With upsurge in incidents exposing Pakistan sponsored nexus between J&K—Punjab narco-terrorism and weapon dumping, there is need for greater synergy between the police and intelligence agencies of both border areas to tackle the mischief.

Incidents of Pakistani agencies dropping drugs, weapons and Indian currency with drones in the bordering areas of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir have increased and as such a joint strategy was necessary to meet the challenge. Drone sightings in the border areas of Punjab and J&K have increased and the BSF and police have succeeded in gunning down a couple of them.

These incidents have rung alarm bells for the security agencies as a couple of Kashmiri terrorists and their contacts have been nabbed by the police in Punjab and similarly drug traffickers of Punjab have been caught in J&K while carrying narcotics smuggled from Pakistan.

Home Minister Amit Shah holding an inter-state meeting in Chandigarh to tackle the growing narcotics trafficking is being seen as a positive step towards more cooperation between the northern states to meet the challenge. Joint strategy between the states to meet the serious challenge of narco-terrorism was lacking so far. J&K’s Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha, chief secretary Arun Kumar and DGP Dilbag Singh attended the two days meeting.

The J&K Police recently arrested here three drug traffickers of Punjab’s Amritsar, Sarvwan Singh, Malkeet Singh and Balbir Singh and recovered 12 kgs of heroin worth Rs.24 crore and Rs.11 lakh cash that was suspected to have been dropped here by a Pakistani drone.

The police had also recovered sticky bombs that were also dumped through drones in the border areas of Jammu for terrorists of various outfits. Interrogation of terrorists had revealed that the Pakistani agencies send the GPS location of the dump to terrorists.

Pakistan sponsored narco-terrorism footprints of the recently killed Kashmiri top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) Riyaz Naikoo were traced in Punjab where two of his associates were arrested while receiving an amount of Rs.29 lakhs from a resident of Amritsar.

During subsequent raids, the Punjab police recovered 1 kg of heroin and Rs.32 lakhs in cash. Two residents of Amritsar allegedly involved in the deal were also arrested. The arrest was made when the cash was being handed over to Hilal Ahmad, a close associate of Naikoo.

Naikoo was running drug trade in J&K and money earned out of it was used for fuelling terrorism. Naikoo was involved in Pakistan sponsored narco-terrorism which has nexus in J&K and Punjab. A drug peddler linked to Naikoo was arrested in Jammu in January 2018. About 532 Kgs of heroin worth Rs 2700 crore was seized while being smuggled from Attari border.

J&K Police said that Naikoo was in touch in south Kashmir with those engaged in illicit cultivation of cannabis from which high quality hashish is produced. He used to collect booty from the illicit cultivators. Couple of attempts of Kashmiri terrorists to smuggle arms and ammunition to the valley from Punjab were foiled at Kathua and the Ban toll plaza near Nagrota. The J&K Police recovered cache of sophisticated arms that were being smuggled to the valley in specially created cavities in trucks.

In another incident of narco-terrorism with J&K-Punjab nexus, Baramulla Police along with Army’s 3-Rajput and 53Bn CRPF had busted a module by arresting ten persons and recovered Arms and ammunition, 9Kg heroin and cash from their possession. Residents of Punjab’s Chadharpur in Ajnala, Angrez Singh and three from Ferozepur were also arrested alongwith local Kashmiri traffickers. A cache of arms and ammunition, including Chinese pistols and grenades was also recovered from them.

Director General of Police J&K, Dilbag Singh asked police personnel in villages along the Line of Control (LOC) in Poonch and Rajouri districts to seek people’s cooperation in the fight against narco-terrorism and infiltration of terrorists. It was pointed out that Pakistan agencies were indulging in narcotics and weapon smuggling and transportation of cash across the LoC for funding terrorist activities. Many of such consignments have been intercepted by the police and security forces deployed in the areas along the LOC in Jammu and Kashmir valley.