Cross LoC trade hit over seizure of drugs

Two days after the police seized a large quantity of drugs from a truck travelling from Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to this side as part of cross Line of Control (LoC) trade, the deadlock continued on Sunday.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police had on Friday seized 305 packets of narcotics from a truck coming from Muzaffarabad during a routine check in Uri under Baramulla district. The truck driver Syed Inayat has been arrested.

The police have lodged a case under Section 8/21 of NDPS Act against the driver and a Kashmiri trader, Zahoor Ahmad, on whose name the consignment was coming. Ahmad has also been arrested and is being questioned.

In turn, PoK authorities have reportedly detained 50 Kashmiri drivers along with their trucks, demanding the release of the driver and the vehicle  which was used for smuggling brown sugar.

Sources said that the Pakistani authorities also refused to take 21 trucks from PoK back until the seized truck, allegedly carrying narcotics, was also allowed to go. Deputy Commissioner Baramulla Talat Parvez said Pakistani side has triggered this deadlock after asking for the evidence of drug smuggling.