KATHUA: Jammu and Kashmir Police have busted an alleged inter-state narcotics smuggling network in Kathua district with the arrest of four persons and the recovery of 2.672 kg of opium, officials said on Monday.
Acting on specific intelligence regarding the movement of narcotics, a team from Lakhanpur Police Station established a checkpoint on the bypass road near Shamshaan Ghat and intercepted a truck. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 1.026 kg of opium and the arrest of truck driver Gurvinder Singh and his associate Sukhdev Singh, both residents of Tarn Taran district in Punjab.
During questioning, Sukhdev allegedly told investigators that the consignment had originated in Gujarat and was handed over to him in Rajasthan by an unidentified handler for delivery to a receiver in Punjab.
Following the disclosure, a police team conducted a raid in Nakki village of Pathankot and traced the alleged intended receiver, Rakesh Kumar. Police subsequently found that the drug consignment had been concealed at the residence of Rakesh’s neighbour, Ajay Kumar.
A search of the premises led to the recovery of the remaining contraband, taking the total quantity of opium seized in the operation to 2.672 kg. Rakesh Kumar and Ajay Kumar were subsequently arrested, officials said.
A case under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act has been registered at Lakhanpur Police Station, with further investigation underway to establish the forward and backward linkages of the alleged inter-state drug network.
The operation was carried out under the overall supervision of Kathua SSP Mohita Sharma. The police team was led by the SHO Lakhanpur and operated under the supervision of senior officers.
Police said the investigation will focus on identifying other persons involved in the network, including the unidentified handler and the wider supply and distribution chain.
