Huge seizure in one year indicates failure to plug smuggling routes
Jammu, Kathua, Samba remain worst hit districts
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 22: Despite tall claims of the State Police and other agencies about leaving no stone unturned to check the menace of drugs, the drug cartels are still very active in different parts of the State and continuously spreading tentacles as part of sinister design to completely ruin the young generation and escalate criminal and terror activities.
The huge seizure of all sorts of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances besides intoxicants made across the State last year clearly indicates that routes of smuggling drugs are still open and focus of all the concerned agencies is only on confiscation, which otherwise is not going to break the backbone of those indulging in war of its own kind against the State.
As per the official figures, the copy of which is available with EXCELSIOR, over 20,000 kilograms of narcotic drugs were seized by different agencies particularly Jammu and Kashmir Police from different parts of the State last year.
This includes over 248 kilograms of charas, over 19,000 kilograms of Fuki/poppy straw, 19 kilograms of brown sugar, over 21 kilograms of heroin, 500 kilograms of bhang and 119 kilograms of ganja etc. Moreover, during last year over 1.22 lakh banned pharmaceutical items were seized by the State Police from different districts of Jammu and Kashmir. This includes 84208 intoxicant capsules and 34127 syrup bottles.
As far as seizure of charas is concerned, Jammu is on the top of the list (62 kilograms) followed by Kathua (45 kilograms) and Samba (26 kilograms). Similarly, maximum seizure of poppy straw was made from Kathua (4293 kilograms) followed by Jammu (4000 kilograms) and Ramban (2827 kilograms).
The figures further reveal that out of total 119 kilograms of ganja seized by the Police from different parts of the State maximum of 92 kilograms was recovered from Jammu district only.
These figures clearly reveal that focus of the drug cartels is more on Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts as compared to other parts of the State, observers said, adding “no doubt seizure of such a large quantity of narcotic drugs is an achievement for the Jammu and Kashmir Police but at the same time it is also an indication of continuous attempts by the drug mafia to ensure delivery of maximum possible drugs to the young generation”.
As far as intoxicant capsules are concerned, out of 84208 recovered by State Police during 2018, maximum 22502 were seized in Jammu district followed by 17099 in Kathua and 9829 in Rajouri district.
The maximum seizure of intoxicant injections was made in Kulgam, at Jammu Railway Station and in other parts of Jammu district. Likewise, maximum syrup bottles were seized in Kathua (24760), Jammu (3911) and Srinagar (3099).
As per the figures, a total of 938 cases under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPSA) were registered across the State during the year 2018. Of these, maximum 266 were registered in Jammu, 56 in Kathua, 75 in Samba, 32 in Rajouri, 12 in Poonch, 75 in Udhampur, 43 in Reasi, 40 in Ramban, 13 in Doda, 4 in Kishtwar, 31 in Anantnag, 52 in Kulgam, 7 in Shopian, 21 in Pulwama, 52 in Srinagar, 20 each in Budgam and Bandipora, 40 in Baramulla, 23 in Sopore, 5 in Ganderbal, 17 in Kupwara, 10 in Handwara, three in Leh and one in Kargil.
“The sharp rise in the seizure of drugs and pharmaceutical intoxicants as compared to previous years clearly indicates that there is no let-up in the activities of drug cartels and drug peddlers are still hell bent to destroy the young generation of Jammu and Kashmir and create Punjab like situation here”, observers said.
They further said, “no doubt seizure of such a huge quantity of drugs and intoxicants by the concerned agencies is a praiseworthy step but the real success in preventing youth from falling prey to the activities of drug cartels can be achieved only when the routes of smuggling are plugged completely, which otherwise has not received the required attention till date”.
Had the smuggling routes been plugged the seizure would have not increased alarmingly, they said, adding notwithstanding such a huge seizure, the possibility of large quantity of drugs and intoxicants successfully exchanging different hands and finally reaching youngsters in the length and breadth of the State cannot be ruled out as well-knit drug cartels are working right from Lakhanpur up to Kashmir”.
“Entire police administration is aware of the fact that some narcotics are cultivated in parts of South Kashmir but till date this illegal activity has not been curbed completely”, they regretted, adding “similarly, everybody knows that Lakhanpur is the main point of bringing in pharmaceutical intoxicants to the State but no mechanism has so far been evolved to bring an end to this activity at the entry point of J&K”.
It is pertinent to mention here that Jammu and Kashmir Police, border guarding force, Customs Department and Narcotics Control Bureau have collective role to play in plugging the smuggling routes.
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