DH NEWS SERVICE
new delhi, Sept 16
Ajoint team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Uttar Pradesh Police, and Jharkhand Police carried out a raid at the residence of Shahbaz Ansari in Wasseypur, Dhanbad, on Tuesday morning in connection with an alleged terror funding case. The operation, which began around 6 am, created a stir in the densely populated locality. According to sources, investigators recovered a significant amount of cash from Ansari’s home. The sum was reportedly so large that authorities requisitioned currency counting machines from local banks.
Along with the cash, the NIA also seized several documents, files, and digital devices, including laptops and mobile phones, which are expected to provide further leads into suspected terror financing networks.
Police cordoned off the house near Jabbar Masjid and barred outsiders, including media personnel, from entering. Teams of the district police and Bank More police station were deployed outside, while NIA and ATS officers conducted searches inside.
Shahbaz, the eldest of four sons of Mohammad Salauddin, a cloth trader from Hirapur, runs a Pragya Kendra at Govindpur and is said to be involved in local property dealings. His wedding is scheduled for December this year.
Local councillor Nisar Alam told reporters that Shahbaz had claimed the recovered sum of about ?5.3 lakh was meant for his marriage expenses and had even shown the officials a wedding card. However, officials have not confirmed this version.
Residents described the family as living an ordinary life, though speculation about Shahbaz’s alleged links to illicit activities has been rife since the raid. Officers have not disclosed official details about the scale of the cash seizure or the exact nature of the charges, but the operation is understood to be part of a larger probe into terror funding.
Notably, Wasseypur has witnessed joint operations in recent months by Jharkhand ATS and Delhi Police, though no official link between those cases and Tuesday’s action has been established yet.
The raid continued under heavy security, with the NIA maintaining strict silence on the findings.
