SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Police have registered 1,651 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and arrested 1,941 persons involved in drug trafficking across Kashmir this year, while properties worth ₹154 crore belonging to drug peddlers have been attached or forfeited, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir Zone, Sujit Kumar said on Thursday.
Addressing a press conference at Police Control Room (PCR) Kashmir, the IGP said police had seized 1,711 kg of contraband and recovered ₹1.10 crore in cash, including cash seized during the recent busting of a drug racket in downtown Srinagar. He said 567 bank accounts containing ₹1.71 crore had also been frozen, while illicit drug-yielding crops spread over 2,116 kanals had been destroyed across Kashmir.
Kumar said proceeds from narcotics trafficking were being channelled into terrorist networks, including through their overground workers. He said drug kingpins operating within Kashmir and across the border were distributing earnings from the trade to their networks, although it was difficult to establish the exact amount being diverted.
He said narcotics entering Kashmir originated both from across the border and from other states, with investigations pointing to multiple supply routes.
Referring to the recent drug racket busted in downtown Srinagar, the IGP said police were pursuing its wider network, including links outside Jammu and Kashmir. Teams had been sent to Chandigarh and other states to trace those involved. He said the racket had reportedly led to recoveries worth around ₹7 crore and several arrests, adding that investigators were working to establish its forward and backward linkages.
Sharing details of action against cybercrime, Kumar said police had received 12,385 complaints involving ₹54.66 crore during the current year. Through timely intervention and coordinated efforts, ₹7.48 crore had been recovered or saved. He added that 93 FIRs had been registered, including seven cases related to mule accounts.
He said a substantial portion of the remaining amount had been frozen or placed under lien in bank accounts pending legal procedures, while some funds could neither be traced nor blocked. The IGP urged victims to report cyber fraud immediately through the national cybercrime helpline 1930, explaining that prompt complaints could help authorities and banks freeze suspicious transactions and facilitate recovery through the legal process.
Expressing concern over the growing involvement of local youth in cybercrime, Kumar said investigations had revealed cases in which young people based in Kashmir were operating fraudulent networks targeting victims both within and outside the region. Citing a case detected in Ganderbal, he said investigators had uncovered a cyber fraud operation with alleged Chinese links being run by a Srinagar-based youth.
He warned young people against allowing their bank accounts to be used by fraudsters, saying involvement in mule-account operations could expose them to criminal prosecution.
On the security situation, the IGP said one local terrorist was active in Kashmir and was being supported by a few foreign terrorists. He said the local terrorist had been linked to attacks in Anantnag and Kulgam, while security forces were continuing efforts to track the group. He cautioned against giving a fixed number of active terrorists, saying their movements made such estimates difficult.
On recent infiltration attempts, Kumar said he did not have verified figures to share. Referring to the recent encounter in the high-altitude areas adjoining Budgam and Poonch, he said terrorists had been operating in difficult mountainous terrain and that sustained domination of these areas by security forces, including specialised units, had contributed to successful operations. He declined to disclose operational details concerning the communication technologies used by terrorists, saying these were under surveillance.
The IGP also expressed concern over traffic violations, particularly triple riding, rash driving, stunt biking and the use of modified motorcycle exhausts. He said police had stepped up enforcement during both daytime and nighttime, warning that dangerous driving endangered motorists, pedestrians and other road users.
He urged motorists to avoid using mobile phones while driving, follow traffic rules and refrain from illegal parking and unsafe road crossings. Kumar said excessively loud motorcycle exhausts disturbed elderly people, patients and residents, particularly at night.
Citing a recent case, he said Srinagar Police had traced a 20-year-old first-year BSc student who had uploaded a video of himself performing motorcycle stunts on Foreshore Road. The student was counselled by police and later used his social media platform to appeal to other young people against stunt biking and rash driving.
Kumar encouraged youth to use social media to promote responsible behaviour and discourage drug abuse and dangerous driving rather than glorify such activities.
The IGP also cautioned people against individuals promising government jobs by claiming personal connections with senior police or civil administration officers. He said photographs taken with officials did not imply their endorsement or support for the activities of those individuals.
Maintaining that government jobs were awarded on merit, he warned that action would be taken against anyone found involved in fraudulent recruitment activities, irrespective of their claimed influence or associations.
Kumar appealed to young people struggling with substance abuse to approach any police station or seek assistance through rehabilitation facilities, assuring them that their identity and privacy would be protected. He said the Police Drug Rehabilitation Centre was providing treatment at minimal cost, with patients required to bear only expenses relating to food and medicines, where applicable.
The IGP said the purpose of the press conference was not merely to highlight arrests and recoveries but also to encourage young people to distance themselves from drugs, cybercrime and reckless driving. He called upon parents, community elders, educational institutions, civil society members and rehabilitated individuals to support police efforts, spread awareness and guide youth towards responsible conduct.
Kumar was accompanied by all three range Deputy Inspectors General of Police of Kashmir Zone and other senior officers.
Nine drug peddlers arrested in multiple operations across Kashmir
Police recover heroin-like substance, charas and ganja in five districts
SRINAGAR, November 5: Police arrested nine suspected drug peddlers, including a woman, in multiple operations across Kulgam, Anantnag, Baramulla, Kupwara and Pulwama districts on Thursday, recovering heroin-like substance, charas and ganja.
In Kulgam, police apprehended three persons, including a husband-wife duo, after recovering around 7 grams of a heroin-like substance from a vehicle during naka checking near the North Portal of Navyug Tunnel on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.
The vehicle, bearing registration number PB-01-B-2046, was travelling from Jammu towards Srinagar when it was stopped for checking. The occupants were identified as Mehreen alias Anna Aaqib Ganai, Aaqib Shafi Ganai and Zubair Ahmad Sofi, all residents of Srinagar.
In Anantnag, police arrested four persons in separate operations in Mattan, Semthan, Rangkadal and Nandpora, recovering around 11 kg of grinded charas powder, 500 grams of ganja, 10 grams of charas and 350 grams of charas.
The accused were identified as Zakir Hussain Khan of Satrimaidan, Gopalpora; Fayaz Ahmad Sheikh of Semthan; Shabir Ahmad Shah of Halwani, Panchalpora; and Bilal Ahmad Sheikh of Zadipora.
In Baramulla, Police Station Pattan arrested Mohd Jaffar Lone of Khaipora Payeen, Tangmarg, during naka checking at Gudwani and recovered 36 grams of a charas-like substance concealed inside a Corn Flakes packet. Police also seized the scooty he was riding after he allegedly attempted to flee.
In Kupwara, Police Station Sogam arrested Ab Rehman Najar of Chandigam during naka checking and recovered around 1.016 kg of a charas powder-like substance. A case under FIR No. 50/2026 has been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
In Pulwama, police arrested Ashiq Ahmad Dar of Tenghar and recovered a suspected charas-like substance from his possession. A case under FIR No. 227/2026 has been registered at Police Station Pulwama under the NDPS Act.
Police said investigations were underway to establish the source of the recovered substances and identify possible links in the drug networks.
