Balrampur, 24 July (HS): Balrampur,

which recently made headlines for the Chhangur Baba religious conversion case,

is back in the spotlight after Uttar Pradesh police busted a terror funding

network that was routing money to Pakistan. According to police, the suspects

employed cyber fraud to transfer money to the bank accounts of local teenagers

before sending the monies to Pakistan.

Balrampur, a sensitive area near Nepal, has long been a hub of illicit

activity. So far, investigators have

discovered around 100 bank accounts used for the transactions totaling roughly

Rs 50 crore. According to police, the

network is related to a big cyber fraud case in Raebareli for Rs 700 crore,

implying that a broader conspiracy is involved. According to early probe tip

off, the Uttar Pradesh Police's Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) and other intelligence

agencies have validated the terror funding angle.

After questioning four suspects captured earlier this month, investigators

discovered a massive and intricate financial network. Satyadev (Kashipur resident), Lavkush Verma

(Ahlad Nagar), Jai Prakash Yadav (Bhaiyadih), and Pradeep Kumar Singh

(Fatehgarh) have all been identified as the accused. During interrogation, the

accused stated that money was used to entice them to create bank accounts.

According to senior police officer Vikas Kumar, the network's kingpin operated

from Delhi and was constantly in communication with seven Pakistani cell phone

lines. Kumar stated that this person determined when and where the funds would

be transferred. A police contingent has already been dispatched to Delhi to

apprehend the mastermind.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi