Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday said that over 1,000 drug smugglers and peddlers have been arrested and more than 55 traffickers have been detained under PIT-NDPS provisions since Nasha Mukt Jammu & Kashmir Abhiyaan began on April 11 to crack down on drug traffickers and narco-terror network.
As many as 923 FIRs have also been registered against drug traffickers in the last 51 days, he said, adding 668 driving licenses have been cancelled and recommendations have been made to revoke 124 passports under the anti-drug abuse campaign.
Leading the ‘Drug-Free J&K Padyatra’ in Kulgam district in south Kashmir, Sinha, as per an official press release said that this is a people’s movement with a shared purpose to make villages and towns drug-free.
“This campaign belongs to the people. Parents, teachers, religious leaders and young volunteers have stood shoulder to shoulder with the administration. The road ahead is long. The fight against drugs will take sustained effort, constant alertness and unity. We must remain steadfast. We must encourage our young people, protect our families and strengthen our communities,” the LG said.
The LG observed that 51-days ago people of Jammu & Kashmir kindled a spark of change and with massive participation of the people that spark in Jammu & Kashmir has become a fierce flame of hope, courage and resolve.
“This campaign is striking directly at the financial backbone of terrorism. Every rupee spent on drugs fuels extremist violence, and narco-terrorists survive on that blood money. By halting the drug trade, we cut off the lifeline that sustains terror networks.
“I want people of Jammu & Kashmir to remember that this is not only a public-health struggle, but also a fight for national security. When we choke off drug smuggling, we weaken those who seek to destabilize our nation, spill the blood of innocent people of J&K, and divert our youth from the path of progress,” he said.
The LG also said that for many years Jammu & Kashmir endured attacks on the society by narco-terrorists. “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Home Minister Amit Shah, Nasha-Mukt Bharat Initiative launched in 2020 marked the turning point.
“I stand before you not only as your Lieutenant Governor but as a member of your family who shares your pain, your struggles, and your dream of a safe, empowered and drug-free Jammu & Kashmir. In 2021, I pledged a fear-free and drug-free Jammu & Kashmir so that the shadows of drugs and terror that once loomed over our youth can be banished entirely.
“I can say with confidence today that the chains that once trapped our youth in the dark web of drugs are breaking apart, link by link, day by day.
“Over the past 51 days we have carried out extensive, coordinated operations against narco-terrorists and drug traffickers. With a ‘whole-of-the-government’ approach we are dismantling networks that have become entrenched. Raids have targeted drug smugglers and drug peddlers in villages and towns, supply chains have been broken, and narco-terrorists have been exposed,” the LG said.
The press release informed that 923 FIRs have been registered against drug traffickers in the last 51 days. More than 1,000 drug smugglers and peddlers have been arrested, over 55 traffickers have been detained under PIT-NDPS provisions, 668 driving licenses have been cancelled, and recommendations have been made to revoke 124 passports.
The LG said that the fight against drugs is not limited to raids and arrests but the administration is also working on breaking the supply chain, generating public awareness and working towards dignified rehabilitation for those suffering from addiction.
“We will ensure our youth are freed from the grip of addiction, return to the mainstream of society, and become the strength that will lead Jammu & Kashmir toward a brighter tomorrow,” the LG said.
