Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday intensified its sweeping crackdown on drug trafficking across the Kashmir Valley, attaching properties worth Rs 1.5 crore, arresting multiple peddlers, destroying illicit poppy cultivation, and launching widespread awareness campaigns under the ongoing “Nasha Mukt Jammu & Kashmir Abhiyaan”.
In Srinagar, police attached immovable property worth approximately Rs 1.5 crore belonging to an alleged drug peddler in the Rainawari area.
Police said acting under Section 68-F of the NDPS Act, they seized a single-storey residential house along with 11 marlas of land owned by Bilal Ahmad Patoo of Saidakadal. Police said the property was identified as illegally acquired through proceeds of drug trafficking, marking a significant step towards dismantling the financial networks of narcotics operatives.
Simultaneously, police arrested four drug peddlers in Kupwara, Awantipora, Handwara and Anantnag, recovering contraband substances including charas, cannabis and heroin-like material.
In a separate operation in Shopian, another accused was apprehended with over 2 kilograms of cannabis-like substance. Cases have been registered under relevant provisions of the NDPS Act, and investigations are underway to trace forward and backward linkages of these networks.
Highlighting the nexus between narcotics and security threats, the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Anantnag directed strict verification measures, stating that individuals linked to drug networks would be denied security clearances for passports, government jobs and other services. Police said such networks pose a serious threat due to their alleged connections with terror handlers.
Crackdowns also extended to illegal cultivation, with police destroying poppy crops in multiple districts, including Anantnag, Kupwara, Awantipora, Pulwama and Shopian. Several FIRs were registered, and the crops were eradicated on-site in the presence of magistrates. In Pulwama, police also conducted extensive searches, deployed sniffer dog squads, and recommended the cancellation of driving licences of accused individuals.
In Budgam and Sopore, authorities tightened the noose on pharmaceutical misuse. Five medical shops in Narbal were sealed for violations, including failure to install CCTV cameras, while two shops in Sopore faced action for operating without licences and storing controlled drugs beyond permitted limits.
Police in Handwara and Anantnag enhanced surveillance by deploying sniffer dogs and conducting targeted narco raids in identified hotspots. Authorities also carried out surveys of assets belonging to suspected peddlers to identify properties liable for attachment.
Preventive action was taken in Anantnag, where eight habitual offenders were detained under relevant laws and lodged in jail to curb repeated involvement in drug trafficking.
Alongside enforcement, police ramped up community outreach through awareness programmes, rallies, and sports initiatives across districts, including Awantipora, Budgam, Baramulla, and Ganderbal.
Educational institutions hosted sessions highlighting the harmful effects of drug abuse, while youth engagement activities such as bike rallies and cricket tournaments promoted a drug-free lifestyle.
Police reiterated their zero-tolerance policy against drug abuse and urged citizens to cooperate by sharing information, emphasizing that collective efforts are essential to eliminate the menace and ensure a safer society.
