SRINAGAR: Police in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district on Thursday unearthed an underground narcotics hideout and recovered nearly 29 kilograms of cannabis during a targeted operation in the Pashpora Keegam area.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, a police team from Police Post Keegam carried out a raid at an apple orchard belonging to a local resident, where drugs had allegedly been concealed in an underground storage facility. During the search operation, 28.968 kilograms of crushed cannabis was recovered, and one individual was taken into custody.
The accused has been identified as Mohd Iqbal Bhat, son of Mohd Jabbar Bhat, a resident of Pashpora Keegam. Police said the recovery was made following swift action based on credible information regarding the concealment of narcotics at the location.
In this connection, a case has been registered at Police Station Shopian under FIR No. 112/2026, invoking relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Further investigation has been initiated to trace forward and backward linkages and identify others involved in the illegal drug network.
Police have reiterated their commitment to curbing drug trafficking in the region and maintaining a drug-free society. Authorities have also urged the public to share information related to drug peddling and substance abuse, assuring that the identity of informants will be kept strictly confidential.
