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NCB busts heroin cartel in Jammu; cross-border links suspected
“Search of the said vehicle resulted in the recovery and seizure of 5.160 kg of heroin from two accused persons, both residents of Baramulla,” said an official spokesperson of the NCB.
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In a major intelligence-led operation, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Jammu, has busted a cross-border heroin trafficking cartel, resulting in the seizure of 5.160 kg of heroin and the arrest of its mastermind among three drug peddlers, said officials on Wednesday.
Acting on specific intelligence on August 22, NCB sleuths intercepted a vehicle at Panjtirthi in the old city.
“Search of the said vehicle resulted in the recovery and seizure of 5.160 kg of heroin from two accused persons, both residents of Baramulla,” said an official spokesperson of the NCB.
Based on crucial leads regarding another resident of Baramulla, who was the mastermind and supplier of the drug trafficking network, an immediate follow-up action was launched, he added.
The NCB team traced him to Leh in the union territory of Ladakh, where he was arrested on August 24, barely within two days of the seizure at Panjtirthi.
“Prima facie investigation indicated that the seized heroin forms part of an organised cross-border supply chain, with the contraband suspected to have originated from Pakistan and entered India through the Uri border,” said the spokesperson.
The identification and arrest of the mastermind exhibited NCB’s focus on dismantling the entire trafficking network, rather than restricting enforcement action to carriers and seizures, he said.
Investigation is being expanded to identify the cross-border suppliers, financial links, transporters, local associates and intended distribution network involved in the cartel.
The operation follows two other heroin seizures by the NCB, Jammu, earlier this month--438 grams on August 12 and 603 grams on August 13—underscoring the sustained intensity of intelligence-led anti-narcotics operations in the region.
“Further investigation and intelligence development are underway to unravel the entire cartel and establish its forward and backward linkages,” said the spokesperson.
The NCB has urged the citizens to actively support the fight against drug trafficking by sharing credible information through the National Narcotics Helpline – MANAS (1933).
