Inter-state narco-terror module busted, 8 kg of heroin recovered

Srinagar: Security forces have busted an alleged inter-state narco terror module and recovered eight kilos of heroin from Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district, police said.

They said four smugglers involved in running the module syndicate originating from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir have been arrested.

Police said acting on a tip off that a Punjab based narco smuggler was in Kupwara district at a pre-decided location to take a consignment of narcotics, a joint search operation by Kupwara Police along with a local army unit was launched in Zurhama Trehgam.

During the operation, four persons identified as Yousuf Bokra, Showkat Ahmad Khatana, Maroof Ahmad Mir – all residents of Kupwara and Laba Masih, a resident of Ajnala, Amritsar Punjab were arrested, when they were in the process of exchanging smuggled narcotics and cash among themselves, police said

“During the preliminary investigations, it has transpired that the narcotic consignment has been sent by two PoK based terrorist handlers of LeT namely Manzoor Ahmad Mir and Asad Mir son of Diya Mir, both originally residents of Jumagund Kupwara, who exfiltrated to PoK in early 1990’s to join terrorist ranks,” police said.

“Both Manzoor and Asad, over a period of time have become terrorist handlers of LeT mainly acting as launching commanders besides pushing narcotics and weapons to sustain terrorist activities in the UT of J&K,” they added.

Police said so far, eight packets of narcotics (heroin like substance) weighing about eight Kilograms along with Rs 5 lakh cash in Indian currency notes have been recovered from the possession of the arrested persons.

A case under relevant sections of NDPS Act and UA(P) Act was registered in Police Station Trehgam.

“As the investigations are at its initial stage , more arrests and recoveries can’t be ruled out,” police said.

UNI