SRINAGAR: In a major success against an inter-state narco-terror smuggling syndicate originating from PaK, the Kupwara Police, along with the Army, have arrested four smugglers involved in running the module.
Acting on a tip-off that a Punjab-based narco smuggler had arrived in the district at a pre-decided location to take a consignment of narcotics, a joint search operation was launched in the Zurhama area of PS Trehgam.
During the operation, four people identified as Yousuf Bokra son of Suba Bokra, resident of Rashanpora Kralpora, Showkat Ahmad Khatana son of Ab Rashid Khatana, resident of Meliyal Kupwara, Maroof Ahmad Mir son of Mohd Rafiq Mir, resident of Jumagad, A/p Zurhama Kupwara and Laba Masih son of Sadiq Masih, a resident of Awaan Ramdas Ajnala, District Amritsar Punjab, were arrested while they were in the process of exchanging smuggled narcotics and cash among themselves.
During the preliminary investigations, it was discovered that the narcotic consignment was sent by two PoJK-based militant handlers of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), namely Manzoor Ahmad Mir son of Ab Rashid Mir and Asad Mir son of Diya Mir, both originally residents of Jumagund Kupwara.
Both Manzoor and Asad, over a period of time, have become handlers of LeT, mainly acting as launching commanders besides pushing narcotics and weapons to sustain terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
So far, eight packets of narcotics (Heroin-like substance) weighing about 8 kilograms along with ₹5 lakh cash in Indian currency notes have been recovered from the possession of the arrested persons.
A case under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act stands registered in the Police Station Trehgam. As the investigations are at an initial stage, more arrests and recoveries cannot be ruled out.
