JAMMU: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), in close coordination with the Jammu & Kashmir Police and Punjab Police, has successfully traced and apprehended Aqib Bashir, a notorious drug trafficker who had fled from NCB custody in Jammu.
The arrest followed a three-day sustained search and tracking operation spanning Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab, backed by continuous intelligence gathering, real-time information sharing and coordinated field efforts by the three agencies.
According to officials, after fleeing from Jammu, Bashir initially attempted to evade the search teams by taking shelter under the cover of darkness and hiding in a forested area near Narwal Fruit Mandi. He later clean-shaved, changed his clothes and altered his appearance in an apparent attempt to conceal his identity before making his way towards Jalandhar through the Pathankot route.
In Jalandhar, the accused reportedly used his local contacts to seek shelter and avoid detection. However, sustained intelligence inputs and close coordination between the NCB teams from Jammu, Amritsar and Chandigarh and Punjab Police enabled the agencies to narrow down his location.
The joint team eventually apprehended Bashir when he was reportedly preparing to move towards Delhi or another State, officials said.
The operation highlighted the effectiveness of coordination between Central and State/UT agencies, with prompt intelligence sharing playing a crucial role in tracking the fugitive across jurisdictions. Officials also acknowledged the valuable support extended by the media fraternity in disseminating alerts and assisting efforts to locate the accused.
The successful operation underscored the importance of inter-agency cooperation, real-time intelligence exchange, sustained field operations and public cooperation in combating organised drug trafficking and ensuring that fugitives are brought to justice.
