Kupwara Police bust South-North drug route, woman drug kingpin among 3 held

Srinagar, Apr 17: In a major crackdown against drug trafficking, Kupwara Police on Thursday arrested three drug smugglers including a woman drug kingpin from South Kashmir and recovered 1.71 kilograms of contraband from their possession.
Addressing a press conference, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kupwara, Ghulam Jeelani, said that the arrests were made last night when a police party intercepted a suspicious vehicle.
“Upon search, three individuals — including a woman identified as Haseena Begum — were apprehended with a significant quantity of narcotics,” he said.
“Haseena Begum is a known drug smuggler with multiple FIRs registered against her across the Valley, including in North Kashmir. She has been actively involved in trafficking contraband from South to North Kashmir,” the SSP said.
An FIR has been registered against all three accused, and the vehicle used in the smuggling has also been seized, SSP Jeelani said, adding that further investigations are underway to uncover the broader network involved in the trade.
The SSP also disclosed that the woman kingpin’s brother is a government employee. “We are writing to the Director of CAPD to initiate strict departmental action against him,” he said.
To strengthen vigilance, especially in border areas like Tangdhar, the SSP announced the deployment of women personnel from BSF and local police to check female suspects. “Some female traffickers misuse their identity and circumstances to bypass security. That will no longer be tolerated,” he asserted.
Referring to certain absconders involved in previous drug cases in Tangdhar, SSP Jeelani issued a stern warning: “Your properties will be attached. There will be no escape from the law.”
He also said that anyone involved in drug trade will face strict legal consequences, including the attachment of properties. (KNO)