Srinagar- The arrest of a 20-year-old student for drug peddling has exposed a sophisticated operation that involved the use of drones and encrypted messaging apps to evade law enforcement.
The young man, who was caught with a significant quantity of illegal opioids and a high-end drone, had been under surveillance for some time. However, his clever use of technology made it difficult for authorities to gather concrete evidence, ETV Bharat reported.
“We could not find how he was dispensing drugs to people. It was very challenging to catch him. But some time ago, we learned his supplies dried up. During those days, we tirelessly made a breakthrough and got to know about the arrival of a drug consignment for him from Delhi,” a senior official said.
The consignment, which he arranged through encrypted messages, was part of a larger network involving suppliers in Delhi, with payments transferred via digital means to remove transaction trails. Authorities were shocked to discover the extent of his technology use, particularly a high-end DJI drone equipped with a camera capable of providing aerial views of his neighbourhood. This drone was used to monitor his clients’ movements and ensure no police were nearby before he completed transactions. A second toy drone was also found in his possession, likely used for less intense surveillance.
“He had two drones including a toy drone and a DJI drone with a good camera resolution costing above Rs one lakh to get the aerial view of the neighbourhood. The drone was seized alongside 140 bottles of codeine phosphate and a cash of Rs 38,530, perhaps proceeds of the narcotics,” ETV Bharat reported the official saying, who added that his two associates, hailing from Athwajan and Safa Kadal in Srinagar, were also caught by the Srinagar Police and booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS).
Till now, drones were mainly deployed for smuggling of drugs and ammunition from Pakistan to India via Punjab or Jammu borders. Border Security forces reportedly seized 200 drones at the Punjab border mostly with drug consignments, a departure from previous practice of involving pipes placed across the border or items flung over the fence.
Notably, drones have emerged as a new tool in the arsenal of drug smugglers, revolutionizing their tactics. Previously reliant on traditional methods like pipes and fence-tossing, smugglers are now exploiting drone technology to transport drugs and ammunition across the India-Pakistan border, particularly in Punjab.
Security forces have already intercepted over 200 drones laden with drugs, highlighting the growing threat posed by this sophisticated method of smuggling.
According to the Standing Committee report of 2023 on Social Justice and Empowerment, over 9 lakh people of Jammu-Kashmir are drug addicts. The issue is increasing every day and is one of the grave threats. In the year 2023, the state authorities have busted around 29,306 kg of drugs and destroyed around 74,179 pharmaceuticals, with 4,365 kg of drugs and 26,772 pharmaceuticals destroyed in the first half of 2024 which reveals the amount of drug peddled into Kashmir.
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