Kulgam, April 18: In a major offensive against drug trafficking under the ongoing Nasha Mukt Jammu & Kashmir campaign, Kulgam Police has arrested 36 drug peddlers in just 18 days during a series of intensified operations carried out across the district.
A senior police officer said the crackdown, spread across the district, led to the registration of several FIRs under the NDPS Act, with significant recoveries of heroin, charas, cannabis, poppy straw and cash proceeds linked to narcotics trade.
Police Station Qazigund recorded the highest number of arrests with 22 drug peddlers apprehended, highlighting its major role in busting narcotics networks, followed by Police Stations Kulgam, Qaimoh and Devsar.
Investigations into these cases have also resulted in the establishment of backward and forward linkages, exposing organised and inter-district drug syndicates.
Several accused persons were arrested based on these linkages, while vehicles used in transporting contraband were also seized.
Apart from arrests, police destroyed illegal poppy cultivation in Qaimoh and took strict action against misuse of controlled medicines by sealing a medical shop in Devsar for violating mandatory norms.
SSP Kulgam, Sh Anayat Ali Choudhary (IPS), while reiterating the district police’s commitment, said that a zero-tolerance policy is being strictly enforced against drug peddlers.
He asserted that sustained operations will continue to dismantle the entire narcotics network operating in the district.
The SSP further appealed to the public, especially the youth, to stay away from drugs and urged citizens to share any information related to drug peddling, assuring that the identity of informants will be kept strictly confidential.
Kulgam Police, he said, remains steadfast in its resolve to eradicate the menace of drugs and ensure a safer, drug-free society.
