Avinash Azad
The Director General of Police (DGP), Jammu and Kashmir, Dilbag Singh on Thursday said that they busted an inter-state narco-module a few days ago have been traced from north Kashmir’s Kupwara district to Ludhiana in Punjab. Addressing media persons in DPL Jammu, JKP Chief said that eight people have been arrested so far, four from Kupwara and four from Punjab while 30 kilograms of cocaine, Rs 5 crore cash, 40 fake number plates of vehicles, passports, and a German-made revolver have been recovered.
Singh said that Ramban police recently intercepted the vehicle and recovered 30 kg of cocaine-like substance. “Though the final report of FSL is awaited, it seems that the recovered substance is cocaine,” the DGP said, adding that four people from northern Kashmir’s Kupwara district have been arrested. “During the course of the investigation, it was found that links of the inter-State narco-module are connected with Kupwara district. Kupwara’s Amrohi is the favorite route used for narco-smuggling; the fresh consignment was also smuggled from the same route. We have registered 12 cases in the Amrohi area of Kupwara related to narco-terror,” the DGP said, adding that even though no evidence of drone-dropped narcotics has been received, there are credible leads that show that narcotics have been smuggled physically. He said after the arrest of four accused from Kupwara, J&K police in a joint operation with the Punjab police arrested four more people including the key handler of the drugs. “Investigations showed that the arrested key accused’s father was also a drug dealer. We have recovered Rs 5 Crore cash, 40 fake number plates, passports, and a German-made revolver from the arrested persons,” he said. “On 30-09-2023, under Operation Sanjeevani in an all-out War against Drugs, Ramban Police seized a huge consignment of 30 KG cocaine-like substance worth Rs. 300 crores from 02 Punjab-based peddlers who were transporting the contraband in an Innova car bearing registration No HR02W-4925. In this regard, case FIR No 252/2023 u/s 8/21/22/27/29 NDPS Act was registered and a special investigation team was constituted under the supervision of SSP Ramban, Mohita Sharma”, the DGP said, adding that further, to ascertain backward and forward linkages, special teams were deputed by the SSP, both to Kashmir for backward linkage and to Punjab for ascertaining forward linkage. Technical intelligence was gathered and after strenuous efforts truck bearing registration No JK04F-8057 was seized and the driver was arrested, who was responsible for delivering the consignment of 30 KG contraband in lieu of receiving Rs 45 Lakhs cash at Parimpora. Further, on sustained questioning, the accused driver disclosed the name of another peddler who was arrested from District Kupwara. In order to nab the kingpin, continuous technical and human intelligence was simultaneously gathered which further led to the arrest of 03 more peddlers belonging to District Kupwara who confessed to having received the contraband from across the border. Their questioning further led to the recovery of a cocaine-like substance weighing 4 kg 198 grams and cash worth Rs 43 lakh 17 thousand. In a simultaneous investigation that was going on to ascertain the forward linkage, a special team was constituted in collaboration with IB Team Jammu, assisted by Punjab Police after obtaining permission from DIG DKR Dr. Sunil Gupta. Technical inputs, analysis of IPDR and CDR data along with gathering the trail of a digital footprint on various networks, led to the arrest of a major drug magnate belonging to District Ludhiana, Punjab and following recoveries were made from him Cheque Books 14, Fixed Deposit two, Passbook 22, Aadhar Cards 12, ATM Card nine, Pen Drive two, Fake Number Plates of Vehicles 38, fake badges of BJP and Punjab Police two, fake stickers of Punjab Government one, fake Driving License one, R.C. 14, Pan Card one, ATM nine, Mobile Phone eight, Revolver one, diaries four, fake passport one, Passport six, currency counting machine one, weighing scale three, rent deed one, Gold 44 grams, silver 385 grams, cocaine like substance- 600 grams and currency amounting Rs. 4,94,50,000.
