Representative image of a cannabis plant.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Srinagar: The Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of Jammu & Kashmir Police has arrested a woman accused of drug trafficking, ending a nearly three-year period during which she had evaded capture. The arrest underscores the growing role of women in organized narcotics networks in the region.
The accused, Tamana Ashraf, daughter of Mohammad Ashraf and resident of Batamaloo, Srinagar, is wanted in connection with FIR No. 10/2023 under Sections 8 and 20 of the NDPS Act, registered at ANTF Jammu. Police said she was involved in trafficking over seven kilograms of charas, which was reportedly being sent to Mumbai via courier services.
Authorities said Tamana had been moving across different states since 2023 to avoid arrest. She was apprehended at her Batamaloo residence on January 1, 2026, following sustained intelligence-led operations by ANTF J&K.
“Women are increasingly playing key roles in the narcotics trade, managing logistics and long-distance coordination,” an ANTF official said. “This arrest reveals the sophistication of these networks and the methods traffickers use to evade law enforcement.”
Officials added that investigations are ongoing to trace her suppliers, collaborators, and the broader network involved in the trafficking operation. The accused is now in custody, and further legal action is being pursued under the NDPS Act.
The ANTF has repeatedly emphasized that public cooperation and intelligence sharing are vital to dismantling organized drug syndicates, especially as traffickers increasingly exploit courier channels and inter-state mobility.