Big drug smuggling racket busted in Kashmir, 5 policemen, 17 including a leader arrested

Under the anti-narcotic campaign in Jammu and Kashmir, the police got a big success on Friday. Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday busted a major drug smuggling racket in Kupwara and Baramulla districts. Police said 17 people, including five policemen, a political activist, a contractor and a local shopkeeper, were arrested from Kupwara and Baramulla districts in a drugs smuggling racket that originated from Pakistan. Mohammad Wasim Nazar, the owner of a poultry shop in Darjipura village of Kupwara district, was arrested after some narcotics were recovered from his house. After investigation, Waseem admitted to being part of a larger syndicate of drug peddlers and disclosed the names of some of his associates belonging to the Kupwara district and Uri area of the Baramulla district.

16 more people were arrested in the raid, including five policemen, a political activist, a contractor and others. The arrested policemen were working as SPOs in the department. The ongoing investigation has exposed the direct involvement of Pakistan-based terrorist handlers in promoting narcotics in the valley with the aim of destroying the local youth and their future.

Pakistan-based terrorist handler Shakir Ali Khan, originally from Keran in the Kupwara district, has become the main supplier of narcotics to his son Tehmeed Khan on this side of the LoC. On Tehmeed's confession and disclosure, two packets of 2 kg of heroin-like narcotic have been recovered. Tahmeed used to take it to Kupwara to sell it among his other arrested comrades and earn a lot of money.

Police said Tehmeed's father Shakir Ali Khan crossed the Line of Control for the first time in the early 1990s to join militant ranks. After receiving training in illegal arms and ammunition, Shakir infiltrated back and continues to be one of the top active terrorists of the Hizbul outfit in Keran region.

Police told that here Shakir again went to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He is currently working as a top terrorist handler involved in the supply of arms, ammunition and drugs in the Kashmir Valley. During the last three months, around 5 kg of drugs worth Rs 5 crore have been sent to the market by the module headed by Tahmeed Khan.