Cocaine worth Rs 300 crore seized in Ramban, two Punjab men held

Our Correspondent

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, October 1

The police has seized 30 kg cocaine worth Rs 300 crore in international market in the Banihal area of Ramban district. The consignment, which was seized last night, was being reportedly taken to Punjab by two smugglers.

The contraband, part of a narco-terror module, was smuggled into Kashmir from Pakistan-occupied J&K (PoJK) through the Line of Control (LoC) after which it was handed to the two Punjab-based smugglers. The vehicle carrying drugs was intercepted on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.

The recovery was made after the Ramban police, led by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mohita Sharma, received inputs that a car carrying narcotics was plying on the highway. The smugglers have been identified as Sarabjeet Singh of Jalandhar and Honey Basra of Phagwara in Kapurthala district of Punjab.

The police intercepted the vehicle at the Railway chowk in Banihal and apprehended the two smugglers.

An FIR under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act was registered at the Banihal police station and investigation was initiated. Sharma said terror angle in the case was being investigated.

“The operation was conducted by the Ramban SSP and her team who have been continuously waging war against drug smugglers. A large number of notorious peddlers and smugglers have already been booked by the Ramban police,” Additional Director General of Police Mukesh Singh.

Mohammad Afzal Wani, SHO, Banihal, said when the vehicle was asked to stop, the driver tried to escape, but was chased and stopped by the police.

The Ramban police have registered 104 NDPS cases in 2022 and 36 this year in which 2,500 kg poppy straw, 30 kg cocaine, 10 kg charas, 200 gm heroin and 200 tablets have been recovered. As many as 158 accused have been arrested and three detained.

Sources in the police department said a pattern had been seen where many Punjab-based drug smugglers were arrested from border districts of J&K. “It seems that either the vigil along the International Border (IB) in Punjab has been strengthened or there is some other modus operandi where Pakistan is sending drugs into J&K to be smuggled to Punjab,” said the sources.

Two drug peddlers arrested in Kulgam

Jammu: The police have arrested two drug peddlers, including one from Punjab, and recovered contraband from their possession in Kulgam district of Kashmir. A truck with two persons on board was intercepted at Malpora Chowk. During search, 4.6 kg of poppy straw was recovered from their possession. The accused have been identified as Mohammad Aslam of Anantnag and Rakesh Kumar of Pathankot, Punjab.

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