Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 20: Months after foiling an attempt by Pakistan-based handlers to smuggle drugs from across the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, the Special Investigation Agency (SIA) of the Union Territory police arrested key accused of this narco-terror module.
The key, who was evading arrest since May 30, was arrested by the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh by a special team of SIA.
The arrested key accused has been identified as Mohammad Iqbal who was wanted in narco terror FIR 69/23 registered in Police Station Poonch.
As per SIA, after the busting of the module in May this year, Mohammad Iqbal had managed to escape to neighbouring Himachal Pradesh and was absconding there for the last five months.
A joint team of the Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested three local terrorists and recovered a huge consignment of arms and narcotics worth Rs 100 crores from their possession in the intervening night of May 30 and 31..
The terrorists, who were also in possession of a 10 kg powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED), were arrested after an exchange of fire near the LoC fence when they were attempting to sneak into this side. An Army personnel and one of the terrorists were injured in the exchange of firing.
Police identified the arrested terrorists as Mohammad Farooq (26), who received a bullet injury in his leg, Mohammad Riaz (23), and Mohammad Zubair (22), all residents of the Karmara area of Poonch district.
Mohammad Iqbal who was part of this group managed to escape from the site.
The arrested terrorists had received the arms and narcotic consignment from across the LoC and were trying to smuggle it into this side when they were intercepted by the troops.
The seizure made from the arrested persons included an AK assault rifle, two pistols, six grenades, a 10-kg IED which was planted inside a pressure cooker, and 20 packets of suspected heroin worth over Rs 100 crore.
On July 6, 2023, the case was transferred for investigation to SIA Jammu.
Upon technical surveillance and human intelligence, it was ascertained that he was hiding in Mandi District, Himachal Pradesh where a team of SIA was dispatched and the accused was apprehended.
Earlier SIA had arrested another key accused of this case from Delhi. Mohammad Javed, a resident of Poonch, had fled the scene after his three accomplices were arrested along with a huge cache of arms, explosives, and narcotics near the border fence in the Karmara area of Poonch on May 30. |
