Five cops among 17 arrested as J&K police unearth drug module operating from Pakistan

17 persons including five policemen, a political activist, a contractor and a shopkeeper were arrested in connection with the drug trafficking operation

Five policemen were among 17 persons arrested in northern Kupwara and Baramulla districts as a major narcotics smuggling module originating from Pakistan was unearthed by the Jammu and Kashmir police on Friday.

A police spokesperson said in one of its biggest successes against drug peddling, 17 persons including five policemen, a political activist, a contractor and a shopkeeper were arrested from different areas of Kupwara and Baramulla, unearthing another narcotics smuggling module originating from Pakistan.

“Working relentlessly to identify and act against the drug peddlers, police zeroed in on some drug peddlers. On a tip-off one Mohammad Waseem Najar – a poultry shop owner of Darzipura, Kupwara was arrested with some quantity of narcotics from his residential house”, the statement said.

After preliminary investigations, Waseem admitted to the police that he was a part of a group of drug peddlers and disclosed names of some of his associates involved in the illegal trade.

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Subsequent raids were conducted at various places across the district and 16 more persons were arrested, police said. The busting of this drug smuggling and peddling module has yet again exposed the direct involvement of Pakistan-based handlers in pumping into Kashmir through narcotics aimed to destroy youth.

“In this particular case, one Shakir Ali Khan, a Pakistan-based handler originally hailing from Keran has surfaced to be the main supplier of narcotics to his son Tahmeed Khan on this side of Line of Control (LoC). On Tahmeed’s confession and disclosure, two packets weighing close to two kg of Heroin-like narcotics have also been recovered from his house,” police said.

“Tahmeed used to transport it to Kupwara to sell it among his other arrested associates to earn huge money. Tahmeed’s father Shakir Ali Khan firstly crossed LoC in early 1990s to join militant ranks. After obtaining training in illegal arms and ammunition, Shakir infiltrated back and remained one of the top active militants of Hizbul Mujahideen for quite some time in Keran – Kupwara sector," police said.

"Feeling the heat from security forces, Shakir again crossed over LoC and exfiltrated to PoK and is now a top militant handler also involved in pushing into Kashmir Valley, arms, ammunition and narcotics”, police added.