J-K: NCB Srinagar busts major poppy straw smuggling network in south Kashmir, two arrested

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 13 (ANI): The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) of Srinagar Zone has uncovered a major drug smuggling racket in south Kashmir, along with the arrest of two individuals including a former militant and the seizure of 39 kilograms of poppy straw, as per an official statement.
According to officials, the operation was launched based on specific intelligence inputs and carried out in the Bijbehara area of Anantnag district on July 8 and 9.
The two arrested individuals have been identified as Shabir, a resident of Nowshera in Srigufwara, and Amin, a resident of Kanelwan in Bijbehara.
During the initial raid, NCB teams recovered approximately 28 kilograms of poppy straw. Further questioning led to the recovery of an additional 11 kilograms from the residence of Shabir on July 9. Investigations revealed that Shabir is a former member of the banned outfit Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) and had been arrested earlier in 1996 on charge of terror-related activities, before he was released in 2004.
Amin, the second accused, also has a history of involvement in narcotics-related crimes. He was previously booked in two NDPS cases: one in 2017 at Police Station Indaura in Himachal Pradesh, and another in Anantnag's Srigufwara area involving the seizure of 523 kilograms of poppy straw. He is currently out on bail in both cases.
NCB officials said that preliminary findings point to a well-organised narcotics network that sources contraband from local poppy cultivators and transports it across states using illegal routes.
Efforts are underway to trace both backwards and forward linkages of the syndicate to dismantle the broader network involved.
NCB remains committed to disrupting the drug trade and associated activities, protecting the youth from its harmful impact, and finding and ensuring stronger inter-agency coordination across the Union Territory. (ANI)