NCB busts two heroin smuggling routes into J-K; seizes 6.92 kg

Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], September 5 (ANI): The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Jammu Zonal Unit has uncovered two separate routes being used to smuggle heroin into Jammu and Kashmir, with four interceptions in the Jammu Division and a linked operation in Punjab leading to the seizure of 6.920 kg of heroin.
According to the NCB, the supply routes included direct smuggling from Pakistan through the Uri sector and an indirect route through Punjab. The agency said two of the operations were carried out inside drug-affected bastis in the Jammu-Samba belt.
In the latest operation on September 3, NCB officials intercepted a passenger bus near New Bus Stand in Samba and recovered 522 grams of heroin from a resident of Kakapora in Pulwama district.
Following the seizure, the agency traced the backward linkage of the consignment to Ludhiana in Punjab, where a follow-up operation led to the recovery of another 197 grams of heroin.
The linked Samba-Ludhiana operation has so far resulted in the seizure of 719 grams of heroin, with further investigation underway to identify other persons involved in the supply and distribution network, NCB said.
Earlier, the NCB had seized 5.160 kg of heroin in Jammu, with the investigation indicating that the consignment originated from Pakistan and entered Jammu and Kashmir through the Uri sector. The agency pursued the trail up to Leh, where the alleged supplier was apprehended.
The NCB said the investigations have exposed two separate supply channels feeding heroin into the region, one through the Pakistan border and another through the Punjab-Jammu and Kashmir corridor.
As part of the crackdown, the agency also conducted two operations in drug-affected bastis in the Jammu-Samba belt, recovering 438 grams and 603 grams of heroin.
The NCB said its focus remains on dismantling entire trafficking networks by tracing the source of consignments, intended recipients and financial links. Further investigation is underway to identify suppliers, financiers and other associates involved in the networks.
The agency has appealed to the public to share information related to narcotics trafficking through the MANAS National Narcotics Helpline at 1933, assuring confidentiality of informants. (ANI)