In a first, women soldiers deployed to check narcotic, ammo trade in remote villages of Kashmir

Srinagar: Amid increasing reports of narcotic and ammunition trade taking places near the villages close to Line of Control in Kashmir, for the first time, women soldiers have been deployed in selected forward areas of the Valley to keep a watch on suspects and to plug the entry of narcotics and ammunition into this side. The women soldiers will be doing intensified frisking of the “women suspects”, who according to the security forces are acting as carriers for militants for transporting narcotics and ammunition.
The three border districts of Kashmir that include, Kupwara, Baramulla and Bandipora in the ensuring year have witnessed busting of series of narco modules prompting the security of Kashmir to change the strategy to prevent the trend.
Talking to media persons, GoC 28 Division, ADS Ahuja said that with the deployment of riflewomen in assigned areas, the illicit smuggling will be checked and women used as couriers by the militants will be frisked.
He said that it was for the first time that army’s women component has arrived from Assam riffles. “They have been deployed at various places,” he said.
The women soldiers have been deployed in the areas where militancy and smuggling cases have shown an upward trend. “The special purpose of the deployment is to check the ladies who are being used by militants in connection with trade of narcotics and arms and ammunition in these areas”, GOC ADS Ahuja said.
He said they are hopeful that with the deployment of women soldiers, the trade of narcotics and arms and ammunition will be curbed. “The women suspects, who act as carriers will now be frisked properly, which we were not able to do properly earlier,” the army officer said.
Earlier, last week a teacher was among two arrested at Sadhna top in Kupwara district along with huge amount of illicit narcotics smuggled from Pakistan along with arms and ammunition worth 50 crore in international market