Four Special Police Officers (SPOs) and a constable rank policeman are among 17 persons arrested as police on Friday said it had busted a major drug smuggling module in North Kashmir.
“In one of its biggest success against drug smuggling and peddling in the district, Police has arrested 17 persons including five policemen, a political activist, a Contractor and a shopkeeper from different areas of district Kupwara and Baramulla unearthing another narcotics smuggling module originating from Pakistan”, said a police statement.
“Working relentlessly to identify and act against the drug peddlers active in the district Kupwara, police zeroed in on some drug peddlers active in Kupwara town and its adjoining areas. On a tip-off one Mohd Waseem Najar – a poultry shop owner son of Ghulam Mohd Najar, resident of Darzipura, Kupwara was arrested with some quantity of narcotics from his residential house”, the statement reads.
“After preliminary investigations, Waseem admitted to be a part of a big group of drug peddlers and disclosed names of some of his associates belonging to this district as well as Uri area of district Baramulla involved in this illegal trade. Subsequent raids were conducted at various places across the district and 16 more persons namely; Haroon Rasheed Bhat (SPO) son of Ab Rasheed Bhat resident of Halmatpora, Irshad Ahmed Khan (SPO) son of Anayat ullah Khan resident of Batpora Hyama, Ishfaq Habib Khan – a political activist son of Habibulla Khan Gonipora Hyama, Tahir Ahmed Malik son of Ab Ahad Malik resident of Rigipora, Kupwara, Khursheed Ahmed Khan – dry fruits Shopkeeper and his son Imtiyaz Khan residents of Halmatpora, Tamheed Ahmed Khan son of Shakir Ali Khan (originally hailing from Keran and now a Pakistan/POK based militant handler) resident of Keran , Roman Mushtaq Bhat son of Mushtaq Ahmed Bhat resident of Uri, Baramulla, Asif Rashid Hajam son of Abdul Rashid Hajam resident of Batergam, Kupwara, Sajad Ahmad Bhat (SPO) son of Ghulam Mohd Bhat resident of Gonipora Hyama, Ab Majeed Bhat (Police Constable) son of Wali Mohd Bhat resident of Kunan Poshpora, Trehgam, Zahid Maqbool Dar (SPO) son of Mohd Maqbool Dar resident of Kunan Poshpora Trehgam, Abid Ali Bhat son of Haji Ali Mohd Bhat resident of Bohipora Kupwara, Tanveer Ahmad Wani – a contractor, son of Mohd Issaq Wani resident of Gulgam Kupwara, Nadeem Javed son of Javed Iqbal Naik of Uri Baramulla, and Tahir Ahmad Khan son of Amir Zaman Khan resident of Boniyar, Baramulla were arrested by different teams of Police Station Kupwara headed by SHO Mohd Rafiq Lone and DySP (Prob) Khadim Hussain under the supervision of DySP Hqrs Rashid Younis”, the statement 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 Valley narcotics aimed to destroy Kashmiri 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 LoC. On Tahmeed’s confession and disclosure, two packets weighing close to 2.0 Kg of Heroin like narcotics substance have also been recovered from his house. 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 HM for quite some time in Keran – Kupwara sector.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”, it said.
“In this case FIR No.283/2022 of Police Station Kupwara being investigated by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by DySP (Prob) Khadim Hussain, it has surfaced during investigation that a quantity of about 5.0 Kg valued at rupees 5.0 Crores in the market has been smuggled in from Pakistan by the head of this module Tahmeed Khan during the last three months. Out of these 5.0 Kg narcotics, about 2.0 Kg has been recovered in the instant case, about 1.0 kg has been peddled among drug peddlers and addicts and about 2.0 Kg remains to be traced”, it said further.
“Pertinent to mention here that during the current year 85 cases have been registered against 161 persons in the district. 33 people involved in narcotics smuggling have been detained and lodged in different jails under PSA (PIT-NDPS Act)”, the statement added.
