Srinagar, Oct 21: Police arrested three persons and recovered poppy straw and charas in separate anti-narcotics operations in Anantnag and Shopian districts, officials said on Wednesday.
In Anantnag, police recovered 5.57 kg of poppy straw from a cowshed in Dandipora Phalipora, Kokernag, following specific information that it had been concealed there.
The accused, identified as Gh. Mohd Wagay, son of Ali Mohd Wagay and a resident of Dandipora Phalipora, was arrested after a search of the cowshed by a team from Police Station Kokernag.
In a separate operation, a police party conducting naka checking at Nandpora in Anantnag apprehended Ashiq Hussain Malik, son of Abdul Gani Malik and a resident of Bulbul Nowgam. Police said 7.28 grams of charas were recovered from his possession during a search.
Meanwhile, in Shopian, police arrested Shahnawaz Ahmad Naikoo, son of Mohd Amin Naikoo and a resident of DK Pora Imamsahib, after recovering 22 grams of a charas-like substance during naka checking at Sazan Crossing.
The accused was apprehended by a police party from Police Post Keegam after he was noticed moving under suspicious circumstances.
Police said cases had been registered at the respective police stations and further investigations initiated. In the Shopian case, investigators are working to establish the source of the contraband and identify its forward and backward linkages.
Police urged the public to share information about drug trafficking, peddling and illegal cultivation of narcotic plants, assuring that the identity of informants would be kept confidential.
