Massive crackdown on narco-terrorism in border areas of J&K; hundreds in custody [details]

To snap the supply chain, the Jammu and Kashmir Police launched a massive campaign against narco-terrorism in north Kashmir's Baramullah district and arrested over 300 narco-terrorism during the last couple of months.

These arrested narco-terrorists were involved in collecting consignments from across the Line of Control (LoC) to supply the same in other parts of the country to generate money to fund terror groups active in Jammu and Kashmir.

During the campaign launched against narco-terrorism, the Baramulla Police recovered a huge consignment of drugs from the arrested drug traffickers.

With the help of drones, Pakistan-based handlers smuggle narcotics through different points on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. Kashmir province's Baramulla district and Jammu region's Poonch district are not focus areas of Pakistan-based handlers.

Quoting Senior Superintendent of Police, Baramulla, Amod Ashok Nagpuri a news agency reported that Baramulla is a border district, and cross-border drugs and weapons smuggling is a big challenge for the forces.

Over the last some months, Baramulla police registered 187 FIRs under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Around 284 drug peddlers were arrested and another 34 notorious peddlers were booked under PIT NDPS/PSA.

The focus of this drive is to crack down on the drug culture in Baramulla district and we endeavor to make Baramulla a drug-free community.

The SSP said Pakistan aims to push drugs all over the Kashmir Valley, adding that "we will not allow nefarious designs of Pakistan to succeed".

Properties of drug traffickers were seized.

Recently, Baramulla police froze the properties, including a house and a car, of notorious drug dealers. Dedicated teams have been deployed to gather crucial intelligence on the drug mafia operating in the region.

Last month Jammu and Kashmir Police had attached properties worth lakhs of rupees belonging to drug smugglers in Baramulla district. The police had attached an under-construction house on land measuring 10 marlas at Main Mohalla Pattan belonging to Barakat Ali Main, after obtaining legal sanction from the competent authorities.

Similarly, the police attached a Hyundai i10 car belonging to Abdul Rehman Malik, a resident of Kalantra Payeen, after obtaining legal sanction from the competent authorities. The vehicle was used for drug trafficking.

SIA takes custody of notorious drug lord Rafiq Lala in Poonch

Last week, the State Investigation Agency (SIA) took the custody of Mohammad Rafiq, who is named in cases related to anti-national activities and narcotics seizure, from jail authorities in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.

The agency intends to interrogate the accused in connection with several cases related to drug recovery and hawala racket, they said.

Rafiq, arrested under the Public Safety Act (PSA), is named in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act cases as well as cases related to anti-national activities, the sources said.

He was arrested on March 3 following an operation by security forces in Sathra (Dana Dohian) in Mandi police station jurisdiction.