Jammu Police bust Pakistan-linked narco-terror network, seize heroin worth over ₹30 crore
Modified vehicle, arms and heroin seized as police hunt absconding member of border-based network
Jammu, Dec 4: In one of the biggest anti-narcotics operations conducted recently, Jammu Police on Thursday announced the busting of a Pakistan-linked drug trafficking and narco-terror network, arresting six persons and recovering a large consignment of heroin valued at over ₹30 crore in the international market. The police also recovered three pistols, ammunition, and a specially modified vehicle used for smuggling.
Superintendent of Police Ajay Sharma told reporters that a meticulously coordinated operation by Jammu Police South Zone led to the arrest of multiple individuals involved in a cross-border conspiracy to push narcotics into India. “A major narcotics racket has been busted. Six members have been arrested and four have already been sent to judicial custody. In total, 4.95 kilograms of heroin and three pistols have been recovered,” he said.
The SP said digital analysis of phones and communication channels revealed that the group was in direct contact with Pakistani handlers who were supplying drugs as part of a larger narco-terror strategy aimed at harming India’s youth and destabilizing national security. “This is a clear attempt to wage an unconventional war against the country,” he added.
In view of the terror-linked nature of the conspiracy, police have invoked relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in addition to registering a primary case under the NDPS Act at Gandhi Nagar Police Station.
According to police, the investigation first led to the arrest of Karan Sharma of Jourian and Nikhlesh Verma of Udhampur, who were found in possession of 3.26 kg of heroin. Their interrogation and digital trails guided police to multiple locations where further arrests were made.
Subsequently, police apprehended:
• Mohammad Yousef, arrested from Narwal, Jammu
• Gulshan Kumar, a financial handler from Rajouri
• Jasvinder Kumar, from Nowshera, already in custody in another narcotics case
Additional heroin was seized from their possession. A major breakthrough came when police found that Gulshan’s vehicle had been modified with concealed cavities to smuggle narcotics, confirming the organised and sophisticated nature of the racket.
Further investigation led to the arrest of Shamdin of Nikki Tawi, from whose residence police recovered a pistol, live rounds, and 619 grams of heroin. Police also revealed that another key accused, Abdul Hamid of Maraliya (RS Pura), is absconding. Searches at his residence resulted in the recovery of two pistols, including an automatic weapon, along with ammunition.
Police said most members of this narcotics-terror module hail from villages close to the Indo-Pak border in Jammu, indicating deliberate recruitment by cross-border networks seeking logistical ease and local familiarity for smuggling operations.
The investigation is ongoing, and police expect more arrests as they continue to dismantle the remaining links of this cross-border narcotics-terror network.
