Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 21: Narco-terrorists based across the border appear to have shifted a proven Punjab strategy to the Jammu frontier, and this time they are targeting the youth of the border belt itself.
The arrest of one more resident of the Arnia area in R S Pura sector, with narcotics suspected to have been dropped by Pakistani drones, points to a deliberate effort to lure young border dwellers into the drug trade, which security observers say is being used to fund and fuel terror. In a significant breakthrough under Operation Sanjeevani, Jammu Police recovered a commercial quantity of narcotics, comprising 804 grams of heroin and 1.114 kilograms of opium, from the Talhar village area of the Arnia sector, close to the International Border.
According to a police spokesperson, the contraband is suspected to have been dropped by a Pakistani drone. It is the second such recovery in Arnia this month.
The trail began on October 20, when Police Station R S Pura received information that Sunny Kumar (26), son of Tarsem Lal and a resident of Kotli Mirdian in Suchetgarh tehsil, was consuming narcotics near a ditch in his village. An FIR (No. 186/2026) was registered under Sections 8, 18, 21, 22 and 27 of the NDPS Act. Questioning of Sunny Kumar then pointed to his alleged role in a smuggling module linked to a drone-drop. Acting on those leads, a team led by the SHO of R S Pura recovered the consignment from Talhar. Preliminary investigation indicates a possible cross-border nexus involving the use of drones to push narcotics into Indian territory.
Police are now probing the backward and forward linkages of the module to identify the source of the consignment, its intended recipients and everyone involved in the network.
Jammu Police reiterated its commitment to dismantling drug-trafficking networks and countering the narco-terror threat through sustained and decisive action.
The latest seizure follows another in the same belt. On October 3, police set up a surprise checkpoint at Tamala Bridge in Arnia and intercepted two men on a motorcycle.
Heroin, a silver-coloured Beretta-type pistol, two magazines and four live rounds were recovered from Rahul Kumar, son of Rishipal Chand and a resident of Trewa, Arnia.
His companion, Ajay Kumar, son of Mangal Dass and a resident of Talhar village, was also arrested with heroin. Police registered FIR No. 64/2026 at Police Station Arnia under Sections 8, 21, 22 and 29 of the NDPS Act and Sections 3 and 25 of the Arms Act. The heroin in that case is also suspected to have been dropped by drones from across the border. |