Tauseef Ahmad
Srinagar, June 5: More than 1,100 alleged drug smugglers have been arrested and over 1,000 FIRs registered across Jammu and Kashmir during the last 55 days as authorities intensified their crackdown on narcotics and narco-terror networks, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Friday.
Addressing a gathering after participating in the ‘Drug-Free J&K’ march in Ganderbal, Sinha said the anti-drug campaign has evolved into a mass movement across the Kashmir Valley, with citizens increasingly joining efforts to eliminate the menace of narcotics.
According to official figures shared by the Lieutenant Governor, law enforcement agencies have registered 1,036 FIRs and arrested 1,128 drug smugglers during the past 55 days. Authorities have also attached more than 100 properties linked to alleged drug traffickers as part of measures aimed at dismantling the financial networks supporting the illegal trade.
In addition, nearly 700 driving licences of individuals involved in drug-related activities have been cancelled, while recommendations have been forwarded for the cancellation of 130 passports of alleged drug smugglers.
Sinha said the administration is pursuing a multi-pronged strategy against the drug menace, targeting not only traffickers but also the economic infrastructure that enables narcotics networks to operate. He emphasized that narco-terrorism poses a serious threat to society and security and requires collective action from law enforcement agencies and the public.
The Lieutenant Governor, who joined the march alongside local residents, officials and youth participants in Ganderbal, said similar anti-drug campaigns have been held across all districts of the Kashmir Valley.
The administration has repeatedly maintained that its campaign against narcotics will continue with intensified enforcement, public awareness initiatives and strict action against individuals involved in drug trafficking and related criminal activities.
