SRINAGAR Amid concern and calls for stepping up efforts to tackle growing drug menace in Kashmir, police Saturday said it has arrested a cop with nearly a kilo of heroin in Handwara area of Kupwara district.
Mushtaq Ahmad Peer of Kalmuna Handwara was arrested after officers at a checkpoint established at Chogul seized 750 grams of heroin concealed in a polythene bag from his possession, a police spokesman said.
It is learnt that the arrested person works in Armed Police, the spokesman said, adding a car bearing registration number JK01V-1178 has also been seized in the case.
The accused is posted with Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) of Handwara Police, a local news agency quoted officials as saying.
The seized contraband is worth over Rs 20 lakhs, the official were quoted as saying.
The spokesman said police has registered a case in the matter and the accused remains in custody.
Meanwhile, two alleged inter-state drug smugglers were arrested with over 2 kg poppy in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district Saturday, officials said.
A police team intercepted a car on the highway at Lakhanpur belt and seized 2.2 kg poppy and Rs 5.70 lakh cash was from the possession one Dharmendar Singh and accomplice Kulwant, both residents of Phillaur in Jalandhar, Punjab, they said.
A case was registered and investigation is on, police said.
Hurriyat Conference(M) chairman and Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema chief Mirwaiz Umar Farooq recently called a conference of ulema and imams to launch a grassroots campaign for eradication of drug abuse in Kashmir.
Expressing concern over the alarming levels of drug menace in Kashmir, the Mirwaiz urged ulema and imams to use mosque pulpits to spread awareness against the threat.
At least three deaths have been attributed to drug overdose in recent months in Anantnag and Srinagar districts of Kashmir division.
A recent survey by the Union ministry of social justice and empowerment said that 4.9 per cent of the states population, or around six lakh people, had been abusing opioid drugs amid apprehensions that the actual figures could be much higher.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
