SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday said authorities are conducting an uncompromising crackdown on drug trafficking and narco-terror networks across Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that there would be “no safe haven” for those involved in the illicit trade.
Addressing a public rally in Kishtwar, the Lieutenant Governor said enforcement agencies are targeting every layer of the drug ecosystem, from cross-border smugglers and local peddlers to alleged terror financiers linked to the narcotics trade. He said operations are being carried out with the objective of permanently dismantling these networks.
Sinha said the ongoing 100-day drug-free campaign, which has already covered 19 districts, is part of a broader, long-term effort to eliminate substance abuse and its criminal networks from the region. He said the campaign has evolved into a “whole-of-society movement”, with participation from citizens, youth groups and community organisations.
Over the past nearly two months, he said, public participation in awareness drives and street-level outreach had strengthened what he described as a collective resistance against drug abuse. He also highlighted the role of community stakeholders, including teachers, Panchayati Raj institutions, women’s groups, religious leaders and civil society organisations, in identifying early signs of addiction and supporting intervention efforts.
Reiterating a dual approach of enforcement and rehabilitation, the Lieutenant Governor said individuals struggling with addiction would be supported through treatment and reintegration programmes, while those involved in trafficking networks would face strict legal action. He stressed that compassion would be extended to addicts seeking recovery, but not to those profiting from the trade.
He further stated that the fight against narcotics would be sustained over years rather than months, calling it a “long-term mission” aimed at safeguarding the future of young people across the Union Territory. According to him, the campaign reflects a wider determination to ensure that drug networks are eliminated from both rural and urban areas.
