On Saturday, police in the Kupwara area of north Kashmir said that they had broken up an inter-state narco module, resulting in the discovery of eight kilogrammes of heroin and the arrest of four people, which they described as a big achievement and a shock to the LeT group.
This was announced during a news conference held by the Senior Superintendent (SSP) of Kupwara, Yougal Manhas.
The SSP said that after the arrest of four suspects, 8 kilogrammes of heroin and Rs 5 lakh were seized. This, he said, is an international nacro module based on Pakistan. Manzoor Ahmad and Asad Mir, two locals of the Jumagand neighbourhood, were acting in a handler capacity. They made their way there in the 1990s after an exfiltration attempt failed. The SSP said that Manzoor had enlisted the help of his cousin Maroof Ahmad to smuggle the shipment into this area.
He said that four others, one a local of Punjab named Laba Masih, had been detained in addition to Maroof.
The SSP said that preliminary investigation has only begun. More detentions and recoveries are anticipated. If further information becomes available regarding the case in the future, he promised to disclose it.
The SSP believed that LeT was employing their handlers to smuggle drugs into the valley. These shipments are handled with the express purpose of providing funding for terrorists and their endeavours in Jammu and Kashmir. The SSP thanked the joint efforts of the army and the police for the successful bust of this module.
The SSP mentioned the local Punjabi’s role in transporting the shipment to Amritsar. “Anywhere in India is a plausible destination” for the shipment.
He praised the soldiers stationed in close proximity to the LoC, saying that they are vigilant. “Occasionally, leaks occur. However, everyone involved is being tracked down and arrested. This module’s capture is only one example. He predicted that “the day is not far” when all of Jammu and Kashmir is rendered drug-free thanks to the cooperation of security authorities.
He warned communities that prison populations would swell quickly if drug users and dealers were punished in the same manner.
The SSP laid the blame on Pakistan, saying that Pakistan’s promotion of weapons was what first killed hope for the future of J&K’s young. After the crackdown on hawala money, they have turned to drugs as an alternative. He also said that the profits from drug dealing fund terrorist operations.
Meanwhile, a police official released a statement claiming that the Kupwara police and the army had successfully apprehended four members of an international narco-terror smuggling ring based in PaJK.
Kupwara police and a local army unit conducted a combined search operation in the Zurhama region of PS Trehgam after receiving information that a narco smuggler from Punjab had arrived at a pre-determined site in the district to collect a cargo of drugs.
Yousuf Bokra, son of Suba Bokra, of Rashanpora Kralpora; Showkat Ahmad Khatana, son of Ab Rashid Khatana, of Meliyal Kupwara; Maroof Ahmad Mir, son of Mohd Rafiq Mir, of Jumagad, A/p Zurhama Kupwara; and Laba Masih, son of Sadiq Masih, of Awaan Ramdas Aj
According to the statement, initial investigations have revealed that Manzoor Ahmad Mir son of Ab Rashid Mir and Asad Mir son of Diya Mir, both originally from Jumagund Kupwara, have exfiltrated to PaJK in the early 1990s to join militant ranks and are responsible for sending the narcotics consignment. Over time, both Manzoor and Asad have become militant handlers of LeT, mostly functioning as launching commanders and also smuggling drugs and weapons into the UT of J-K to fund militant actions.
An estimated 8 kilogrammes of a heroin-like drug and Rs 5 lakh (approximately $8,000) in Indian currency notes were seized from the suspects, according to the statement.
According to the statement, a complaint has been filed at Trehgam police station under the applicable provisions of the NDPS Act and the UA(P) Act. The statement said, “As the investigations are in their early stages, more arrests and recoveries cannot be ruled out.” (KNO)
