Jammu: In one of the biggest narcotics seizures along the Line of Control (LoC) in recent years, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday recovered five kilograms of high-grade heroin worth over ₹25 crore during a major anti-drug operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district.
The operation was carried out in village Kosalyain, a forward village in Haveli tehsil close to the LoC, following specific intelligence inputs about a cross-border narcotics consignment.
According to officials, the heroin had allegedly been smuggled from across the border and was intended to be transported deeper into the hinterland through an organised drug trafficking network operating in the region.
The recovered contraband is estimated to have an international market value exceeding ₹25 crore, making it one of the largest heroin recoveries in the border district in recent years.
One suspected smuggler has been arrested in connection with the case. Officials said the investigation is focused on identifying the intended recipients of the consignment, the cross-border handlers involved in the smuggling operation, and the local network that was to facilitate its transportation and distribution.
Security agencies have repeatedly warned that narcotics smuggling routes along the LoC are increasingly being used by Pakistan-based handlers to push drugs into Jammu and Kashmir. Officials have also expressed concern over the alleged nexus between cross-border narcotics trafficking and networks involved in funding anti-national activities.
Further investigation is underway. [KNT]
