Ganderbal Police Recover Cocaine Worth Over ₹10 Crore; Two Drug Peddlers Held

Aqzar Raheel

Ganderbal Dec 17 :In a major crackdown on organised drug trafficking, Jammu and Kashmir Police in Ganderbal have recovered cocaine worth over ₹10 crore in the international illicit market and arrested two alleged drug peddlers in connection with the case, officials said on Wednesday.

Police said the operation was part of a focused drive targeting the procurement and sale of high-value narcotic substances such as cocaine and heroin in the district.

During a special naka checking operation conducted on December 8, Ganderbal Police apprehended one accused, identified as Mohd Irfan Bhat, son of Ghulam Nabi Bhat, a resident of Kharbagh Wakura, Ganderbal. Following his arrest, FIR No. 200/2025 under relevant sections of the NDPS Act was registered at Police Station Ganderbal.

Considering the seriousness of the offence and the suspected wider network involved, SSP Ganderbal Khalil Ahmad Poswal (JKPS) constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the supervision of Additional SP Ganderbal Owaise Loun (JKPS) to trace both forward and backward linkages of the drug racket.

Police said sustained investigation and searches conducted at multiple locations, including Sumbal, Shadipora, Zakura and other suspected hideouts, led to the identification and detention of another alleged drug peddler, Maqsood Hussain Khan, son of Abdul Majeed Khan, a resident of Hazratbal, Srinagar, presently staying at Gooripora, Sanat Nagar.

During a search conducted at his rented accommodation in Sanat Nagar on the intervening night of December 16 and 17, police recovered two packets of a cocaine-like substance weighing approximately one kilogram, valued at over ₹10 crore in the international market. A vehicle, mobile phones and other electronic gadgets were also seized during the operation.

Police said further investigation is underway to ascertain the source of the narcotics and to identify inter-state and international links of the drug syndicate. More arrests and recoveries are expected in the coming days.