J&K: Terror associate held in Kupwara with heroin worth Rs 60 cr

at 6:10 pm
heroin

Jammu (NVI): A Pakistan-sponsored narco-terror module was today busted in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, as J&K Police and Army arrested a terror associate that led to the recovery of nine kilograms of heroin worth Rs 60 crore from Karnah area.

J&K Police said that a “typical Pakistan-sponsored narco-terror model” was busted in Karnah forest area in Kupwara this afternoon.

Addressing media at District Headquarters in Kupwara, newly appointed SSP Kupwara GV Sundeep said that the one person identified as Mukhtar Ahmad Shah, a resident of Panjitara in Tanghdar, has been arrested in this regard.

Nine kgs of heroin was recovered from him, the SSP said, adding that the estimated market value of the contraband is somewhere between Rs 50-60 crores.

“We were onto it for last one week and after receiving specific inputs, it was last night that Kupwara police along with 6 JAK RIF made the successful recovery of the contraband,” the officer said.

“The identified smuggler has been in contact with handlers across the borders,” the SSP said, adding that all these modules and smugglers are involved in supporting terror organisations.

He further said that the busting of such narco-terror modules exposes their links with Pakistan.

“They have a modus operandi of pushing the handlers and smugglers across the borders with a aim to exchange the drugs in lieu of money to support the militant organisations”, the officer said. “This is a big hawala racket as money is transferred without money movement to finance militant organisations,” he added.

Meanwhile, an FIR under section 8/21 of NDPS Act has been registered at police station Karnah and further investigations have been taken up, according to an official privy to the matter.

-ARK