Baramulla, Dec 2: In yet another successful operation against narcotic smuggling and narco-terrorism, the Baramulla police along with the army recovered a huge quantity of heroin worth rupees 25 crores in the international market besides arms and ammunition in the Uri area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Friday.
A police spokesperson said that during a successful operation in Kamalkote village of Uri, J&K police along with the army’s 8 Rashtriya Rifles during a search operation in the Kamalkote village seized 10 packets of heroin besides arms and ammunition including 2 AK 47 rifles, 2 pistols besides 117 rounds of AK 47.
The senior superintendent of police Baramulla, Rayees Muhammad said that the seized narcotics are this year’s biggest haul seized by the police and security forces.
“The seizure of narcotics besides arms and ammunition is testimony that attempts from across the border are continuing to spread terror and involve youths in the drug menace. The security grid however along the line of control is tight enough to thwart such attempts,” said SSP Baramulla.
Narcotic smuggling has emerged as a major challenge for law enforcement agencies across Jammu and Kashmir. As north Kashmir shares the border with its neighboring country, maximum seizure of narcotics has been reported from north Kashmir, especially from the Baramulla district.
As per data available, the Jammu and Kashmir police in the last three years have been successful in seizing around 117 kg of contraband substances including cocaine, heroin, and brown sugar in the Baramulla district alone.
A total of 227 cases have been registered in connection with the seizure of drugs and 151 challans produced.
A total of 232 persons have been prosecuted during this period while the authorities also detained five persons under the Public Safety Act (PSA). Police said that in 2020, authorities seized 6 kg cocaine, over 1 kg heroin, and 6 kg charas while in 2021, it seized over 43 kg heroin, 252 gm brown sugar, and around 10 kg charas, and in the current year, 31 kg of heroin and 2.5 kg of brown sugar has been seized.
Earlier a spokesperson of Jammu and Kashmir police on Friday said that based on reliable information, the Jammu and Kashmir police along with the army’s 8 Rashtriya Rifles encircled the Kamalkote village in Uri and started a search operation.
He said during the search operation 10 packets of heroin besides 2 AK 47 rifles, 2 pistols, and 117 AK rounds were recovered. “It is a huge success for both police and security forces,” said the police spokesperson.