Srinagar: The Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police (DGP) has congratulated the police personnel for foiling an attempt to smuggle in narcotic drugs from Pakistan administrated Kashmir (PaK) through cross-Line of Control (LoC) trade.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also started probe into alleged transfer of cross-LoC trade funds for terror purposes in Jammu and Kashmir, where militancy and stone pelting incidents have witnessed surge during the past four months.
This was the third time that attempts to smuggle in narcotic drugs from POK into Kashmir under the grab of cross-LoC trade was foiled in the last about 4 years.
Early last year, police foiled an attempt to smuggle in arms and ammunition from PaK.
Taking to micro-blogging site twitter, DGP Dr S P Vaid said “Well done! @BaramullaPolice”.
A police spokesman said last night that acting on a specific information about the transportation of narcotic drugs from POK to this side by means of cros- LoC trade, a police team during checking at Trade Facilitation Centre (TRC) Salamabad, Uri in Baramulla recovered 66.5 kgs of narcotic drugs which appear to be heroine from a Truck bearing registration number XA-267.
The drugs were hidden in fake cavities specifically fabricated for this purpose in boxes purportedly to contain mercantile goods. The Truck driver identified as Syed Yousuf son of Ali Akbar has been taken into custody.
Baramulla police has registered a case FIR number 54/2017 under section 29 NDPS Act and further investigation has been taken up.
Meanwhile, the NIA grilled a number of separatist leaders, including Nayeem Ahmad Khan, chief of National Front (NF), who had allegedly admitted during a sting-operation by a national news channel that they (separatists) were receiving funds from PaK and Pakistan for financing militancy and stone pelting.
During the course of investigation, the NIA has reportedly found some companies doing business through cross-LoC trade transferring funds to militancy purpose in the J&K.
About 300 companies and traders are engaged in cross-LoC trade since 2008 after India and Pakistan agreed to resume the trading activities since 1947.
The agency suspects that several crores of rupees were handed over to Over Ground Workers (OGWs) of militant groups and separatists to allegedly fuel the massive protests and violence in the Valley following the killing of the Burhan Wani of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) in July 2016. However, the separatists have denied the allegations.
In March this year security forces and police intercepted a truck coming from PaK and recovered arms and ammunition. The driver of the truck Irshad Ahmad Mantoo, a resident of south Kashmir Kulgam was arrested after the arms consignment was recovered from his truck at Sheeri in Baramulla.
He had received the consignment from a militant operative in POK and had hidden it in a cavity in his truck that was bringing in merchandise from across the border.
