Srinagar, May 13 (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday launched a blistering attack on narco-terror networks, declaring that drug trafficking and terrorism are “inseparable partners in crime” and warning that the administration’s crackdown will become “tougher and more powerful” in the coming days.
Addressing a massive gathering during the ‘Nasha-Mukt Jammu Kashmir Campaign’ padyatra in Kupwara, the Lieutenant Governor said the ongoing anti-drug drive has, within just 32 days, dealt a “devastating blow” to the entire drug smuggling ecosystem operating across the Union Territory.
“Our consistent action is crippling narco-terrorist networks. Properties worth crores have been seized, assets confiscated and passports of 15 smugglers have been recommended for cancellation. More than 730 smugglers and peddlers have been arrested,” Sinha said.
In one of his sharpest remarks yet, the Lieutenant Governor said drugs and terrorism are not separate threats but “two heads of the same snake”, accusing Pakistan of using narcotics trade to finance terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
“One head earns money through drugs while the other uses that money to fuel terrorism. Drug smugglers and terrorists are inseparable partners in crime,” he said.
Sinha said the anti-drug movement, which many had initially doubted, has now transformed into a people’s revolution with participation from villages, schools, colleges and urban localities across Jammu and Kashmir.
Highlighting the strategic sensitivity of Kupwara as a border district, the Lieutenant Governor directed police and anti-narcotics agencies to ensure that “not a single guilty person escapes”, revealing that 28 smugglers have already been arrested in Kupwara and Handwara.
Officials have also directed every police station in Kupwara to identify active drug peddlers and launch decisive action over the next 68 days.
Calling drug addiction a social tragedy destroying families and communities, Sinha urged society to treat addicts with compassion and support their rehabilitation.
“The addicts are victims trapped in the dark web of narcotics. We must bring every youth seeking help back into the mainstream,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor also challenged critics of the anti-drug campaign to identify “even one innocent person unfairly targeted”, asserting that people of Jammu and Kashmir overwhelmingly support strict action against drug smugglers.
“In the days ahead, our crackdown against the drug smuggling network will grow tougher and more powerful,” he warned.
On the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor unveiled trophies for the Kupwara Forest League and a volleyball championship organised under the Nasha-Mukt J&K Abhiyan and felicitated winners of a reel-making competition on drug abuse.(NVI)
