From Pakistan, via Jammu

With its unique topography and proximity to Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, Jammu is fast becoming the entry route for drug smuggling from Pakistan.

In the recent past, there have been multiple cases of huge seizures of heroin in joint operations by the Army and J&K Police, especially along the Line of Control (LoC). In January, 2.5 kg of narcotics was recovered from a forward village in Poonch. In March last year, the police recovered 7 kg of heroin, along with arms and ammunition close to the LoC.

• Also read: Battling drug abuse in J&K

As the LoC runs through high mountains and rivulets in the Rajouri and Poonch areas of Jammu division, it makes infiltration easier. Terror groups based in Pakistan also use quadcopters to drop drugs inside the Indian territory. These are then picked up by couriers and handed over to inter-state smugglers.

In August this year, the Jammu police arrested a Punjab-based minor with 33-kg heroin. The drugs had been smuggled through the International Border in Jammu and were to be taken to Punjab for sale.

Not just minors, the drug syndicates operating in Jammu and Punjab also use women as peddlers. At least 20 women have been arrested in this connection in the region this year. Women peddlers are preferred for smuggling as they can pass through the check-points without arousing suspicion.

The police and administration are also worried about the rising trend of drug abuse in Jammu. There have been reports of deaths of youths due to drug overdose, but such reports are usually suppressed without any official confirmation.

Dr Gautam Tuli, a psychiatrist based in Jammu, says poor financial condition is one of the main reasons behind drug addiction. “Lack of employment, financial burden like loans, low skills, doing menial jobs and physical labour are also causes of drug use. It usually starts with tobacco and alcohol, before finally leading to addiction to various substances,” he adds.

Dr Tuli also points to the social media and peer pressure to try and explore the consumption of drugs. “Families overlook or ignore easy access to money and the sudden increase in expenditure,” he says.

A study — ‘Prevalence and underlying threats of drug abuse: A case study on Kathua district’ — conducted by the Central University of Punjab and University of Jammu suggests that the district’s topography makes it an easy target for drug activities. Kathua shares its border with Punjab and Himachal Pradesh on one side and Pakistan on the other.

“Kathua is geographically placed in such a way that it is in the catchment area surrounded by drug-infested regions. Drugs flow from all its borders, i.e. Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Pakistan and even from Kashmir. One of the probable reasons for such widespread drug menace in these regions is their proximity to the ‘Golden Crescent’, a drug trafficking zone which includes Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Further, the porous International Border makes the supplies and trade easy, with little hindrance,” the study stated.

Additional Director General of Police Anand Jain, in a meeting held recently, asked senior police officials to identify the source, carriers and destination of the drugs seized in different areas. On Police Commemoration Day, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha suggested launching a dedicated campaign for a drug-free J&K.