Page 10 - The Indian EYE 091622

OPINION SEPTEMBER 16, 2022 | The Indian Eye 10

The rising problem of

narco-terrorism in the Jammu

and Kashmir region

While security forces have effectively clamped down on terrorist activities in J&K, it is equally essential to
strengthen soft-power capacities to curb and gradually eliminate growing substance abuse across the state

SAMAN AYESHA KIDWAI

ammu and Kashmir (J&K) has
witnessed a 2000 per cent surge
Jin heroin-related drug seizures
between 2017 and 2022—from 3,000
to more than 10,000. Most recently,
in August 2022, the Border Security
Force (BSF) recovered eight pack-
ets of heroin worth Rs 8 crores in
the Samba district after a wounded
terrorist fled back to Pakistan. Hun-
dreds of crores worth of illegal con-
signments have been seized by the
J&K police this year alone, particu-
larly in Shopian and Pulwama.

As per the Ministry of Home
Affairs (MHA), there has been
more than 75 per cent decrease

in net infiltration from across
the border between 2018 and
2021 and more than 80 per ammunition from across the border. Pakistan, have also come to light. narco-terrorism charges. Reports
In May 2022, three people, in- J&K’s State Investigation Agency noted that Pakistan’s Inter-Services
cent reduction in the number cluding a woman, were arrested in (SIA), in July 2022, filed a charge Intelligence (ISI) was colluding with
of terrorist incidents during Kupwara in a joint operation by the sheet against five individuals for ter- Khalistani terrorists and has estab-
7 Rashtriya Rifles and the local po- ror financing following the seizure of lished a ‘K-2 (Kashmir–Khalistan)
the same period. Despite such lice for possessing two Improvised Rs 43 lakhs from a taxi en route to desk’ to advance its proxy conflict.
efforts by the security forces Explosive Devices (IEDs) and seven Kashmir in November 2021. The elaborate nexus included
kilograms of narcotics, specifical- This operation was spearheaded the involvement of HM terrorists
in eliminating those infiltrating ly heroin. These items were being by Muzammil Ahmad Malik, a Pul- based in Pakistan and over ground
the Line of Control, the drug transferred to other regions in the wama resident, whose responsibility workers (OGWs) in Kashmir. The
Kashmir valley for aiding and abet-
former was tasked with handling the
extended to ensuring safe passage
menace has not abated. ting terrorism. of his fellow terrorists and collecting distribution of drugs for sale to their
In June 2022, J&K police bust- the funds from criminals like Ama- partners in the valley, who would
In April 2022, a charge sheet ed a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) mod- rbir Singh, operating out of Punjab. cross state boundaries into Punjab
against nine individuals—three Pa- ule, which was disseminating funds Reportedly, Singh is closely affiliat- for the illegal sale of drug consign-
kistani handlers and their six opera- procured from the sale of drugs to ed with notorious arms and narcotics ment. The K-2’s sleeper cells engage
tives in Kashmir—was filed in a spe- their jihadist brethren. The author- trafficker, Baljinder Singh alias Billa in financial transactions through ha-
cial National Investigation Agency ities also repossessed arms, vehicles, Mandiala, accused in over 23 FIRs wala channels and have significant
(NIA) court in Baramulla. The case and ammunition from the terrorists. about extortion and killings. youth membership.
concerned seizure of vast sums of Drones have also been used to de- Earlier in December 2020, Del- India is the crossroads between
arms, narcotics, and ammunition in liver opium across the border into hi Police had arrested five individu- the ‘Golden Triangle’ and the ‘Gold-
2021. As per the court documents, J&K. als—three from Kashmir, belonging en Crescent’, two of the most signif-
those arrested were a part of a net- Further, inter-state drug and to the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and icant opium production and trade
work that sourced drugs, arms, and terror links, aided and abetted by the remaining two from Punjab—on Continued at next page... >>

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