Srinagar, May 25 (IANS) The J&K Police on Sunday arrested a drug peddler in Baramulla district after recovering contraband substances from his possession.

A police statement said, “Continuing its efforts to eradicate the menace of drugs from society, Baramulla Police have arrested a drug peddler and recovered contraband substances from his possession. A police party from Police Station Sheeri, headed by the station house officer (SHO) of police station Sheeri, established a checkpoint at Zandfaran Link Road. During checking, one person identified as Abid Rasheed Sofi, son of Abdul Rasheed Sofi, a resident of Heewan, Baramulla, was intercepted. Upon search, 190 grams of a charas-like contraband substance were recovered from his possession.”

The police said he has been arrested.

“Accordingly, a case FIR No. 30/2025 under sections 8/20 of the NDPS Act has been registered at Police Station Sheeri, and further investigation has been initiated,” the statement mentioned.

The police have urged the people to report any instances of drug peddling or other criminal activities to the nearest police station or by dialling 112.

“Your cooperation is essential in our collective fight against the drug menace. We reassure the community that police will continue to act firmly against such offenders as per the law,” the police station said.

Security forces have launched an aggressive operation against terrorists, their overground workers (OGWs) and sympathisers.

The operation also includes a crackdown on drug smugglers and drug peddlers, as the intelligence agencies say the proceeds of hawala rackets and drug smuggling ultimately get siphoned into funding terrorism.

A confirmatory indication of drugs and their abuse being promoted from across the border is that 90 per cent of drugs, contraband and psychotropic substances are routed into Jammu and Kashmir through the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB). Trans border smuggling of drugs into the country is also a major problem faced by states like Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat, where the IB exists.

–IANS

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