification are Shaukat Nawaz Mir, Umar Nazir Kashmiri, Mehran Arshad Khawaja and Sardar Aman.