In a major breakthrough against cross-border drug trafficking, Hiranagar police in Kathua district have busted a Pakistan-based heroin smuggling network operating through drones and arrested the fifth accused in the case. Four accused of being involved in this racket had been arrested earlier and facing prosecution for their alleged involvement in handling narcotics for sale and distribution among youth.
The arrest of this person marks a significant step in dismantling the narco-module active along the international border in Kathua district which has often been used by Pakistani terrorists to infiltrate. Official sources said that they had specific inputs and under the supervision of SSP Kathua Mohita Sharma, IPS, police arrested Siraj Din alias Saraju, son of Ali Hussain, a resident of Bishnah, Jammu. During the arrest, police seized 25 grams of heroin, a sharp-edged weapon (toka), and three pistol rounds from his possession. Incidentally, Bishnah is also a border tehsil and some Gujjar community members have become notorious because of their alleged involvement in narco trade.
The arrest is linked to FIR No. 107/25, registered after around 400 grams of heroin dropped by a drone from Pakistan was recovered earlier from village Chhann Tanda near the border. The investigation is being led by SP (Operations) of Kathua district Mukund Tibrewal, DSP Border Dheeraj Katoch and SHO Hiranagar Ashish. So far, four other accused from J&K and Punjab have already been arrested in the case, with the police recovering Rs 5 lakh in cash and 414 grams of heroin from them. The police said Siraj Din was acting as the main receiver and street-level distributor of the drugs. Following his arrest, multiple raids have been launched at his suspected locations to trace further links in the network and get hold of all those involved in this crime.
According to SSP Mohita Sharma, the Kathua district police are committed to eliminating the drug menace and will not tolerate any involvement in narco-trafficking. She appealed to the public to cooperate with police and promptly report any information related to drug smuggling. After taking over as SSP Kathua in late 2023, Mohita has focussed on preventing infiltration and drone activity in the border areas. She has also directed her attention to bovine smuggling, drug trafficking and organised crime. Mohita had earlier done a stint in the Jammu district and gathered enough information regarding these inter-district, inter-state and in fact international drug traffickers.
With this arrest, Hiranagar Police have achieved another major success in cracking the Pakistan-linked drone-dropping heroin racket, officials said, adding that strict action against drug mafias will continue in future as well. Incidentally, Mohita Sharma had become a household name when she participated in Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) and won Rs 1 crore for answering several questions posed by Amitabh Bachchan correctly.
It needs to be mentioned here that under directions from Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, the J&K Police all through 20 districts of the Union Territory (UT) have been taking several measures against the drug mafia. Attachment of properties, confiscation of vehicles, demolition of houses of those involved in drug trade are some of the steps which the UT police has been taking routinely and hardly a day goes by when such news items do not appear in local newspapers.
In the Kashmir Valley, security forces seized balloons carrying Pakistani flags close to the Line of Control (LoC) in Khadinayar area of Baramulla district. “The object was noticed by a patrolling party of the Army’s 46 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) during routine area domination. The balloons and flag were immediately were immediately seized,” officials said. In another incident of similar nature, a balloon bearing the inscription of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was found stuck atop a tree at Naugam in the Handwara area of the Kupwara district.
Such balloons and drone sightings are a regular feature in many areas close to the International Border (IB) as also LoC all through UT of J&K. Officials explained that Pakistan does this to make assessments as to which areas are comparatively less guarded, or unguarded, so that it can drop arms and drugs in these areas. However, vigilant security forces are able to foil most such attempts but drones remain a major challenge as reliable methods to neutralise all of them are not available at all points along IB and LoC.
