Police tighten noose around drug traffickers

Srinagar, Nov 5: Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir Zone, Sujit Kumar, on Thursday said police have intensified crackdown on drug trafficking and its financial networks, with 1,941 persons arrested and properties worth approximately Rs 154 crore attached across Kashmir Zone during the first 10 months of 2026.
Addressing a press conference at Police Control Room here, IGP Kumar, said tackling the drug menace, cybercrime and traffic violations require coordinated efforts, particularly the active participation of youngsters and civil society.
It’s in place to mention here that Police have registered 1,651 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between January 1 and October 31 this year, with 1,711.32 kilograms of contraband seized and cash worth around Rs 1.10 crore recovered.
The Police data reveals that 567 bank accounts linked to NDPS cases were frozen, involving approximately Rs 1.71 crore.
Police have also destroyed illicit crops spread over 2,116.3 kanals, registered 260 FIRs related to illegal cultivation and arrested 284 persons.
As part of the disposal of seized narcotics under Section 52-A of the NDPS Act, police destroyed 4,355.74 kilograms of contraband, besides 4,808 bottles of codeine phosphate, 20,163 tablets and capsules, and 482 litres of liquor.
On cybercrime, IGP Kumar cautioned youngsters against becoming part of organised online fraud networks, particularly those using mule bank accounts to facilitate fraudulent transactions.
He said cheating people of their hard-earned money is unacceptable and appealed to youngsters to stay away from such activities.
The police data shows that 12,385 financial fraud complaints involving Rs 54.66 crore were received during the 10-month period.
Rs 7.48 crore, accounting for 13.68 per cent, was recovered or saved through police intervention. Police also registered 93 FIRs, including seven cases involving mule bank accounts.
IGP Kumar also expressed concern over rash driving, reckless biking, speeding and modified motorcycles, saying such violations endangered the lives of drivers, pedestrians and other road users.
He urged youngsters to follow traffic rules, avoid using mobile phones while driving and refrain from creating noise and inconvenience through loud motorcycles during night hours.
During daytime enforcement between September 1 and October 31, police checked 15,47,890 vehicles and 7,65,851 persons. A total of 17,702 vehicles were seized, while 989 persons were arrested or bound down, including 211 bound down.
During the daytime drive, police recovered cash amounting to Rs 7,27,790 (Rs 7.28 lakh) alongside narcotics, which included 13.76 kilograms of charas, 262.5 grams of heroin, 103.51 kilograms of cannabis, 39.65 kilograms of ganja, 17.06 kilograms of bhung, 680 grams of brown sugar and 5.29 kilograms of poppy straw.
Night enforcement was also intensified across districts between October 17 and November 4 (1800 hrs to 0600 hrs). During this night drive, police checked 2,67,214 vehicles and seized 2,211 vehicles, besides impounding 80 outside-registered vehicles.
Legal action was taken against 2,275 instances of helmetless riding, 590 cases of rash driving, 545 instances of triple riding, and 15 pressure-horn related violations. Police also seized 10 pressure horns and recorded 1,480 other enforcement actions.
IGP Kumar urged youngsters recovering from drug addiction to share their experiences through awareness videos, saying their stories could motivate others to stay away from substance abuse.
He assured that those approaching police for assistance or sharing information about drug peddling would have their identities protected, adding that police would facilitate their rehabilitation. The IGP said collective participation of youngsters, families, and civil society was essential to address these challenges and build a responsible society. (KNO)