Drug smuggling on rise, cops tighten vigil
Arjun Sharma
Jammu, July 17
Amid rising cases of drug smuggling, the seizure of over 1,400-kg poppy straw within a week has left the security agencies baffled. In most of the cases, the police have not been able to trace the drug source.
The police have stepped up the vigil in the wake of intelligence inputs that Pakistan-based groups may push narcotics into J&K to financially support their terror infrastructure in the Union Territory. Drugs, such as heroin, opium, cannabis and methaqualone, have been seized in large quantities recently. Though peddlers have been arrested, there is no information on their drug sources as several layers exist between them and the big fish, say police sources.
On Sunday, the Samba police seized 250-kg poppy straw. On Thursday, 600-kg poppy straw was seized in Jammu. A day before that, 573-kg poppy straw was seized in Rajbagh of Kathua. In all of the cases, the drug was being taken from Kashmir to Punjab.
On July 12, the Jammu police arrested three peddlers and seized 10-kg ganja in Maraathi Mohalla. On July 10, six persons were nabbed carrying 700-gm methaqualone and 23-gm heroin. On July 9, 3-kg opium and 1 kg ganja were seized in Kunjwani and Kanachak and two persons were held. On July 6, five peddlers were caught possessing 32-gm heroin in Gandhi Nagar.
Jammu SSP Chandan Kohli said the police had been working intensively to break the drug supply chain in the region and thorough questioning of those arrested recently had been going on to ascertain where did the supply chain originate from.
Recently, Jammu Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar chaired the first divisional-level committee meeting of the Narco Coordination Centre to discuss the measures to curb the menace. During the meeting, Vinay Sharma, SSP, Anti Narcotic Task Force, informed about the overall scenario of drug abuse in J&K and the measures taken. He said registration of FIRs and seizure of drugs had increased recently.
Reports suggest Pakistan has been trying to revive terrorism in J&K through drug money. On May 28, 44-kg drug was seized which had been brought to Poonch from Pakistan.
Will break supply chain
We are working to break the drug supply chain. We will ascertain where it originates from. — Chandan Kohli, Jammu SSP
