Jammu and Kashmir police and administration officials have launched a large-scale anti-drug operation resulting in 850 arrests [3].
This crackdown is part of a broader strategic effort to dismantle the financial and logistical networks of narco-terrorism. By targeting the supply chain of narcotics, authorities aim to weaken the funding mechanisms used to fuel instability in the region.
The operation, conducted under the ‘Nasha Mukt Jammu and Kashmir Abhiyaan’ campaign, involved the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) [1, 5]. The joint effort focused heavily on the Kashmir Valley, specifically targeting the districts of Pulwama, Baramulla, Handwara, and Anantnag [4, 6].
Law enforcement officials said that 766 first information reports (FIRs) were registered during the drive [3]. The seizures include approximately 670 kg of narcotics [2].
Reports on the scale and timing of the operation vary. One report said that 850 people were arrested over a 40-day period [3]. Another report described the operation as a two-week drive that saw more than 150 suspects arrested [6]. A separate report focused on the arrest of seven specific drug peddlers and the seizure of properties worth crores [4].
Beyond arrests, the administration has taken aggressive measures to disrupt the trade. These actions include the attachment of properties, and the razing of structures used by drug peddlers [6]. The campaign emphasizes a zero-tolerance approach to narcotics to prevent the youth of the region from falling into addiction and radicalization.
“850 arrests [3]”
The scale of this operation suggests a shift toward treating drug trafficking not merely as a public health crisis, but as a national security threat. By linking narcotics to 'narco-terrorism' and utilizing property seizure and demolition, the Indian administration is attempting to destroy the economic incentives of the drug trade to prevent the financing of insurgent activities.
