- Says “No Mercy for Inside Officials Backing Drug Networks”
‘Dark empires built on our children’s lives will fall’
‘Anti-drug movement turns into mass uprising against narco-terror’
Srinagar3: In one of the strongest public declarations yet against narcotics and terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday said narco-terrorists and drug smugglers would be driven out from every corner of the Union Territory as a massive anti-drug movement gathers momentum across regions.
Joining the “Nasha Mukt Jammu Kashmir Padyatra” in Shopian, the Lieutenant Governor addressed a huge gathering of citizens drawn from different sections of society and said Jammu and Kashmir was witnessing the rise of a powerful grassroots movement against narcotics, terror funding and social destruction.
Declaring that the anti-drug campaign has entered a decisive phase, Sinha said voices are now rising from every street and locality demanding strict action against drug traffickers and their networks.
“What began 43 days ago in Jammu has now surged into a massive people’s movement. From every lane and by-lane, people are saying with one voice that not a single drug smuggler should be spared,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
He described the growing public participation in the campaign as the beginning of a “new era” in Jammu and Kashmir where society itself has started confronting the drug menace head-on.
The Lieutenant Governor said millions across Jammu and Kashmir are now united by a common resolve to eradicate narcotics-terrorism from the region. According to him, the issue is no longer seen as a distant law-and-order challenge but as a direct threat confronting every household.
“It is now firmly etched in the minds of people that this is not somebody else’s problem. This challenge stands at our own doorstep and must be fought with courage and determination,” he said.
In a hard-hitting attack on narcotics networks operating in Jammu and Kashmir, the Lieutenant Governor linked drug trafficking directly with terrorism and bloodshed in the region. He said proceeds generated through the narcotics trade are being used by terror groups to purchase weapons and sustain violent activities.
“The poison of drugs is pushing our youth away from the path of progress. Terror outfits use money from narcotics to buy weapons, and with those weapons the blood of innocent Kashmiris is spilled,” Sinha said.
The Lieutenant Governor issued a stern warning to anyone found connected with drug networks, including those within the system or public life, asserting that no protection would be extended to such individuals.
“Whether an official or any person in public life, if they are directly or indirectly supporting the drug network, they will face strict legal action. If even the slightest trace of this infection has entered our system, it will be cut out mercilessly without hesitation,” he said.
Sinha accused drug smugglers and narco-terrorists of building “dark empires” by destroying the lives of youth and families across Jammu and Kashmir. He said every illegal structure and financial network built through narcotics money was now being systematically dismantled by the administration.
“Thousands of smugglers and narco-terrorists built their fiefdoms by ruining our children. But now every brick of that dark empire is being pulled down,” he said.
In one of the most powerful remarks of the speech, the Lieutenant Governor said every drug sold in towns and villages should be viewed as a direct assault on society.
“Every packet of drugs sold in our villages and towns is like a bullet pressed against the chest of the people,” he said.
Referring to the growing fear among families regarding substance abuse, the Lieutenant Governor acknowledged the anxiety faced by parents across Jammu and Kashmir who worry constantly about the safety of their children.
“Wherever drug smugglers take root, their first victims are the youth. I know many parents live under this shadow of fear, worried that their family could become the next target. We must eliminate this fear completely and ensure safety for every household,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor said the administration’s anti-drug strategy is based not only on aggressive law enforcement but also on public mobilisation and community participation. He revealed that more than 7,000 women’s committees have already been formed across Jammu and Kashmir to strengthen awareness and grassroots action against drugs.
Sinha said these committees would play a crucial role in identifying addiction cases, supporting awareness drives and protecting young people from falling into the trap of narcotics.
“It is now our duty to empower these women’s committees and ensure they can work effectively at the grassroots level,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor also shared detailed figures reflecting the scale of the crackdown launched over the past 43 days. According to him, police have registered 797 FIRs and arrested 894 drug smugglers and peddlers during the campaign.
Fifty-nine traffickers have been booked under the stringent PIT-NDPS Act, while authorities have demolished 81 illegal structures and “narcotic palaces” allegedly built using black money generated through drug trafficking.
In addition, 101 immovable properties connected to narcotics networks have been attached and seized, while several other assets worth crores have also been targeted by investigating agencies.
The crackdown has expanded beyond peddlers and traffickers to include transport and financial networks linked to narcotics trade. The Lieutenant Governor said 457 driving licences have been suspended during the campaign, while recommendations have been made for cancellation of passports of 22 smugglers.
He further disclosed that registration of 606 vehicles connected to narcotics activities is also being cancelled.
The administration has simultaneously tightened monitoring of medical stores and pharmaceutical supply chains to curb misuse of prescription drugs and psychotropic substances. According to Sinha, around 5,641 drug stores were inspected during the campaign.
Licences of 268 medical stores were suspended or cancelled over violations, while FIRs were registered against six shops allegedly involved in illegal activities linked to narcotics distribution.
Large quantities of drugs and psychotropic substances have also been seized during raids conducted across districts.
The Lieutenant Governor said the administration’s objective is to completely dismantle the narcotics ecosystem operating in Jammu and Kashmir and ensure that traffickers lose both their financial networks and operational support structures.
At the same time, Sinha stressed that rehabilitation of addicts remains a critical part of the government’s strategy. He said a comprehensive rehabilitation policy is currently being prepared to provide long-term support for recovering addicts.
“Our aim is not only to free addicted youth through de-addiction programmes but also to reintegrate them into the mainstream through employment and livelihood opportunities,” he said.
