Rs 100-crore heroin seized in Jammu, one arrested

Jammu, November 25

The J&K police on Thursday seized 52 kg of heroin worth Rs 100 crore from a Punjab-bound truck and arrested one person here, a senior police official said. Initial investigation suggests that the narcotics was smuggled into Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan to fund terrorism in the Valley, the police said.

“On a specific information, Station House Officer of Jhajjar Kotli Devender Singh set up checkpoints for the search of vehicles on a highway,” Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh told reporters. Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh was also present.

Mukesh said a truck on its way to Punjab from Srinagar jumped a checkpoint and tried to sped away, but was intercepted.

During the search of the truck, police seized 52 kg of heroin worth Rs 100 crore in the international market, he said. However, the driver of the truck managed to escape, the police official said. But co-driver, identified as Bharat Kumar of Haryana, was arrested, he added.

During initial investigation, it came to the fore that the consignment of heroin was being smuggled to Punjab from Srinagar in Kashmir, the ADGP said.

Pockets containing heroin have 1999 markings, which points towards its smuggling into J&K from Pakistan to fund terrorism, he said. Earlier, seizures of heroin had similar markings as well, he added.

Giving further information, Mukesh said the police have seized 185-kg heroin worth Rs 360 crore in the past two years in Jammu region, besides 500 kg of cannabis and 2,500 kg of poppy.

He said 1,500 persons have been arrested in connection with narcotics smuggling and 1,200 cases have been registered during the period. — PTI