Narco-terrorism bid, Indian Army seizes drugs, arms near LoC in Rajouri

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, March 12

In a major success against narco-terrorism in J&K, security forces on Saturday recovered 2 kg of narcotic powder, two hi-tech pistols and an IED from Jhangar village close to the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district’s Nowshera.

Spurt in seizures

March 11, 2023: 2 kg narcotic powder, 2 pistols and an IED found along the LoC in Rajouri

March 3: 7 kg of heroin, Rs 2 cr, a pistol and other arms recovered from Poonch

February 12: 1.17 kg of contraband, Rs 25.39 lakh recovered in Uri sector

Defence spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand said through the seizure, a major terror incident being plotted by terror organisations had been averted.

Sources said the packet in which the narcotics and the arms were stashed was believed to have been dropped by a drone from Pakistan. “Terror groups are now regularly dropping arms and drugs inside Indian territory in J&K and Punjab,” said the sources.

Such incidents have increased in the recent past along the LoC and the International Border (IB) in the UT. Though the police and intelligence agencies were aware of the danger, keeping a vigil on entire border appeared difficult and terror outfits had been taking advantage of this, said the sources. On March 3, about 7 kg of heroin and Rs 2 crore along with a pistol and other arms were recovered from close to the LoC in the Mandi area of Poonch district. It was a joint operation by the police, CRPF and the Army in which drugs, arms and money were recovered from the house of an already detained person.

The police were investigating the nexus of this narco-terror module with Punjab-based smugglers. It is believed that terror elements in J&K and Punjab along with their handlers in Pakistan were dumping drugs inside India to earn money that is further used for terror activities.

On February 12, 1.17 kg of contraband worth lakhs along with Rs 25.39 lakh cash was recovered in Uri sector along the LoC in Baramulla district. Four drug peddlers were arrested after the seizure. Similar seizures of drugs and arms were made in areas along the IB in Samba, Kathua and Jammu in the past.

During an event in Jammu last week, DGP Dilbag Singh had said that money generated through narco-terrorism was channelled back to Pakistan to be used to fuel insurgency in J&K. “We are faced with a new challenge wherein drugs and weapons are smuggled from Pakistan together. While the weapons are delivered to the terrorists, the major part of the drug proceed is returned to the handlers (across the border) and the rest shared by the peddlers,” he had said.

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