Indian Army has seized heroin worth Rs two crore from a 23-year-old man, who was feigning as shepherd, on the Line of Control (LoC) in the Bhimber Gali sector of Poonch district.
Alarm bells are ringing for the security forces as Pakistan army has unleashed narco-terrorism in the strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir.
Indian Army has seized heroin worth Rs two crore from a 23-year-old man, who was feigning as shepherd, on the Line of Control (LoC) in the Bhimber Gali sector of Poonch district. The consignment was facilitated by the Pakistan army in a bid to use the drug proceeds to fund the militancy in Kashmir.
Lieutenant Colonel Manish Mehta, defence spokesman at Jammu, said the Indian Army apprehended Mohommad Kasim along with two packets of heroin from the LoC in Bhimber Gali of Poonch district on Monday night. "Kasim, under the garb of grazing cattle, had gone across the LoC and received the consignment from a PoK (Pakistan- occupied Kashmir) national," said Lieutenant Colonel Mehta.
He said the drugs seizure has dealt a major blow to Pakistan to fund militancy using drug proceeds.
Police have also lodged an FIR and put the investigation on the fast track to expose the conspiracy behind the smuggling. "We are investigating the matter," said Pande Rajiv Omparkash, senior superintendent of police, Poonch.
Investigators are trying to find out whether Kasim was part of the drug cartel that has been operating across the LoC. "He has been put under sustained interrogation and we are trying to reach to the bottom of the case," said an officer.
Police sources said there have been continuous efforts from the other side to smuggle drugs into this side. "We are conducting our operations in the interior areas to track down the smugglers," said the officer.
This is not the first time when drug consignments smuggled from PoK have been seized on the LoC. On January 23, J&K police arrested eight persons and seized huge haul of drugs smuggled from across the LoC in the border district of Kupwara. The seizure includes one kilogram of heroin, 1.5 kilogram of brown sugar and 3.5 kilogram of charas.
Sources do not rule out nexus between ultras and narcotics smugglers given the fact that several terrorists have been arrested in different parts of the country with huge haul of charas and banned drugs.
In January 2002, police arrested five persons including two surrendered terrorists of Hizbul Mujahideen with 20 kgs of charas in Phagwara . In May 2003, an active member of Al Jihad outfit was arrested in Delhi with 25 kgs of charas.
In January 2014, police arrested a driver from PoK after 114 packets of brown sugar worth Rs 100 crore was recovered from his truck used to ferry goods for the cross LoC trade. This led to the 17 days' standoff with PoK authorities holding 27 Indian drivers hostage before releasing them after hectic diplomatic efforts.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Terror")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}