Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, May 24: In a major crack down on the persons indulging in drug menace in Rajouri area, the district police chief, Yougal Manhas (SSP) taking a strong note of the public complaints, arrested 23 drug peddlers and lodged them in District Jail.
Those arrested are by police today included, Ajay Sharma, son of Bhola Ram Sharma, resident of Thuddi Rajouri; Shakoor Ahmed son of Abdul Ghani from Ward No.10 Rajouri.
Waqar Ahmed, son of Manzoor Hussain from Chandimarh Poonch; Munish Kumar, son of Romesh Kumar from Rajouri; Raju Sharma, son of Mohinder Lal from Dassal Rajouri; Mannu Dayal, son of Sanjay Dayal from W No 9 Rajouri; Nahid Choudhary, son of Mohd Shafi from Pir Kanju; Imtiaz Ahmed, son of Abdul Qayoom from W No.9 Rajouri; Nassir Ahmed, son of Abdul Rehman from W No.8 Rajouri; Mohd Tanvir Manhas, son of Abdul Qayoom from Pir Kanju; Mukhtiar Ahmed, son of Mohd Younis from W.No.4 Rajouri; Mohd Riaz, son of Mohd Rafiq, resident of Old Hospital area Rajouri; Karamat Hussain, son of Mohd Din from W.No. 2 Gujjar Mandi Rajouri;
Mohd Shabir, son of Said Mohd from WNo.2 Gujjar Mandi, Rajouri; Abid Hussain, son of Mohd Shabir from Chandimarh at present Bela Colony, Rajorui; Javed Bhat, son of Mohd Maqbool Bhat from W.No.10 Rajouri; Mohd Shakeel, son of Mohd Latief from DC Colony, Rajouri; Sachin Abrol alias Sunny, son of Surrinder Abrol, resident of Shima Crossing, Rajouri; Mohd Sahil, son of Mohd Amin from Bela Colony Rajouri;
Basharat Hussain, son of Mohd Sayeed, resident of Khandli Rajouri; Sham Lal, son of Sant Ram from W.No.4 Rajouri; Shafqat Ali, son of Abdul Aziz, resident of W No.1 Kheora Rajouri and Mohd Hafiz, son of Mohd Yousaf, resident of Atti, Rajouri.
They all have been lodged in District Jail, Dangri near Rajouri for a period of one month under the orders of Executive Magistrate, Ist Class, Rajouri.
The menace of drugs has taken four lives in district Rajouri in the recent past. Teenagers are being adduced towards consumption of drugs by the drug peddlers who are hell-bent to make fortunes from this illegal trade.
Rajouri Police has intensified the drive and registered 17 cases under NDPS Act in various parts of the district in which 24 persons were arrested besides recovery of banned drugs during the current year.
Drugs being used vary from conventional medicines like pain killers, cough syrup to banned narcotics like opium, brown sugar, Ganja etc. The alarming trend amongst the youths towards use of drugs has been seen in the town more particularly and civil society members time and again have been raising this issue before the District Administration to control this menace.
Arrests were made by Police team of P/S Rajouri led by Jaswant Singh, Dy.SP Hqrs Rajouri and Mohd Yousuf, ASP Hqrs Rajouri under the supervision of Yougal Manhas, SSP Rajouri.