Srinagar: Unknown gunmen killed an alleged narcotics smuggler in Karnah area of this north Kashmir district, police said.
“During the intervening night of 28/29-08-2023, at about 2200 hours some sound of gunshots were heard in Haridal area of PP Teetwal Karnah,” a police spokesperson said, adding, “Upon hearing the gunshots, a swift search operation was launched by local Police and Army unit in the area.”
The search operation led to the discovery of the body of Mukhtar Ahmad Shah (42) son of Lt. Syed Akbar Shah, hailing from Panjtaran Karnah.
The deceased’s body was found in the village of Pingla Haridal, he said.
“The Police promptly transferred the body to SDH Tangdhar for necessary medico-legal procedures,” he said, adding, “Subsequent to the post-mortem examination, the body was handed over to the family for final rites.” A case has been registered under appropriate sections, and a thorough investigation has been initiated, he said.
“From the preliminary investigations, it appears that the deceased has been killed by some rival narcotics smuggling gang members or the rival terror operatives,” he said, adding, “Notably, Mukhtar Ahmad Shah was a high-profile narcotics smuggler and a person of deep connections among narcotics smugglers in the region”. He had been found involved in two cases of narcotics and weapons smuggling in the recent past and had confessed to orchestrating the transportation of substantial quantities of narcotics and weaponry across the border, he said. “His association with his brother, Sadiq Shah, a prominent figure as both a launching commander and a supplier of narcotics and weapons from POJK, underscores the depth of his involvement in these illicit activities,” he said, adding, “Sadiq Shah is himself chargesheeted in narco-terror cases and happens to be a top terrorist commander based in POJK.”
Furthermore, he said, it is worth mentioning that the Shah family has been entangled in various legal cases relating to narcotics and weapons smuggling. “At least six other members of the Mukhtar Ahmad Shah’s family are currently facing charges in connection to these criminal activities”.
