Police carry out awareness drives, raids, property seizures
Srinagar, May 08: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday intensified its anti-drug campaign across the Valley under the ongoing “Nasha Mukt J&K Abhiyan”, carrying out property attachments, demolitions, arrests, destruction of narcotic crops and awareness programmes in multiple districts.
According to the details available with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) in one of the biggest actions, police in Anantnag attached properties worth around Rs 6.5 crore belonging to an alleged narcotics network operating in Sangam area. The attached assets included residential houses, a commercial building identified as “Muskan Restaurant”, over 200 marlas of land and a vehicle.
Police said the action was taken under Section 68-F of the NDPS Act after investigations revealed that the properties were allegedly acquired through proceeds generated from narcotics trade.
In Baramulla district, police along with Revenue authorities demolished a shop belonging to an alleged drug peddler in Ferozpora Tangmarg.
Authorities also sealed the “North Wind Cafe”, an outsourced property of the Gulmarg Development Authority (GDA), after its lessee was found involved in an NDPS case registered at Police Post Wagoora.
Officials said further proceedings, including cancellation of the lease, have been initiated.
In Kulgam, police and Revenue authorities retrieved five kanals of kahcharai land worth nearly Rs 60 lakh from persons allegedly involved in drug trafficking cases registered under the NDPS Act.
Police in Anantnag also destroyed illegally cultivated opium poppy crops at two locations in Achabal and Aishmuqam areas and registered separate cases under the NDPS Act against the accused persons.
Meanwhile, three alleged drug peddlers were arrested in Anantnag, Sopore and Handwara during separate naka checking and patrolling operations. Police said charas-like substances and codeine phosphate were recovered from their possession.
In Pulwama, police recovered a drug consignment during a joint operation with the Drug Control Department and conducted searches at houses of suspected drug peddlers as part of a cordon and search operation (CASO).
Several medical shops were also inspected in the district, and one shop was sealed for alleged violation of mandatory record-keeping norms, officials said.
Police also intensified checking operations and destroyed wild hemp in vulnerable areas of Handwara to prevent narcotics cultivation and trafficking.
Alongside enforcement measures, extensive anti-drug awareness programmes, rallies and student outreach campaigns were organised across Shopian, Sopore, Awantipora, Ganderbal, Handwara and Pulwama districts.
Hundreds of students, teachers, civil society members and government officials participated in rallies, cross-country races and awareness sessions aimed at sensitising youth about the harmful effects of drug abuse.
Police said awareness programmes were conducted in schools and public spaces to encourage community participation in combating substance abuse and narcotics trafficking.
Officials reiterated that strict action against drug peddlers and those facilitating narcotics trade would continue as part of the government’s ongoing campaign to make Jammu and Kashmir drug-free. (KNO)
