Jammu: Jammu Police arrested another accused in a cross-border narcotics and arms syndicate, taking the total number of arrests in the case to seven, officials said on Friday.
Police had earlier busted the racket on December 5 last year by arresting six persons and recovering nearly five kilograms of heroin, estimated to be worth around Rs 30 crore, along with three pistols.
The latest arrest was made on Thursday under “Operation Sanjeevani”, a sustained crackdown against narco-terror networks.
“The accused, identified as Rohit Kumar alias Makhan, a resident of R S Pura in Jammu, was apprehended by a Special Investigation Team (SIT),” officials said.
Acting on disclosures made during the investigation, the SIT conducted a search at the residence of one of the accused at Raiyan Kotliyan, leading to the recovery of a Px5 Storm Beretta pistol (.30 bore), one magazine and three live rounds, they added.
The case pertains to a high-profile syndicate busted by police involving an inter-district, inter-state and cross-border narcotics and arms syndicate following a deep, sustained and professional investigation.
The case came to light after two persons were apprehended during routine patrolling. The subsequent investigation unearthed an inter-district, inter-state and cross-border narco-terror module, they said.
So far, police have arrested seven accused, including drug peddlers, financial handlers and jail-based facilitators, and effected recoveries of about 4.95 kg of heroin-like substance, four pistols, live ammunition and a modified vehicle, revealing cross-border linkages, officials said.
The recovered arms and ammunition have been seized in the case, and the accused is currently in police custody.
Further interrogation is underway to ascertain his exact role, as well as backward and forward linkages and arms supply routes, they said.
Police said efforts are being intensified to identify and apprehend the remaining associates, trace financial and logistical channels and establish the complete cross-border and inter-state network.
Search operation underway in Samba
Security forces on Friday launched a search operation in Samba district following suspicious movement, officials said.
The search operation was launched after locals reported a suspicious-looking individual with a weapon in the Katli area, they said.
A joint team of the Special Operations Group (SOG), police and CRPF also launched a search-and-combing operation in forest areas of Sidhra on the outskirts of the city, they said.
The Army and police also carried out a joint checking campaign in the Meera Sahib border area of Jammu, they said.
“The operation continued throughout the night, with security personnel checking every vehicle passing through the area. The campaign comes amid ongoing anti-terror operations in Jammu division, with overall security stepped up,” they said.
The measures are part of overall security preparedness to ensure peaceful Republic Day functions.
‘Nano drone’ recovered in Jammu border area
Security forces have recovered a suspected “nano drone” which was found lying in a border area of Jammu district, officials said on Friday.
The recovery was made on Thursday night from the border area of Chakroi in R S Pura, on the information provided by a local resident, they said.
An investigation has been launched in this regard, officials added.
