Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 14: With the arrest of two persons hailing from Kashmir and recovery of heroin worth Rs 20 crore, Jammu police today claimed to have busted an inter-State gang of smugglers operating in J&K and Punjab.
Talking to media-persons here today, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jammu Zone, SD Singh Jamwal said that on the basis of specific information, the police team from Jammu, assisted by SOG, laid a naka at Ban Toll Plaza near Nagrota on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway during early hours and intercepted a car bearing registration No. JK01AC/ 8515.
Two persons, including driver were traveling in this car. The police asked the driver to stop the vehicle and take it aside for checking. During checking of the vehicle , initially, the police could not find anything objectionable in it. Then they found a fabricated box created under the driver’s seat. They tried to open it with tough efforts and found high quality heroin weighing 15 kg concealed under the front seat. Both the smugglers were nabbed and brought to Jammu along with vehicle.
The consignment valuing over Rs 20 crores in the international market was seized along with the car by police. The arrested smugglers were identified as Nissar Ahmed Bhat, son of Ghulam Rasool Bhat, resident of Keri near Pattan in Baramulla and Peerzada Abdul Momin, son of Peer Mohd Ashraf, resident of Vaishpora in Handwara. A case was registered against them.
IGP further disclosed that consignment packets carried a few stamps of Pakistan made product. During sustained questioning of the arrested smugglers, it was discovered that consignment had been brought to this side of the LoC from Keran sector of North Kashmir. From there, it was brought to Kupwara by the couriers.
The Kashmir based smugglers having contacts in Punjab were smuggling this heroin consignment to Amritsar. The Jammu police then contacted Punjab Police and tried to discover the destination of the consignment. The IGP said that recovery was made purely on the basis of inputs of the J&K Police and assistance of the Punjab Police is being sought to establish the inter-state network of this gang of smugglers in Punjab. It is believed that this gang has chain in some other States as well including Mumbai and Delhi. The police is further investigation, he said.
SSP, Police Control Room Jammu, Joginder Singh and SP SOG Jammu, Vinay Sharma were also present during the conference.
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