According to Jammu and Kashmir Police, a suspected militant, Sandeep Kumar Sharma, was apprehended from Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh on Monday.
“He got in touch with Lashkar militants through one person named Shakoor, a resident of Sopore and when they came to know he can loot ATMs, banks and cash vans then they enrolled him. He used to loot ATMs and share the booty with them,” Muneer Khan, IG, J&K Police, said.
A resident of Uttar Pradesh, Kumar has an expertise in looting ATMs.
“The militants of Lashkar took help from Sandeep to loot ATMs, and they also indulged in immoral activities in the villages,” he added.
Over a dozen banks or ATMs across Kashmir have been looted in the last few months, with the amout totalling to around Rs 1 crore.
Khan said when LeT commander, Bashir Lashkari, was eliminated, Sharma was in same house where Bashir had taken shelter.
Lashkari was killed in an encounter in Anantnagr district.
