There is no exact survey to analyse how many drug addicts are there in totality in Jammu and Kashmir but going by the daily newspaper reports it’s quite evident that drug abuse has penetrated deeply into Jammu and Kashmir also like neighbouring Punjab, and this is seriously alarming situation for everyone. With each passing day this drug addiction is spreading its fangs deep into society specifically targeting youth. Seizure after seizure of such wide variety of drugs in different districts raises many eyebrows and requires thorough investigation. Cross border trade after 2002 has just acted as catalyst to this illegal but hugely profitable business of death among society. Jammu and Kashmir with more than a thousand kilometers of border with Pakistan has turned out to be diamond gate for narcotics smuggling. In India main source of drug trafficking is Golden Crescent of Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan , brought to India via all three routes of land, air and sea, the recent seizures of huge supply of drugs at Kandla Port, Mudra Port and at sea waters of Gujarat means serious review of strategy to counter this narcotics terrorism leashed on us. Though sizeable seizures had been made but the seized drugs are just a small percentage only. Jammu and Kashmir which has been facing more than three decades of terrorism onslaught is now grueling with narco abuse. Though the terrorism has been brought under control but it seems narcotics smuggling and use is spiraling out of control. The use of drones for narcotics smuggling across the entire IB/LoC of Jammu Division is another factor to worry . More serious is the fact that so many cops are involved in this trade of death. It is obvious that without involvement of insiders narcotics smuggling is impossible, case after case involvement of police officials is matter of serious introspection, where and what went wrong? Are our training methods not enough to make police personnel aware what is right and what is wrong? It seems the low conviction rate is having cascading effect on the morale of these black sheep among our police force. Involvement of SPOs is another serious issue, if a fence itself starts eating the grass then who will guard the field? Questions are serious as this money is ultimately used in terrorism itself. No money for terror is not just a slogan but sure shot treatment for incurable disease of terrorism as such every effort should be made to plug this easily available money trail. Special drives have to be launched in all the border districts to make people aware of this menace and request to share any information regarding drug abuse and assure them secrecy of their identity. With the terrorism very much under control now focus has to be on other issues especially drugs smuggling, CID has to be strengthened, officers with impeccable records to be put in charge of strategic police stations from smuggling point of view and any official under suspicion should be immediately taken to task. It is easy to point finger but the way drug abuse is spreading in our society one thing is clear, something is seriously wrong with our strategy to deal with this game of death. Stringent laws are there, many have been detained under PSA but poor conviction record gives enough encouragement and motivation to the culprits. There has been enough pressure from other agencies like CBI and NIA in choking the terror funding as such Jammu and Kashmir Police must plug all the loopholes to counter this threat now. Time is running out, some out of box thinking has to be put in place, before it is too late.
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