J&K Police hands over Kashmir narco-trade case to NIA

SRINAGAR — National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the narco-module cases where heroin worth Rs 100 Crore and cash Rs 135 Crore were recovered in Handwara and also the second case wherein 21 kg heroin was recovered by the J&K Police, top police officials said.

They said that given the inter-State links involving many countries including Pakistan, J&K Police has handed over the case to the country’s premier investigation agency for a thorough probe.

The development comes a day after the Kashmir Range, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Vijay Kumar had hinted that since there was a huge involvement of States like Mumbai, Haryana, New Delhi and Punjab, and countries like Pakistan, Nepal and others involved, case would be better handled by NIA.

A top police officer said that the case has been handed over to the NIA and the agency will soon start the probe to reach to the bottom of the case.

In Kashmir alone, since past one year, 500 people have been arrested for being involved in drug trade and over 500 kgs of drugs which include huge quantity of Heroine, Fuki, Poppy Straw, Charas, and other drugs like Corex, Diazepam, and thousands of tablets have been recovered by the police.

Sources in the NIA said that the case has formally been handed over to it by the J&K Police and it will start investigations in a day or two. “J&K Police will be assisting us where needed,” they said.

J&K Police had recently claimed that the drugs were being supplied to Kashmir from across LoC, and then sold in various parts of India and the money was being spent on the militancy in the Valley.

On June 11, the Jammu and Kashmir busted a huge narcotics-terror module sponsored by neighbouring Pakistan and arrested three Lashkar-e-Taiba militant associates in Handwara town of Kupwara district.

The police also recovered 21 kg heroin and Rs 1.34 crore Indian currency, total worth over Rs 200 crore, from the possession of Lashkar operatives.