JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested an individual from Punjab in the Bus Terminal vicinity of Jammu on Friday. Senior Police authorities said that they had confiscated 33 kilograms of premium-grade narcotics valued at Rs 33 crore.
Providing insight into the seizure, Additional Director General of Police, Jammu Zone Anand Jain told The New Indian, “ The Jammu Police obtained intelligence from trustworthy sources regarding two individuals carrying a dubious package en route to the Jammu Bus Terminal from a frontier area.” Consequently, he mentioned, a checkpoint was set up, and one of the individuals, a native of Punjab, was taken into custody.
Upon inspecting his package, the ADGP Jammu revealed that 33 kilograms of top-tier narcotics, valued at approximately Rs 33 crore, were discovered in his possession. “The value of the seized shipment could potentially be higher,” Anand Jain remarked.
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When questioned about the origin of the consignment, Jain responded, “Preliminary inquiries suggest that the shipment was collected from a border region, but specifics regarding its intended destination cannot be disclosed at this point as the investigation is ongoing.”
When asked about Pakistan’s possible involvement in channelling the narcotics into the area, ADGP Jammu replied, “No conclusions can be drawn at this moment. Further information, including whether the package was delivered via drone or if the suspect is underage, cannot be provided due to the early stages of the inquiry,” he added.
Earlier, a police statement indicated that the Bus Terminal Police Station in Jammu was alerted by credible sources that Harmeet Singh (name altered) was travelling from Akhnoor towards Jammu Bus Terminal with a dubious package. Subsequently, a checkpoint was established, and the suspect was detained with 26 bundles of narcotics weighing around 32-33 kilograms, the statement detailed.
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“In connection with this, case numbering 41/2024 under Sections 8, 21, 22 of the NDPS Act has been filed at Bus Terminal Police Station. On the surface, it seems that the accused sourced the consignment from border regions and was transporting it to Punjab,” the statement further elaborated.
Meanwhile, ADGP Jammu Zone Anand Jain told The New Indian that the Jammu and Kashmir Police have recently seized properties worth Rs 14 crore, acquired through the profits of narcotics activities, in the Jammu Region. According to him, the largest confiscation, valued at Rs 8 crore, occurred in Jammu District, followed by Rs 4 crore in Rajouri, Rs 1 crore in Samba District, Rs 70 lakh in Kathua, Rs 40 lakh in Poonch, and Rs 24 lakh in Reasi Districts.
He also noted that 23 individuals have been recently detained under the PIT NDPS Act in the districts of Jammu, Samba, and Kathua due to their involvement in drug smuggling and distribution.